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Arch Gazzas 2nd Yagi Step by Step

Hi all finished off my second 8 element yagi today. Here is my step by step if anyone is interested.

I had everything i needed in the shed and used 9.6mm stainless steel tube for the elements and 25mm PVC for the boom. I also fitted RG59 coax tail (Editor note: RG59 is 75ohm coaxial cable), with a male SMA connector on the end.

First I marked a centre line on my PVC by laying it into the ‘V’ of some channel I had. This made marking easy and straight.

Next I cut half the PVC away to use it as a leveling guide when drilling the holes in the press.

I marked out the element spacings on the centre line and started a small pilot hole with the cordless drill to make it easier to set it up in the drill press

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Placing the PVC in the drill press vice, I leveled it horizontally and vertically using the notch I cut out earlier

Then I drilled right through the PVC and re set up for each hole till all holes are drilled

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I then used a reamer to clean up the holes and enlarge them a smidgen to help fit the elements. I placed some tape on the reamer once I trialed it on the first hole so I could get them all the same with a tight snug fit.

I fitted all the elements up to the driven element, then used a 20mm hole saw to cut a hole in the pvc just behind the driven element.

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For the driven element I cut the element in two and shaved a bit of a fiberglass tent pole down to fit snugly inside the two pieces. I then needed a spacer so I used the piece out of the hole I cut with the hole saw and drilled it out so it went over the fiberglass joiner.

This is how it looks all together

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I then drilled and pre fitted the self tapping screws for the coax connection

I then prepared the coax by striping and forming some eyelets on the ends. I also put some shrink wrap on the outer to stop any shorts.

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I then coated the eyelets with some solder to hold them together,

I then fitted half of the driven element to the boom remembering to fit the isolating washer at the same time

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Then I fitted the other half of the driven element lining up the screw holes

I slid the coax up the boom from the end and screwed the eyelets to the elements. I then cable tied the coax to the end of the boom so it can't be pulled out putting pressure on the connection as I broke one off previously on the other yagi and had to do it again.

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A quick check with the multi meter at the element and from the SMA fitting on the other end and found no shorts

I found a nice tight fitting rubber bung for the hole so I think I'll just leave it like that

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The finished product

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I hooked up my LG TU 550 and did a small test inside the house to confirm that it works ok

Here are a couple of quick readings from the phone

So there you have it, my second attempt and I am very happy with it. I made a few changes and did some things a little different and it all come together and didn't cost me anything and used up some more junk out of my shed.

Hopefully I haven't bored everyone sorry for the long post,

Cheers arch-gazza

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Testing the antenna

Ok once i got the aerial going I run about outside to do some readings until I froze lol

This is the page i have brought up on my phone can someone tell me if it is showing me everything I need?

I took a run up to the tower in the car and hung it out the window. I was about 150m from the tower and pointed it straight at it. I got an average RSCP of -85 and a ECIO of about -21 on the phone. I thought it may have been better but i may have been too close.

I then moved about 1km away and could still see the tower i then got a reading average of RSCP -45 and a ECIO of -21

At home i get a reading of RSCP -68 and a ECIO -17

There is a reading on the bottom of the screen of RSSI/SSECIO -75/05 this reading seems to be pretty constant at each place i tested so is this a reading i should be going by?

Cheers arch-gazza