Yagi Antenna and a 3D Printer, Part Three

After several 2-, 6- and 7-element Yagi-Uda antennas of DK7ZB design, I decided to go for 13 elements on a 9-meter boom. I took the design data from Martin’s site.

I cut the elements with a pipe cutter, leaving 0.5 mm extra, then filed them down to size, deburring them at the same time.

On May 12, Viacheslav UT5ZC and I drove out to grid square KN56WW to test the build of my first long Yagi.

Later, on May 19, UT5ZC, Andrii UR5ZTS and I went out again to check the antenna with a RigExpert AA-230PRO.

Director or reflector holder, 20x20x8 mm

Driven element holder, 20x20x8 mm

You can download the STL model of the Yagi driven element holder, as well as the director and reflector holder, and print them yourself.

Printed driven element holder for the Yagi

Printed director holder for the Yagi

UT5ZC helping assemble the Yagi-Uda

First version of the boom-to-mast mount

Testing the antenna at minimum height

UR5ZTS and UT5ZC

UR5ZHF and UR5ZTS

UR5ZTS and UT5ZC

First measurement after assembling the antenna, not great numbers

Minimum SWR at a height of 2 meters, without the cable tied to the boom

SWR plot from 143 MHz to 147 MHz

All parameters at the minimum-SWR frequency, 143.760 MHz

All parameters at 144.300 MHz

UT5ZC made a QSO with Hennadii US4IEK (grid square KN87UX): 446 km, 5 W, and we got a 55 report.

Thanks to UT5ZC, UR5ZTS, US4IEK and UY5HF for their help and advice.