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Customer Pictures and Comments
Index - Click CALL to Jump to Pictures and comments
Jim / WB5AAA Homemade Hexbeam, SN #001 Mike / W5SIY K4KIO Hexbeam 40 ft tower
OB / W4JHX 5 band HEX beam Al / NN4ZZ NA4RR hexbeam 35ft tower
David / WA8KHP 160M-10M Hexbeam Ron / AF0V 160M-10M Hexbeam
Roger / NA4RR Mobile trailer setup Steve / WU9B U S Tower MARB770
Jamie / WB4YDL VIDEO Spiderbeam Jim / K4BSE RadioWavez 20-6 hexbeam
Ray / K6LJ Auger system for base Jon / AC1EV Roof mounted tower and hexbeam
HexLock serial #001
U.S. Towers MA-40 tubular tower
Homemade Hexbeam
This is a "before" picture showing Jim's homemade hexbeam on a the U.S. Towers MA-40. He also has the rotating base with the rotator mounted at ground level.
This is a "before" picture with his tower tilted over for maintenance. The hub is about 8 feet off the ground and the tips are up at about 16 feet. Working from a 16 foot step ladder to reach all points can be difficult. Removing or replacing the antenna can be unwieldy on a ladder.
Here is the "after" version with the HexLock installed. Jim could tilt the tower even further and/or shorten the antenna mast section to lower the antenna another 2-3 feet if desired.
Jim mentioned that his installation is close to the greenhouse and says with others with a little more room will may get even closer to the ground.
There is easy access to all points and if you need to lift the antenna off the HexLock it can be done from ground level.
Close up with one of Jim's helpers. The antenna can be tied off in this position or tilted further if desired. Note the extra bolt hole to the left of the bearing bolt for the optional stop. (the bolt will be provided and can be removed if not needed)
When raising the tower if you don't have a helper Jim suggested throwing a line over a spreader and then playing it out as you winch the tower back up.
The antenna is being raised. The lock is not yet engaged.
Same as above from the other side of the HexLock
Tower is at about 70 degree and the lock has engaged.
Tower is vertical and ready to raise.
My thanks to Jim for beta testing the HexLock and all of the excellent pictures.
GD DX and vy 73, Al / NN4ZZ
Mike has a 40-ft tilt-over tower and K4KIO Hex Beam. Because the pivot point on the tower is 16-ft above ground, he needs a greater than a ninety degree angle at the HexLock to be able to comfortably attach the beam. With a ten foot mast & rotator on top of the tower, the angle between vertical and end of the mast on the ground is 135 degrees.
Here's a photo of his HexLock installation. The beam, rotator and HexLock have been up for about three weeks now. Have cycled the tower from ground position to upright and back several times. Works like a charm.
Regards, Mike, W5SIY
Here are some additional pictures showing Mikes tower. His tower has as very high pivot point but the HexLock is able to swivel past 90 degrees so it works.
The ladder makes a nice safety support....
5 band HEX beam
You can also see his all band sky wire in the background.
It's a 527 ft long loop. Suspended between 4 tall pine trees in a rectangular pattern. 100 ft wide and somewhere's close to 200 ft on the long sides.
NA4RR Hexagonal 6 band beam on a 35 foot tower. Click here for the NA4RR Hexbeam page and more information on the antenna.
I built the Hexagonal beam on the HexLock at ground level. The optional locking pin is installed to allow the antenna to rest on it.
Roger / NA4RR supplies a section of heavy wall mast drilled to mount the antenna. For use with the HexLock I cut it off at 10 inches to keep the antenna close to the HexLock. It could have even been a few inches shorter.
You can see the optional locking pin being used to rest the antenna leaning slightly toward the tower.
Tower is being raised up. Plates are closed. If you want to use the optional pin lock, now is the time to move it into position.
David's Project is a HexLock and large Sentinel hexbeam that covers 160M - 10M. Here are some pictures of the project. (thanks to David for all of the details on his project, they should be very helpful to others -- Al / NN4ZZ)
First, some information on the antenna...
Click here for more information on the antenna from the RadioWavz web page.
Since this is a very large hexbeam I used a rope layout
before I purchased the RadioWavz Sentinel Barrett Hex Beam at Dayton 2015 to
verify that it would work with your HexLock.
Closeup of the HexLock assembly.
The optional LOCKING PIN has a storage location but to be sure it didn't get lost I attached it with a cord.
Hex
Beam at 30 ft to do more testing before I raise it to 61 ft as my TH7 is at 30
ft.
Ron / AF0V lives in North Dakota where they frequently have 80 MPH winds.
His application is a very large
160-10M hexbeam, a Sentinel hexbeam that covers 160M - 10M.
See the details on this antenna in the pictures above for WA8KHP
Look closely and you can see the spider decoration on his spare pulley.
Pretty cool and here is a close up.
Because of the frequent high winds, he decided to pin the mast during his installation as a precaution.
(Even with this large antenna the mast bolt should not be needed, but overkill never hurts, Al / NN4ZZ)
And also pin the lock....
He could have just used the optional "pin" lock but wanted to really be sure....
as above, overkill never hurts.
"The antenna has survived up to 70mph gusts, I did notice that it should be turned to "knife edge" the hex lock into the wind it gives a little more stability in the gusts also it takes about half the hex lock wind load off the tower, I used a I/2" bolt to lock the lock so it couldn't move, and yes I need to get the 10' steep ladder out to remove the bolt before I can lower he tower all the way but I don't have any play in the mount that way. I think your mount would work just fine without the modifications if I didn't have such a serious wind problem here.
Roger is the manufacturer for the NA4RR Hexagonal beam. The picture below is from the 2015 HamCation where he had one of his antennas and a HexLock on a mobile trailer outide the exhibition hall.
This would be a nice setup for field day!
Click here for the NA4RR Hexbeam page and more information on the antenna.
U S Tower MARB770
RIO VERDE, AZ
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In the picture above, looking due east, the QTH borders the 3 million acre Tonto National Forest. Four Peaks in the background graces the majority of all Arizona automobile license plates.
Time for a new hexbeam So… last weekend I got some good help from the boys…
Jesse was amazing. He cranked that tower horizontal and vertical like it was easy. Wish I were still young and strong.
Picked up a Hex-Lock from NN4ZZ. No more ladders at the business end of the tower.
I guess Jesse lowered the tower a bit too far.
Money shot!
73, Steve WU9B
Spiderbeam and HexLock at field day 2016
Click Here for the VIDEO
Tower is U S Towers MA-40
Antenna is Radio Wavez 20-6 hex beam with a 6-2-70 cm whip above it
HexLock made a HUGE difference in being able to work on the antenna
Ray used an auger system to support his mast and hexbeam. His hexbeam is up about 30 feet. Pics below of this system and detail on the auger system. (nice looking setup ... Al)
I recently took my hexbeam down for some pre winter maintenance and took some photos. The Hex Lock works great and I really appreciate how sturdy it is after we had some serious wind.
73, Jon T / AC1EV
Your Pictures here.....
Your pictures could help
someone that has a similar antenna or tower setup.