[maxm31533]

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id=e2cbedb5ab3054


I live in an extreme fringe area with lots of foliage in Douglas, Ga. I began experimenting with different homemade antennas out of curiosity a few months ago. I have built the DB4 and DB8 (as in Big Bertha that I found on the net) and everything I could find along the way on the internet until I came across this forum. Nothing seems to get past the hundred mile range, which is ok since this is just a new hobby. I made this out of curiosity, and I really did not expect it to even work. Wisker length is 7 inches. Wisker count is 14 on each side A single Balum is connected to the center. Wisker are Hardware wire connected by no.12 copper. I had it on 2 10foot pieces of 2inch rigid pvc attached to my deck with a kt200 preamp. Nothing really works for channels during the day except for local pbs, which was a nice change from netflix I found out that I can fringe in some jax stations. I have picked up to 42 channels, late night, in the Jacksonville direction. Eventually I want to build a final antenna and attach it to my unused chimney with a rotary motor, which should total about 30 feet. I just never seen this outlay, I just added to the basic pattern. Thanks in advance for any comments. Sorry, my first post and I cannot put in my tvfool location or my pictures.

 

[Calaveras]

I live in an extreme fringe area with lots of foliage in Douglas, Ga. I began experimenting with different homemade antennas out of curiosity a few months ago. I have built the DB4 and DB8 (as in Big Bertha that I found on the net) and everything I could find along the way on the internet until I came across this forum. Nothing seems to get past the hundred mile range, which is ok since this is just a new hobby. I made this out of curiosity, and I really did not expect it to even work. Wisker length is 7 inches. Wisker count is 14 on each side A single Balum is connected to the center. Wisker are Hardware wire connected by no.12 copper. I had it on 2 10foot pieces of 2inch rigid pvc attached to my deck with a kt200 preamp. Nothing really works for channels during the day except for local pbs, which was a nice change from netflix I found out that I can fringe in some jax stations. I have picked up to 42 channels, late night, in the Jacksonville direction. Eventually I want to build a final antenna and attach it to my unused chimney with a rotary motor, which should total about 30 feet. I just never seen this outlay, I just added to the basic pattern. Thanks in advance for any comments. Sorry, my first post and I cannot put in my tvfool location or my pictures.

I looked at the terrain plots for your stations and there are no hills to any of them, just the curvature of the Earth to block the signals. There are a few things you should know. TV stations are not designed to cover more than about a 60 mile radius and often less. The reason you're not receiving stations in the daytime is because you're depending on the nighttime inversions that often develop to extend the range of the signals. Solar heating in the morning breaks up these inversions so you lose the stations. There's nothing you can do about this. The best you can do is to put you antenna high enough to clear the close in vegetation so the signals are attenuated the least.

You live in a great spot for DXing TV stations but it's pretty much hopeless for 24/7 reliable reception.

 

[rabbit73]

Welcome to the forum, maxm31533:

I agree with Calaveras; your location is not ideal for 24/7 100% TV reception, but your antenna design can be improved.

As near as I can tell, you don't have the mandatory crossover between all the outer bays beyond the 2 center bays. The crossovers are needed to keep all the bays working together in phase with the element currents going in the same direction.



The elements should be 9 1/2" on each side with a vertical spacing of 9" between the bays.



Any additional bays added at the top and bottom should have a crossover, but you get diminishing returns with the added bays. It is better to make an 8-bay antenna out of two 4-bay antennas.

 

[holl_ands]

IF you provide Dimensions for the rest of the Vertical 14-Bay Bowtie, I'll mod one of my Generic Bowtie Models and run it to see how well it performs.....I need to know Bowtie-To-Bowtie Separations, Tine-To-Tine Separation for the Bowties, Feedline Separation and for each Crossover (if any) the distance to the nearest Bowtie.

BUT, unless you ran it through an Optimizer already, I doubt that it will perform anywhere near what an OPTIMIZED Vertical 14-Bay Bowtie can provide [SHOULD be a bit better than a pair of Vertically Stacked 2xFF6's on the upper channels....and worse on the lower channels since it is using Identical rather than "Free Form" Bowties.]:
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/stacked/verticallystackeduhf/vertstackff6doubleanglerefl

In fol. series of posts, I analyzed a Vertical 10-Bay Bowtie [FLAT with NO Reflector, all attached to a COMMON Feedline, Crossovers Midway between Bowties], which had TERRIBLE performance. Since it did NOT have the usual Crossovers between each pair of Bowties [Inner Bowtie Feedlines do NOT Crossover], I prepared an alternative 4nec2 Model with the Crossovers....which was an improvement but still very poor. At that time I had NOT modeled and Re-Optimized [see below] a FLAT, NO Reflector version of my Stacked Pair of FF4's, interconnected with an OPTIMIZED HVH (Holl_ands Vertical Harness), instead showing the final version with the VDAR [Variable Double Angle Reflector]:
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/186-antenna-research-development/100137-bow-tie-tv-antenna-designs-ff4-m4-featured-86.html#post2472617

Note that post #1286 is for an OPTIMIZED Vertical FF8 with a Common Feedline Structure and OFFSET Crossovers between all Adjacent Bowties...except at Feedpoint.
The fol. post #1287 is for an OPTIMIZED Vertical Stack of 2xFF4's PLUS the VDAR [Variable Double Angle Reflector], hence it typically has up to 3+ dB higher Gain.

For Apples-to-Apples comparison purposes, here are the EVAL Results for a Vertical Stacked 8-Bay Bowtie, using a Pair of OPTIMIZED FLAT FF4's [NO Reflector], interconnected by a HVH...BUT I DID NOT Re-Optimize the HVH...it's the SAME size as the Optimized Pair of 2xFF4's plus VDAR. Clearly the 2xFF4 version provided quite a bit more Gain than the Vertical 8-Bay with a Common Feedline. Something strange is happening when more than 8 or 10-Bays are attached to the SAME Feedline structure....it would be interesting to know if an OPTIMIZED 14-Bay version is better....or worse.....we shall soon find out, since I have started some Optimization runs.....

UPDATE: Re-Optimized HVH Dimensions for FLAT 2xFF4 (NO Reflector): only improved 0.1 to 0.2 dB on some Freqs...essentially the SAME.

Input file : X:\4nec2\StkV 2xU\StkVert - UHF FF4_48x36_VDAR\
StkVert  - UHF FF4 NoRefl\VStkFixdHVH_2xFF4_Flat_NoRefl.nec
Freq sweeps: [(470, 12, 29)]
Autosegmentation: 10 per 0.319149

         --- Gain ---              -- Ratios -- -- Impedance --
   Freq    Raw    Net   SWR BeamW    F/R    F/B    Real    Imag  AGT  corr
==========================================================================
  470.0  12.23  11.45  2.35  45.9  -0.08  -0.08  138.39   78.87 1.02  0.09
  482.0  12.58  12.29  1.68  44.8   0.00   0.00  207.15   92.02 1.02  0.09
  494.0  12.95  12.93  1.15  43.7   0.07   0.07  269.86   25.37 1.02  0.09
  506.0  13.29  13.14  1.44  42.8   0.12   0.12  226.06  -59.45 1.02  0.09
  518.0  13.60  13.02  2.09  41.6   0.17   0.17  150.79  -59.65 1.02  0.09
  530.0  13.84  12.76  2.76  40.6   0.17   0.17  109.12  -20.48 1.02  0.09
  542.0  14.02  12.62  3.20  39.4   0.17   0.17   94.52   27.02 1.02  0.09
  554.0  14.16  12.74  3.23  38.2   0.15   0.15   99.96   77.99 1.02  0.08
  566.0  14.24  13.10  2.84  37.0   0.13   0.13  130.25  133.47 1.02  0.08
  578.0  14.31  13.63  2.22  35.8   0.11   0.11  208.78  184.05 1.02  0.08
  590.0  14.38  14.12  1.63  34.7   0.09   0.09  359.97  150.49 1.02  0.08
  602.0  14.48  14.37  1.36  33.7   0.09   0.09  391.22  -54.75 1.02  0.08
  614.0  14.62  14.33  1.67  32.8   0.13   0.13  243.25 -128.59 1.02  0.08
  626.0  14.79  14.14  2.18  31.9   0.19   0.19  152.56  -86.53 1.02  0.08
  638.0  14.99  14.05  2.58  31.1   0.30   0.30  117.48  -28.43 1.02  0.07
  650.0  15.16  14.17  2.65  30.6   0.43   0.43  114.33   30.17 1.02  0.07
  662.0  15.31  14.57  2.32  30.2   0.61   0.61  144.19   90.82 1.02  0.07
  674.0  15.40  15.09  1.72  29.8   0.80   0.80  242.00  136.53 1.02  0.07
  686.0  15.40  15.31  1.33  29.6   0.98   0.98  399.80    2.09 1.02  0.07
  698.0  15.26  14.73  2.03  29.8   1.14   1.14  239.46 -183.34 1.02  0.07

 

[rabbit73]

here are some designs by mclapp:
home page
http://m4antenna.eastmasonvilleweather.com/index.html
dimensions
http://m4antenna.eastmasonvilleweather.com/Drawings/PDF Drawings.html

my relevant post on the How to build a UHF antenna... thread
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/25-hdtv-technical/798265-how-build-uhf-antenna-148.html#post19181711

answer by Cheezebooger
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/25-hdtv-technical/798265-how-build-uhf-antenna-148.html#post19182091

A single Balum is connected to the center.

It is balun, short for BALanced-to-UNbalanced. The 300 ohm feed point of the antenna is balanced because neither side is grounded. The 75 ohm side of the balun is unbalanced because the coax shield is grounded.

 

[maxm31533]

Welcome to the forum, maxm31533:

I agree with Calaveras; your location is not ideal for 24/7 100% TV reception, but your antenna design can be improved.

First, Thank you so much for the reply. The double 4 bay was my 5th attempt at an antenna. It was built wish no 6 copper whisker at about 9.5 inches. My whiskers were 5.5 from the reflector because I did not rip the pvc board first. I soldiered all the joints. I had 1 inch wire mesh as the reflectors I could not tell any gain between using one or both antennas. I got the Balums from amazon. I know now I may have had the balum order reversed. Unfortunately, I was so disheartened, I loaned half it to my neighbor who had no tv and went on to experiment with other designs. I am so grateful for this forum and the wonderful input. Finding this forum and the mountain of info and the informative people is incredible. I was at wits end trying to find and learn info from the net until I came here. Lol, now I feel like I am in 1st grade again. Thanks also about the advice on the crossovers. That will be my next experiment. I got up this morning at 5:30 and checked channels. It found 49 channels in the Jacksonville direction. Most were fringe. I only get 3 channels after daylight I plan on reworking the two db4 I had side by side soon. Sincerely, Max

 

[maxm31533]

I looked at the terrain plots for your stations and there are no hills to any of them, just the curvature of the Earth to block the signals. There are a few things you should know. TV stations are not designed to cover more than about a 60 mile radius and often less. The reason you're not receiving stations in the daytime is because you're depending on the nighttime inversions that often develop to extend the range of the signals. Solar heating in the morning breaks up these inversions so you lose the stations. There's nothing you can do about this. The best you can do is to put you antenna high enough to clear the close in vegetation so the signals are attenuated the least.

You live in a great spot for DXing TV stations but it's pretty much hopeless for 24/7 reliable reception.

I bought one of the homeworx converter boxes that records onto a usb drive. My goal get enough signal to record some late night old tv and such. I figured daytime reception is pretty futile unless I have a 70 foot tower installed, which I not feasible for me now. My new hobby of making antennas and testing for the best antenna is actually way more fun than watching tv. However, some days, I wonder if I should just buy the best antenna I can find and move onto other needed projects for my home. Thank you for your reply. Max

 

[maxm31533]

IF you provide Dimensions for the rest of the Vertical 14-Bay Bowtie, I'll mod one of my Generic Bowtie Models and run it to see how well it performs.....I need to know Bowtie-To-Bowtie Separations, Tine-To-Tine Separation for the Bowties, Feedline Separation and for each Crossover (if any) the distance to the nearest Bowtie.

[/code]

My whiskers are 7 inches long. They are 7 inched apart on the wiring harness. 3 inches apart at end of the

 

[maxm31533]

Here is one half of the db8 I built, just as a reference. One inch mesh reflector with 9.5 whiskers. I think they were 9 inches apart. I built it from way too heavy aluminum from a machine shop. Fortunately, my neighbor has a metal bending machine so I could angle the reflectors.

 

[holl_ands]

My whiskers are 7 inches long. They are 7 inched apart on the wiring harness. 3 inches apart at end of the

 

[maxm31533]

If all else fails try a DBGH (double bay Gray Hoverman). Google it for plans and evaluations. Works for me in an extremely difficult situation. I had a vertical 4228 stack (two 8 bays of the old Channel Master 4228). The DBGH beat it. I had tried every possible antenna (and combination of antennas) over a period of a decade (spending over $500). The DBGH is my best yet - did it myself. There are users out there using the Gray-Hoverman at long distance and it works great for them (for example Flint Ridge has a great GH setup).

I found it easier to build than other antennas. Oh and you won't have to worry about crossovers...

BTW like you I had also tried a huge monolithic multi-bay antenna to try and outdo my 4228 stack (only it was 12 not 14 bays). It gained me exactly ONE db but lost view of some channels altogether. Went back to the drawing board and started considering the GH. The cost of a DIY GH? About one quarter of a store bought antenna. And I could tear it apart and reconfigure it to refine it without spending oodles of money.

I built one single bay out of copper with a screen mesh as the reflector an #6 copper for the elements. The pvc one did not work well for me. I dismantled it and scrapped the copper. I found this site http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/grayhoverman/dbghcombo. I will add it on my list. Thanks! Did you use rods or mesh as reflectors? What material did you use for the structure?

 

[holl_ands]

I have one of several Optimization runs to share....but for comparison purposes it is important to understand the performance of the FF4 (Free Form 4-Bay), FF6 (Free Form 6-Bay) and the Vertically Stacked VM8=2xM4 (Uniform Dimension 4-Bay)....again with NO Reflectors [which would add about 3+ dB]:
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/multibay/4bay/uhffreeform4baybowtienorefl [FF4 = UHF Vertical Free Form 4-Bay Bowtie]
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/multibay/uhfvertical6baybowtienorefl [FF6 = UHF Vertical Free Form 6-Bay Bowtie]
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/stacked/verticallystackeduhf/vstackm495x9noreflector [Vertical Stack 2xM4 4-Bay Bowties, Uniform Dimensions]
Note that except for the Feedlines connecting to the Center, all other Bowties are Interconnected by Feedlines with Cross-overs.

FF4: UHF/Hi-VHF Free-Form 4-Bay Bowtie - NO Refl:

UHF Raw Gain = 9.7 to 12.6 dBi and SWR (300-ohms) under 2.6.
Hi-VHF Raw Gain = 3.5 dBi and SWR (300-ohms) = 2.2 to 3.9 [A bit Excessive except Ch7-8.]

===========================================================
FF6: UHF/Hi-VHF Vertical Free Form 6-Bay Bowtie - NO Refl:
UHF Raw Gain = 11.0 to 14.5 dBi and SWR (300-ohms) under 2.9.
Hi-VHF Raw Gain = -4.2 to 5.8 to 5.5 dBi and SWR (300-ohms) = 21 to 3.1.

===========================================================
VM8=2xM4: UHF/Hi-VHF Vert-Stack Uniform Dimension M4 (9.5x9) + NO Refl. + HHH
Zss = 42.75-in Vertical Stacking Separation between Antennas (Feedpoint-to-Feedpoint). Dimensions are SAME
as found for the Optimized version with the Double Angle Reflector. [NOT Re-Optimized for NO Reflector.]

UHF Raw Gain = 11.7 to 15.2 dBi, F/B & F/R = 0.3 to 0.6 dB and SWR (300-ohms) under 2.4.
Hi-VHF Raw Gain = 7.1 to 7.9 dBi, F/B & F/R = 0.7 to 0.6 dB and SWR (300-ohms) 5.5 to 2.5 to 6.9

NEW OPTIMIZATION RESULTS:
===========================================================
V14: UHF Uniform Dimension Vertical 14-Bay Bowtie - NO Refl: [AFTER OPTIMIZATION]
UHF Raw Gain = 10.2 to 13.3 to 12.1 dBi and SWR (300-ohms) under 6.5 (Excessive on Low Channels).
Hi-VHF Raw Gain = -1.8 to -3.8 to 2.0 dBi and SWR (300-ohms) = 5.1 to 10.1 to 2.6 (Excessive on Low Channels).
So Gain & SWR with 14-Bowties was WORSE than FF6 or V-Stk 2xM4.....clearly NOT working very well.
And only 0.5 to 1.0 dB better than FF4....which has best SWR in Hi-VHF Band.

Input file : C:\Python35\best1_535.nec
Freq sweeps: [(174, 6, 8), (470, 12, 29)]
Autosegmentation: 13 per 0.319149

         --- Gain ---              -- Ratios -- -- Impedance --
   Freq    Raw    Net   SWR BeamW    F/R    F/B    Real    Imag  AGT  corr
==========================================================================
  174.0  -1.80  -4.40  5.08  85.6   0.00   0.00   61.15   54.81 0.97 -0.11
  180.0  -3.55  -8.39 10.10  85.1   0.00   0.00   35.39  130.42 0.97 -0.11
  186.0  -3.78  -8.61 10.08  85.0   0.00   0.00   41.76  189.03 0.98 -0.08
  192.0  -2.62  -6.39  7.40  85.1   0.00   0.00   66.86  237.86 0.98 -0.08
  198.0  -1.33  -3.99  5.18  84.9   0.00   0.00  108.82  271.41 0.98 -0.08
  204.0  -0.15  -1.97  3.82  84.7   0.00   0.00  158.03  280.19 0.99 -0.06
  210.0   0.99  -0.29  3.04  84.3   0.00   0.00  196.99  265.08 0.99 -0.06
  216.0   2.04   1.07  2.62  83.9   0.00   0.00  215.71  240.10 0.99 -0.06

  470.0  10.21   6.89  6.45  66.1   0.00   0.00  521.17  818.84 0.97 -0.13
  482.0  10.80   7.48  6.43  63.9   0.00   0.00  728.19  905.15 0.97 -0.13
  494.0  10.52   7.43  5.99  61.6   0.00   0.00 1013.11  869.05 0.97 -0.13
  506.0  10.21   7.38  5.50  59.5   0.00   0.00 1279.07  674.00 0.98 -0.07
  518.0  10.09   7.52  5.04  57.4   0.00   0.00 1421.33  351.57 0.98 -0.07
  530.0  10.07   7.75  4.61  55.7   0.00   0.00 1383.00   10.86 0.98 -0.07
  542.0  10.12   8.06  4.20  54.1   0.00   0.00 1210.16 -238.72 0.99 -0.06
  554.0  10.25   8.45  3.80  52.5   0.00   0.00  994.02 -367.24 0.99 -0.06
  566.0  10.43   8.89  3.42  51.0   0.00   0.00  795.44 -403.53 0.99 -0.06
  578.0  10.66   9.38  3.04  49.6   0.00   0.00  635.01 -385.78 0.98 -0.07
  590.0  10.92   9.91  2.68  48.0   0.00   0.00  512.31 -340.90 0.98 -0.07
  602.0  11.21  10.46  2.33  46.5   0.00   0.00  420.53 -284.20 0.98 -0.07
  614.0  11.54  11.03  2.00  45.1   0.00   0.00  352.58 -223.34 0.98 -0.07
  626.0  11.90  11.60  1.70  43.8   0.00   0.00  302.81 -161.88 0.98 -0.07
  638.0  12.29  12.14  1.45  42.5   0.00   0.00  267.26 -101.19 0.98 -0.07
  650.0  12.68  12.61  1.30  41.3   0.00   0.00  243.47  -41.57 0.99 -0.05
  662.0  13.07  12.99  1.31  40.2   0.00   0.00  230.39   16.96 0.99 -0.05
  674.0  13.32  13.16  1.48  39.0   0.00   0.00  228.32   73.87 0.99 -0.05
  686.0  13.13  12.84  1.69  37.8   0.00   0.00  238.00  126.89 0.99 -0.03
  698.0  12.13  11.71  1.87  36.9   0.00   0.00  258.18  171.90 0.99 -0.03

  710.0  10.41   9.91  1.99  36.2   0.00   0.00  285.21  205.24 0.99 -0.03
  722.0   8.79   8.23  2.07  35.5   0.00   0.00  309.38  225.86 0.98 -0.09
  734.0   7.78   7.14  2.17  34.5   0.00   0.00  328.36  248.41 0.98 -0.09
  746.0   7.37   6.67  2.25  33.6   0.00   0.00  359.28  266.98 0.98 -0.09
  758.0   6.64   5.97  2.22  32.9   0.00   0.00  380.36  264.11 0.98 -0.09
  770.0   5.36   4.62  2.31  32.9   0.00   0.00  379.55  279.19 0.97 -0.13
  782.0   4.25   3.37  2.49  33.1   0.00   0.00  403.99  311.85 0.97 -0.13
  794.0   3.58   2.70  2.50  32.7   0.00   0.00  439.18  314.62 0.97 -0.13
  806.0   3.46   2.54  2.55  31.7   0.00   0.00  434.46  323.59 0.97 -0.13

UHF Vertical Dimension Vertical 14-Bay Bowtie 4nec2 File:

CM
CM 
CM Input file: C:\Python35\UHF Vert_UniFL_14Bay_AWG10_NoRefl.nec
CM Sweep ranges: 
CM R0 = (470, 12, 21) with target levels [8, 11]
CM SWR target: [[2.7, 2.7]]
CM Target function: (4*max_ml+16*max_gain_diff)/20
CM Autosegmentation: 13 per 0.319149
CM 
CM Score 1.53486
CM 
CM HiVHF+UHF Super-14-Bay Bowtie, All SAME, Common FL, NO Refl, 4nec2 by holl_ands, 29May2016
CM BowLength=vrbl, BowSpacing=vrbl, TineSep=vrbl (AWG10 Elements), Hop=1.0-in.
CM NO Reflector.  FeedSep=vrbl (AWG10).  Ready for Python Optimization, 5 VARIABLES.
CM PYTHONSEG(13), AGT=1.0, NO Errors, Ignore Sharp Angle Warnings.
CM
CMD--OPT -s(470,12,21) -t(8,11) --swr-target=2.7
CMD--OPT --target-function=(4*max_ml+16*max_gain_diff)/20
CMD--OPT --auto-segmentation=13 --char-impedance=300 --num-cores=12
CMD--EVAL --auto-segmentation=0 --char-impedance=300 --num-cores=12
CMD--EVAL -s(174,6,8) -s(470,12,29)
CE
' SOURCE Wire Radius, Adjusted for AGT=1.0: UHF=0.0174, HiVHF=0.0064
SY Rsrc=0.0174
' Radius (in inches) of BOWTIE elements:
SY Rbow=0.051
' Radius (in inches) of FEEDLINE wires
SY Rfeed=0.051
' Separation at Crossover
SY Hop=1
' Conductivity (Copper=3.0e7, Alum=2.0e7, StainlessSteel=1.67e7)
SY Cond=3e+07
'
' Distance between the centers of the two INNER bowties:
SY ZBowII=9.03569' 7, 40
' From center of INNER bowtie to center of OUTER bowtie:
SY ZBowOI=ZBowII
' From center of OUTER bowtie to center of EXTERIOR bowtie:
SY ZBowOE=ZBowII
' From center of EXTERIOR bowtie to center of WAYOUT bowtie:
SY ZBowEW=ZBowII
' From center of OUTER bowtie to center of BEYOND bowtie:
SY ZBowWB=ZBowII
' From center of EXTERIOR bowtie to center of DOZEN bowtie:
SY ZBowBD=ZBowII
' From center of EXTERIOR bowtie to center of MAXED bowtie:
SY ZBowDM=ZBowII
'
' INNER Bow Whisker Length (lose some in bend):
SY BowLeni=8.495842' 7, 40
' OUTER Bow Whisker Length (lose some in bend):
SY BowLeno=BowLeni
' EXTERIOR Bow Whisker Length (lose some in bend):
SY BowLenE=BowLeni
' WAYOUT Bow Whisker Length (lose some in bend):
SY BowLenW=BowLeni
' BEYOND Bow Whisker Length (lose some in bend):
SY BowLenB=BowLeni
' DOZEN Bow Whisker Length (lose some in bend):
SY BowLenD=BowLeni
' MAXED Bow Whisker Length (lose some in bend):
SY BowLenM=BowLeni
'
' INNER Bow Forward Sweep distance at tip of the whisker:
SY BowSwpi=0
' OUTER Bow Forward Sweep distance at tip of the whisker:
SY BowSwpo=0
' EXTERIOR Bow Forward Sweep distance at tip of the whisker:
SY BowSwpE=0
' WAYOUT Bow Forward Sweep distance at tip of the whisker:
SY BowSwpW=0
' BEYOND Bow Forward Sweep distance at tip of the whisker:
SY BowSwpB=0
' DOZEN Bow Forward Sweep distance at tip of the whisker:
SY BowSwpD=0
' MAXED Bow Forward Sweep distance at tip of the whisker:
SY BowSwpM=0
'
' INNER Bow Tine Separation:
SY TineSepi=6.233444' 2, 10
' OUTER Bow Tine Separation:
SY TineSepo=TineSepi
' EXTERIOR Bow Tine Separation:
SY TineSepE=TineSepi
' WAYOUT Bow Tine Separation:
SY TineSepW=TineSepi
' BEYOND Bow Tine Separation:
SY TineSepB=TineSepi
' DOZEN Bow Tine Separation:
SY TineSepD=TineSepi
' MAXED Bow Tine Separation:
SY TineSepM=TineSepi
'
' Separation between two FEEDLINE wires:  [CONSTRAINT: TRY ALL THE SAME.]
SY FeedSep=3.45969' 0.75, 6
'
' From center of Feedline Cross-Over to center of OUTER Bowtie:
SY ZCross=2.845246' 1.25, 6
' From center of Feedline Cross-Over to center of EXTERIOR Bowtie:
SY ZCrossE=ZCross
' From center of Feedline Cross-Over to center of WAYOUT Bowtie:
SY ZCrossW=ZCross
' From center of Feedline Cross-Over to center of BEYOND Bowtie:
SY ZCrossB=ZCross
' From center of Feedline Cross-Over to center of DOZEN Bowtie:
SY ZCrossD=ZCross
' From center of Feedline Cross-Over to center of MAXED Bowtie:
SY ZCrossM=ZCross
'
' Bowtie Separation in FRONT of Reflector (which is at X=0):  [NOT USED HERE]
SY RS=0
'
' Calculated from above INPUT Values:
SY ZBowInr=ZBowII/2' Distance from antenna center to center of INNER bowtie
SY ZBowOut=ZBowII/2+ZBowOI' Distance from antenna center to center of OUTER bowtie
SY ZBowExt=ZBowII/2+ZBowOI+ZBowOE' From antenna center to center of EXTERIOR bowtie
SY ZBowWay=ZBowII/2+ZBowOI+ZBowOE+ZBowEW' From antenna center to center of WAYOUT bowtie
SY ZBowBey=ZBowII/2+ZBowOI+ZBowOE+ZBowEW+ZBowWB' From antenna center to BEYOND bowtie
SY ZBowMax=ZBowII/2+ZBowOI+ZBowOE+ZBowEW+ZBowWB+ZBowBD' Aantenna center to DOZEN bowtie
SY ZBowDoz=ZBowII/2+ZBowOI+ZBowOE+ZBowEW+ZBowWB+ZBowBD+ZBowDM' Antenna center to MAXED bowtie
'
SY Z1=ZBowOut+TineSepo/2
SY Z2=ZBowOut
SY Z3=ZBowOut-TineSepo/2
SY Z4=ZBowOut-ZCross+0.875
SY Z5=ZBowOut-ZCross
SY Z6=ZBowOut-ZCross-0.875
'
SY Z7=ZBowInr+TineSepi/2
SY Z8=ZBowInr
SY Z9=ZBowInr-TineSepi/2
'
SY Z11=ZBowExt+TineSepE/2
SY Z12=ZBowExt
SY Z13=ZBowExt+-TineSepE/2
SY Z14=ZBowExt-ZCrossE+0.875
SY Z15=ZBowExt-ZCrossE
SY Z16=ZBowExt-ZCrossE-0.875
'
SY Z21=ZBowWay+TineSepW/2
SY Z22=ZBowWay
SY Z23=ZBowWay+-TineSepW/2
SY Z24=ZBowWay-ZCrossW+0.875
SY Z25=ZBowWay-ZCrossW
SY Z26=ZBowWay-ZCrossW-0.875
'
SY Z31=ZBowBey+TineSepB/2
SY Z32=ZBowBey
SY Z33=ZBowBey+-TineSepB/2
SY Z34=ZBowBey-ZCrossB+0.875
SY Z35=ZBowBey-ZCrossB
SY Z36=ZBowBey-ZCrossB-0.875
'
SY Z41=ZBowDoz+TineSepD/2
SY Z42=ZBowDoz
SY Z43=ZBowDoz+-TineSepD/2
SY Z44=ZBowDoz-ZCrossD+0.875
SY Z45=ZBowDoz-ZCrossD
SY Z46=ZBowDoz-ZCrossD-0.875
'
SY Z51=ZBowMax+TineSepM/2
SY Z52=ZBowMax
SY Z53=ZBowMax+-TineSepM/2
SY Z54=ZBowMax-ZCrossM+0.875
SY Z55=ZBowMax-ZCrossM
SY Z56=ZBowMax-ZCrossM-0.875
'
SY YBowInr=FeedSep/2+(BowLeni^2-(TineSepi/2)^2-BowSwpi^2)^0.5' Ymax for INNER Bowties
SY YBowOut=FeedSep/2+(BowLeno^2-(TineSepo/2)^2-BowSwpo^2)^0.5' Ymax for OUTER Bowties
SY YBowExt=FeedSep/2+(BowLenE^2-(TineSepE/2)^2-BowSwpE^2)^0.5' Ymax for EXTERIOR Bowties
SY YBowWay=FeedSep/2+(BowLenW^2-(TineSepW/2)^2-BowSwpW^2)^0.5' Ymax for WAYOUT Bowties
SY YBowBey=FeedSep/2+(BowLenB^2-(TineSepB/2)^2-BowSwpB^2)^0.5' Ymax for BEYOND Bowties
SY YBowDoz=FeedSep/2+(BowLenD^2-(TineSepD/2)^2-BowSwpD^2)^0.5' Ymax for DOZEN Bowties
SY YBowMax=FeedSep/2+(BowLenM^2-(TineSepM/2)^2-BowSwpM^2)^0.5' Ymax for MAXED Bowties
'
'  #    segs    X1          Y1        Z1     X2        Y2         Z2    radius
' SIMULATED SOURCE WIRE:
GW 1 3 RS -FeedSep/2 0.0 RS FeedSep/2 0.0 Rsrc
' INNER BOWTIES:
GW 2 9 BowSwpi+RS YBowInr Z7 RS FeedSep/2 Z8 Rbow
GW 3 9 BowSwpi+RS YBowInr Z9 RS FeedSep/2 Z8 Rbow
GW 4 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z8 BowSwpi+RS -YBowInr Z7 Rbow
GW 5 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z8 BowSwpi+RS -YBowInr Z9 Rbow
GW 6 9 BowSwpi+RS YBowInr -Z7 RS FeedSep/2 -Z8 Rbow
GW 7 9 BowSwpi+RS YBowInr -Z9 RS FeedSep/2 -Z8 Rbow
GW 8 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z8 BowSwpi+RS -YBowInr -Z7 Rbow
GW 9 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z8 BowSwpi+RS -YBowInr -Z9 Rbow
' OUTER BOWTIES:
GW 10 9 BowSwpo+RS YBowOut Z1 RS FeedSep/2 Z2 Rbow
GW 11 9 BowSwpo+RS YBowOut Z3 RS FeedSep/2 Z2 Rbow
GW 12 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z2 BowSwpo+RS -YBowOut Z1 Rbow
GW 13 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z2 BowSwpo+RS -YBowOut Z3 Rbow
GW 14 9 BowSwpo+RS YBowOut -Z1 RS FeedSep/2 -Z2 Rbow
GW 15 9 BowSwpo+RS YBowOut -Z3 RS FeedSep/2 -Z2 Rbow
GW 16 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z2 BowSwpo+RS -YBowOut -Z1 Rbow
GW 17 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z2 BowSwpo+RS -YBowOut -Z3 Rbow
' EXTERIOR BOWTIES:
GW 40 9 BowSwpE+RS YBowExt Z11 RS FeedSep/2 Z12 Rbow
GW 41 9 BowSwpE+RS YBowExt Z13 RS FeedSep/2 Z12 Rbow
GW 42 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z12 BowSwpE+RS -YBowExt Z11 Rbow
GW 43 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z12 BowSwpE+RS -YBowExt Z13 Rbow
GW 44 9 BowSwpE+RS YBowExt -Z11 RS FeedSep/2 -Z12 Rbow
GW 45 9 BowSwpE+RS YBowExt -Z13 RS FeedSep/2 -Z12 Rbow
GW 46 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z12 BowSwpE+RS -YBowExt -Z11 Rbow
GW 47 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z12 BowSwpE+RS -YBowExt -Z13 Rbow
' WAYOUT BOWTIES:
GW 70 9 BowSwpW+RS YBowWay Z21 RS FeedSep/2 Z22 Rbow
GW 71 9 BowSwpW+RS YBowWay Z23 RS FeedSep/2 Z22 Rbow
GW 72 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z22 BowSwpW+RS -YBowWay Z21 Rbow
GW 73 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z22 BowSwpW+RS -YBowWay Z23 Rbow
GW 74 9 BowSwpW+RS YBowWay -Z21 RS FeedSep/2 -Z22 Rbow
GW 75 9 BowSwpW+RS YBowWay -Z23 RS FeedSep/2 -Z22 Rbow
GW 76 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z22 BowSwpW+RS -YBowWay -Z21 Rbow
GW 77 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z22 BowSwpW+RS -YBowWay -Z23 Rbow
'
' BEYOND BOWTIES:
GW 110 9 BowSwpB+RS YBowBey Z31 RS FeedSep/2 Z32 Rbow
GW 111 9 BowSwpB+RS YBowBey Z33 RS FeedSep/2 Z32 Rbow
GW 112 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z32 BowSwpB+RS -YBowBey Z31 Rbow
GW 113 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z32 BowSwpB+RS -YBowBey Z33 Rbow
GW 114 9 BowSwpB+RS YBowBey -Z31 RS FeedSep/2 -Z32 Rbow
GW 115 9 BowSwpB+RS YBowBey -Z33 RS FeedSep/2 -Z32 Rbow
GW 116 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z32 BowSwpB+RS -YBowBey -Z31 Rbow
GW 117 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z32 BowSwpB+RS -YBowBey -Z33 Rbow
' DOZEN BOWTIES:
GW 140 9 BowSwpD+RS YBowDoz Z41 RS FeedSep/2 Z42 Rbow
GW 141 9 BowSwpD+RS YBowDoz Z43 RS FeedSep/2 Z42 Rbow
GW 142 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z42 BowSwpD+RS -YBowDoz Z41 Rbow
GW 143 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z42 BowSwpD+RS -YBowDoz Z43 Rbow
GW 144 9 BowSwpD+RS YBowDoz -Z41 RS FeedSep/2 -Z42 Rbow
GW 145 9 BowSwpD+RS YBowDoz -Z43 RS FeedSep/2 -Z42 Rbow
GW 146 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z42 BowSwpD+RS -YBowDoz -Z41 Rbow
GW 147 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z42 BowSwpD+RS -YBowDoz -Z43 Rbow
' MAXED BOWTIES:
GW 170 9 BowSwpM+RS YBowMax Z51 RS FeedSep/2 Z52 Rbow
GW 171 9 BowSwpM+RS YBowMax Z53 RS FeedSep/2 Z52 Rbow
GW 172 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z52 BowSwpM+RS -YBowMax Z51 Rbow
GW 173 9 RS -FeedSep/2 Z52 BowSwpM+RS -YBowMax Z53 Rbow
GW 174 9 BowSwpM+RS YBowMax -Z51 RS FeedSep/2 -Z52 Rbow
GW 175 9 BowSwpM+RS YBowMax -Z53 RS FeedSep/2 -Z52 Rbow
GW 176 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z52 BowSwpM+RS -YBowMax -Z51 Rbow
GW 177 9 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z52 BowSwpM+RS -YBowMax -Z53 Rbow
'
' OUTER CROSS-OVER FEEDLINES:
GW 18 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z2 RS FeedSep/2 Z4 Rfeed
GW 19 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z4 Rfeed
GW 20 5 RS FeedSep/2 Z6 RS FeedSep/2 Z8 Rfeed
GW 21 5 RS -FeedSep/2 Z6 RS -FeedSep/2 Z8 Rfeed
GW 22 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z6 Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z5 Rfeed
GW 23 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z4 Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z5 Rfeed
GW 24 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z6 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z5 Rfeed
GW 25 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z4 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z5 Rfeed
GW 26 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z4 Rfeed
GW 27 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z4 Rfeed
GW 28 5 RS FeedSep/2 -Z6 RS FeedSep/2 -Z8 Rfeed
GW 29 5 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z6 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z8 Rfeed
GW 30 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z6 Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z5 Rfeed
GW 31 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z4 Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z5 Rfeed
GW 32 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z6 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z5 Rfeed
GW 33 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z4 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z5 Rfeed
' EXTERIOR CROSS-OVER FEEDLINES:
GW 48 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z12 RS FeedSep/2 Z14 Rfeed
GW 49 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z12 RS -FeedSep/2 Z14 Rfeed
GW 50 5 RS FeedSep/2 Z16 RS FeedSep/2 Z2 Rfeed
GW 51 5 RS -FeedSep/2 Z16 RS -FeedSep/2 Z2 Rfeed
GW 52 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z16 Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z15 Rfeed
GW 53 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z14 Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z15 Rfeed
GW 54 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z16 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z15 Rfeed
GW 55 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z14 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z15 Rfeed
GW 56 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z12 RS FeedSep/2 -Z14 Rfeed
GW 57 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z12 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z14 Rfeed
GW 58 5 RS FeedSep/2 -Z16 RS FeedSep/2 -Z2 Rfeed
GW 59 5 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z16 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z2 Rfeed
GW 60 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z16 Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z15 Rfeed
GW 61 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z14 Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z15 Rfeed
GW 62 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z16 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z15 Rfeed
GW 63 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z14 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z15 Rfeed
' WAYOUT CROSS-OVER FEEDLINES:
GW 88 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z22 RS FeedSep/2 Z24 Rfeed
GW 89 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z22 RS -FeedSep/2 Z24 Rfeed
GW 90 5 RS FeedSep/2 Z26 RS FeedSep/2 Z12 Rfeed
GW 91 5 RS -FeedSep/2 Z26 RS -FeedSep/2 Z12 Rfeed
GW 92 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z26 Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z25 Rfeed
GW 93 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z24 Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z25 Rfeed
GW 94 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z26 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z25 Rfeed
GW 95 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z24 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z25 Rfeed
GW 96 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z22 RS FeedSep/2 -Z24 Rfeed
GW 97 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z22 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z24 Rfeed
GW 98 5 RS FeedSep/2 -Z26 RS FeedSep/2 -Z12 Rfeed
GW 99 5 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z26 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z12 Rfeed
GW 100 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z26 Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z25 Rfeed
GW 101 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z24 Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z25 Rfeed
GW 102 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z26 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z25 Rfeed
GW 103 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z24 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z25 Rfeed
'
' BEYOND CROSS-OVER FEEDLINES:
GW 118 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z32 RS FeedSep/2 Z34 Rfeed
GW 119 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z32 RS -FeedSep/2 Z34 Rfeed
GW 120 5 RS FeedSep/2 Z36 RS FeedSep/2 Z22 Rfeed
GW 121 5 RS -FeedSep/2 Z36 RS -FeedSep/2 Z22 Rfeed
GW 122 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z36 Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z35 Rfeed
GW 123 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z34 Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z35 Rfeed
GW 124 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z36 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z35 Rfeed
GW 125 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z34 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z35 Rfeed
GW 126 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z32 RS FeedSep/2 -Z34 Rfeed
GW 127 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z32 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z34 Rfeed
GW 128 5 RS FeedSep/2 -Z36 RS FeedSep/2 -Z22 Rfeed
GW 129 5 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z36 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z22 Rfeed
GW 130 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z36 Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z35 Rfeed
GW 131 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z34 Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z35 Rfeed
GW 132 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z36 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z35 Rfeed
GW 133 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z34 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z35 Rfeed
' DOZEN CROSS-OVER FEEDLINES:
GW 148 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z42 RS FeedSep/2 Z44 Rfeed
GW 149 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z42 RS -FeedSep/2 Z44 Rfeed
GW 150 5 RS FeedSep/2 Z46 RS FeedSep/2 Z52 Rfeed
GW 151 5 RS -FeedSep/2 Z46 RS -FeedSep/2 Z52 Rfeed
GW 152 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z46 Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z45 Rfeed
GW 153 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z44 Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z45 Rfeed
GW 154 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z46 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z45 Rfeed
GW 155 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z44 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z45 Rfeed
GW 156 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z42 RS FeedSep/2 -Z44 Rfeed
GW 157 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z42 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z44 Rfeed
GW 158 5 RS FeedSep/2 -Z46 RS FeedSep/2 -Z52 Rfeed
GW 159 5 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z46 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z52 Rfeed
GW 160 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z46 Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z45 Rfeed
GW 161 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z44 Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z45 Rfeed
GW 162 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z46 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z45 Rfeed
GW 163 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z44 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z45 Rfeed
' MAXED CROSS-OVER FEEDLINES:
GW 188 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z52 RS FeedSep/2 Z54 Rfeed
GW 189 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z52 RS -FeedSep/2 Z54 Rfeed
GW 190 5 RS FeedSep/2 Z56 RS FeedSep/2 Z32 Rfeed
GW 191 5 RS -FeedSep/2 Z56 RS -FeedSep/2 Z32 Rfeed
GW 192 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z56 Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z55 Rfeed
GW 193 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z54 Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z55 Rfeed
GW 194 2 RS FeedSep/2 Z56 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z55 Rfeed
GW 195 2 RS -FeedSep/2 Z54 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 Z55 Rfeed
GW 196 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z52 RS FeedSep/2 -Z54 Rfeed
GW 197 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z52 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z54 Rfeed
GW 198 5 RS FeedSep/2 -Z56 RS FeedSep/2 -Z32 Rfeed
GW 199 5 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z56 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z32 Rfeed
GW 200 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z56 Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z55 Rfeed
GW 201 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z54 Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z55 Rfeed
GW 202 2 RS FeedSep/2 -Z56 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z55 Rfeed
GW 203 2 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z54 -Hop/2+RS 0.0 -Z55 Rfeed
'
' INNER FEEDLINES:
GW 34 5 RS FeedSep/2 Z8 RS FeedSep/2 0.0 Rfeed
GW 35 5 RS -FeedSep/2 Z8 RS -FeedSep/2 0.0 Rfeed
GW 36 5 RS FeedSep/2 -Z8 RS FeedSep/2 0.0 Rfeed
GW 37 5 RS -FeedSep/2 -Z8 RS -FeedSep/2 0.0 Rfeed
'
GS 0 0 0.0254' CONVERT ABOVE FROM INCHES TO METERS FOR NEC.
GE 0' No Ground Plane
GN -1' Free Space
EK 0' Enable Extended Kernel
LD 5 0 0 0 Cond 0' Conductivity
EX 0 1 2 0 1 0
'
' FR Freq Sweep choices in order of increasing calculation time (fm holl_ands):
' FR 0 0 0 0 470 0        ' Fixed Frequency
FR 0 29 0 0 470 12          ' Freq Sweep 470-806 every 12 MHz - OLD UHF BAND
' FR 0 39 0 0 470 6        ' Freq Sweep 470-698 every 6 MHz - PREFERRED FOR UHF
' FR 0 77 0 0 470 3        ' Freq Sweep 470-698 every 3 MHz
' FR 0 153 0 0 470 1.5        ' Freq Sweep 470-698 every 1.5 MHz
' FR 0 71 0 0 300 10        ' Freq Sweep 300-1000 every 10 MHz - WIDEBAND SWEEP
' FR Hi-VHF choices:
' FR 0 15 0 0 174 3        ' Freq Sweep 174-216 every 3 MHz
' FR 0 29 0 0 174 1.5        ' Freq Sweep 174-216 every 1.5 MHz - PREFERRED
' FR 0 43 0 0 174 1        ' Freq Sweep 174-216 every 1 MHz - Hi-Rez
' FR 0 26 0 0 150 6        ' Freq Sweep 150-300 every 6 MHz - WIDEBAND SWEEP
' FR Lo-VHF choices:
' FR 0 19 0 0 54 3        ' Frequency Sweep every 3 MHz for Ch2-6 + FM
' FR 0 35 0 0 54 1        ' Frequency Sweep every 1 MHz for Ch2-6
' FR 0 36 0 0 75 1        ' Frequency Sweep every 1 MHz for Ch5 + Ch6 + FM
' RP choices in order of increasing calculation time:
' RP 0 1 1 1510 90 0 1 1 0 0    ' 1D Gain toward 90-deg Azimuth
' RP 0 1 37 1510 90 0 1 5 0 0     ' 2D (Left only) Azimuthal Gain Slice
RP 0 1 73 1510 90 0 1 5 0 0      ' 2D Azimuthal Gain Slice - PREFERRED
' RP 0 73 1 1510 90 0 5 1 0 0     ' 2D Elevation Gain Slice
' RP 0 73 73 1510 90 0 5 5 0 0     ' 3D Lower Hemisphere reveals antenna
' RP 0 285 73 1510 90 0 5 5 0 0    ' 3D Full Coverage obscures antenna
EN

 

[holl_ands]

One more from Post #4 above:

================================================== =========
Vstk-FF8: UHF/Hi-VHF Vert-Stack Uniform Dimension 2xFF4 + NO Refl. + HHH
Zss = 59.0-in Vertical Stacking Separation (Feedpoint-to-Feedpoint). [Re-Optimized for NO Reflector.]

UHF Raw Gain = 12.4 to 15.1 to 14.4 dBi and SWR (300-ohms) under 2.7.
Hi-VHF Raw Gain = 7.1 to 5.8 dBi and SWR (300-ohms) 3.6 to 4.4 to 2.4 [A Bit High on Lower Channels.]

 

[holl_ands]

Here is one half of the db8 I built, just as a reference. One inch mesh reflector with 9.5 whiskers. I think they were 9 inches apart. I built it from way too heavy aluminum from a machine shop. Fortunately, my neighbor has a metal bending machine so I could angle the reflectors.

IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION - THIS IS ACTUALLY MCLAPP's M4 - WHICH IS A GOOD THING:

INSTRUCTABLES article "BUILD A LARGE DB8 HDTV ANTENNA: BIG BERTHA" by deceiver begins by showing a PHOTO of one of A-D's OLD DB-8 Antennas:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Large-DB8-HDTV-Antenna-Big-Bertha
But is immediately followed by an exact COPY/PASTE of mclapp's (MUCH BETTER) instructions for building (a pair of) M4 (9.5x9.0) 4-Bay Antennas, each with a 46"W x 40"H Double Angle Reflector....so it's REALLY a Horizontal Stack of 2xM4+DAR's, using a [0.5 to 1.5+ dB Loss] RF Combiner between each Antenna:
http://m4antenna.eastmasonvilleweather.com/Drawings/PDF Drawings.html

Although we have modeled many M4 variations, neither mclapp nor I have modeled the Horizontally Stacked M4 configuration....but it "should" be UP TO 3 dB more Gain than a single M4, depending on how much Amplitude/Phase Mismatch occurs in the RF Combiner [which is why I ONLY use Zero-Loss HHH and HVH for Interconnections]:
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/multibay/4bay/superm4 [NO Reflector]
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/multibay/4bayrefl/m4swpt [Double Angled Reflector]

 

[holl_ands]

I built one single bay out of copper with a screen mesh as the reflector an #6 copper for the elements. The pvc one did not work well for me. I dismantled it and scrapped the copper. I found this site http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/grayhoverman/dbghcombo. I will add it on my list. Thanks! Did you use rods or mesh as reflectors? What material did you use for the structure?

Although that old Design (from 16Jan2009 post by 300ohm) should perform as intended, you should ALSO look at nikiml's later OPTIMIZED designs for Combo Hi-VHF/UHF G-H Antennas:
http://clients.teksavvy.com/~nickm
Start here....but as you can see there are others as well:
http://clients.teksavvy.com/~nickm/gh_n_uV.html

 

[maxm31533]

I need one more thing....whether each adjacent pair of Bowties are connected by a Parallel or Crossover Feedlines.....and if Crossover WHERE does it Crossover relative to each OUTER Bowtie.

I am unable to post pics at the moment. However, the wiring pattern is as follows starting on a single side..
Down 1
Crossover
Down 1
Crossover
Repeat to end
The Balum was connected to the center open section.
1 inch spread at crossovers.

This morning I rewired it with all crossovers except the center conection. I plan to test it tonight. I also built a 6 whisker one from a previous post somewhere. It seemed to work well last night. I have both up so I can compare them on a single source when I go home today.

 

[holl_ands]

I don't recall mclapp's discussion re "diminishing returns" when you try to go beyond Six Bowties on a Single Feedline Structure (i.e V6 or my FF6).....although it DOES sound like something I might have said......

Here is a Comparison of 2xFF6, 2xFF4 (both Vertically Stacked with HVH Interconnection) vs FF14, FF8, FF6 and FF4....as well as versions with the SAME Dimensions for all Bowties, the V14, V8, V6 and M4. In order to bring the OPTIMIZATION times down to days rather than weeks, these are ALL for a FLAT, Bi-Directional version with NO Reflector. Presumably adding a Reflector would add about 3 dB...although specific versions may vary from this general guideline.

Note that Vertically Stacked 2xFF4 (8-Bowties) nearly overlaps the curve for FF14 (14-Bowties), illustrating the futility of building the 14-Bowties on a Common Feedline vs Vertically Stacking two FF6's Interconnected with a ZERO LOSS HVH (Holl_ands Vertical Harness). Here is the OPTIMIZED 2xFF6 with VDAR (Variable Double Bend Angle Reflector):
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/stacked/verticallystackeduhf/vertstackff6doubleanglerefl

The difference between 6-Bay and 8-Bay SHOULD be about 10*log(8/6) =1.25 dB, between 4-Bay and 6-Bay about 1.7 dB, between 4-Bay and 8-Bay about 3.0 dB, between 6-Bay and 14-Bay about 3.7 dB and between 4-Bay and 14-Bay about 5.4 dB. Clearly the 8-Bay and esp. 14-Bay versions on a Common Feedline (Vxx versions) are falling considerably short of these goals....and also my Free Form (FFxx) versions. So 6-Bays on a Common Feedline appear to reach the Maximum Effectiveness before a Vertically Stacked version takes over.....with Vertically Stacked 2xFF6 [12-Bowties, No Refl] being far superior to any of the other versions.

Thinking that there is probably a phase mis-match problem the further away from the Center, I also investigated NOT using a Crossover between the Outer-Most pair of Bowties in an 8-Bay...but it didn't "cure" the shortfall in Gain problem.....I'll prepare a more detailed explanation later....I'm still working on some other alternatives.

 

[maxm31533]

If all else fails try a DBGH (double bay Gray Hoverman). Google it for plans and evaluations. Works for me in an extremely difficult situation. I had a vertical 4228 stack (two 8 bays of the old Channel Master 4228). The DBGH beat it. I had tried every possible antenna (and combination of antennas) over a period of a decade (spending over $500). The DBGH is my best yet - did it myself. There are users out there using the Gray-Hoverman at long distance and it works great for them (for example Flint Ridge has a great GH setup).

I found it easier to build than other antennas. Oh and you won't have to worry about crossovers...

BTW like you I had also tried a huge monolithic multi-bay antenna to try and outdo my 4228 stack (only it was 12 not 14 bays). It gained me exactly ONE db but lost view of some channels altogether. Went back to the drawing board and started considering the GH. The cost of a DIY GH? About one quarter of a store bought antenna. And I could tear it apart and reconfigure it to refine it without spending oodles of money.

Currently rebuilding the array I from my first try. I tested it first with just a mesh back. results look impressive. I took it down and I am replacing the wire reflector with the rods. Hopefully I can test it tonight. This antenna seems to be much more directional than the others I have build. I can normally pick up pbs (24-7) and the ION channels at night. Oddly, I pick up the scrambled Airbox channels. There seems to be very little information about subscribing to these pay channels. However I have a decent internet where I can subscribe also via Roku. So all is well. Thank you for your advice.

 

[maxm31533]

I don't recall mclapp's discussion re "diminishing returns" when you try to go beyond Six Bowties on a Single Feedline Structure (i.e V6 or my FF6).....although it DOES sound like something I might have said......

Here is a Comparison of 2xFF6, 2xFF4 (both Vertically Stacked with HVH Interconnection) vs FF14, FF8, FF6 and FF4....as well as versions with the SAME Dimensions for all Bowties, the V14, V8, V6 and M4. In order to bring the OPTIMIZATION times down to days rather than weeks, these are ALL for a FLAT, Bi-Directional version with NO Reflector. Presumably adding a Reflector would add about 3 dB...although specific versions may vary from this general guideline.

Note that Vertically Stacked 2xFF4 (8-Bowties) nearly overlaps the curve for FF14 (14-Bowties), illustrating the futility of building the 14-Bowties on a Common Feedline vs Vertically Stacking two FF6's Interconnected with a ZERO LOSS HVH (Holl_ands Vertical Harness). Here is the OPTIMIZED 2xFF6 with VDAR (Variable Double Bend Angle Reflector):
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/stacked/verticallystackeduhf/vertstackff6doubleanglerefl

The difference between 6-Bay and 8-Bay SHOULD be about 10*log(8/6) =1.25 dB, between 4-Bay and 6-Bay about 1.7 dB, between 4-Bay and 8-Bay about 3.0 dB, between 6-Bay and 14-Bay about 3.7 dB and between 4-Bay and 14-Bay about 5.4 dB. Clearly the 8-Bay and esp. 14-Bay versions on a Common Feedline (Vxx versions) are falling considerably short of these goals....and also my Free Form (FFxx) versions. So 6-Bays on a Common Feedline appear to reach the Maximum Effectiveness before a Vertically Stacked version takes over.....with Vertically Stacked 2xFF6 [12-Bowties, No Refl] being far superior to any of the other versions.

Thinking that there is probably a phase mis-match problem the further away from the Center, I also investigated NOT using a Crossover between the Outer-Most pair of Bowties in an 8-Bay...but it didn't "cure" the shortfall in Gain problem.....I'll prepare a more detailed explanation later....I'm still working on some other alternatives.

Thank you for the information on the 2xff6. The single ff6 I build was really impressive. I believe it is the winner as far as range I have pulled in so far.The diagram will assist me in testing driving this one. I had thought about wiring 2 together, but was hesitant due to other failed projects. The single stacked approach simplified that concern. There is so much information on here, I spend hours just trying to mentally organize it. Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful comments and suggestions. Now I spend way more time trying out new antenna ideas and doing channel searches, than watching TV. Unfortunately for me, my prime time of testing all this is when I should be sleeping. (yawn) Thanks again!

 

[maxm31533]

Welcome to the forum, maxm31533:

I agree with Calaveras; your location is not ideal for 24/7 100% TV reception, but your antenna design can be improved.

As near as I can tell, you don't have the mandatory crossover between all the outer bays beyond the 2 center bays. The crossovers are needed to keep all the bays working together in phase with the element currents going in the same direction.



The elements should be 9 1/2" on each side with a vertical spacing of 9" between the bays.



Any additional bays added at the top and bottom should have a crossover, but you get diminishing returns with the added bays. It is better to make an 8-bay antenna out of two 4-bay antennas.

I built two more of the above. The first is a DB4 and the second is a vertical stacked DB4. I get more gain from the single DB4 than the stacked with a Kitz 200 preamp(it is in the large weather box. I used the wiring set up from McClap designs for a single balum setup. I made sure the top and bottom DB4 were identical. Anytime I try to join two antennas together, I seem to lose more than on a single unit. The one that works best so far was constructed out of 3 inch sewage pipe. I had the preamp on it and it was the best test to date. Both used #6 awg copper wire for the elements. 9.5 inches in length and bare No. 12 wire for the harness. Would a manufactured Yagi and my preamp be my best bet? I am just ready to move on to other needed home projects and away from this obsession. Thanks again.