Your Favorite Yagi?

Melanie Hampton · Post by **Melanie Hampton** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 4:35 pm

I would like to downsize from my Wildlife Materials 3 element Yagi...

Anyone using anything smaller and still keeping the range?

Tell me what you like and why please....

Copper · Post by **Copper** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 6:50 pm

The size of a yagi is based on the frequency you want to use if you are using a smaller yagi you can expect it to be not as good as one that is built proper.
The diameter of the elements will decide your bandwidth so if you are using frequencies that are more than 2 or three Meg apart I would consider looking for a yagi with a bigger bandwidth. but if you want a smaller yagi that works well you would have to go with a higher frequency. But that could get expensive.

Melanie Hampton · Post by **Melanie Hampton** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:03 pm

Wow.. I am sure I didn't understand half of that language you were speaking

Let me try and figure it out...

I have a 217 freq regular 3 element Yagi right now.. Was looking at the smaller one on Wildlife's website, but they did say you would loose some range (anyone tried it and figured out how much?)

But even say the small Quicktrack or the Marshall, that will fold up smaller in my freq would cause me to loose range? They say compatable with any system, just don't say anything about range (am I going to have to go look at those again?)

So the yagi I have is the best I am going to be able to use?

Gosh.. did that make sense?

I just have having that dang thing tied on my backpack when I am hunting..

Copper · Post by **Copper** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:30 pm

Ok all the receivers like the tracker maxiam or any others that only have two elements will not receive or have as good of radiation pattern as a three element yagi. The three element yagi's will give you the best signal and they are more directional. If you want a even better antenna you could get one with four elements it will increase your gain and your radiation pattern.

It doesn't matter if your yagi folds up or not. i would recommend a three element yagi that folds up if you are planning on packing one. The receivers like the tracker maxima work but are not as good.

If you look at the technical information on any of them they will give you the gain of the antenna usually in dB. Which stands for Decibels. Every 3 dB is double the gain so a 6 dB antenna has twice the gain of a 3 dB antenna.

I would like to mention that if any of the elements on a yagi are bent or broken I would get that fixed I have seen a lot of houndsmen pull out
yagis with bent elements it will make the antenna so that it doen't have as much gain and your radiation pattern will be different so it tells you the dogs are in one place and they are really in a different place.

Melanie Hampton · Post by **Melanie Hampton** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:46 pm

Gotcha... Awesome.. Thanks... Now to look at my choices LOL..

pete richardson · Post by **pete richardson** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 9:24 pm

would like to mention that if any of the elements on a yagi are bent or broken I would get that fixed I have seen a lot of houndsmen pull out
yagis with bent elements it will make the antenna so that it doen't have as much gain and your radiation pattern will be different so it tells you the dogs are in one place and they are really in a different place.

my buddy has an antenna, 20 years old, one element taped on-- bent so bad looks like deer antlers - non typical

well mine are almost as bad lol

Jason Waterhouse · Post by **Jason Waterhouse** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 9:58 pm

Well pete i dont no how you do it with a bent antenna,Guess you seem to get your dogs back most of the time :lol:

Post by **Buddyw** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 10:37 pm

Hey Pete.. Don't come hunting with me.. Mine is pretty rough.. I've been straping it to the front of the quad because I'm lazy and don't like folding it back up.. Then when I notice that it's been catching the brush!

Wiggle this Coax to make the connection.. Go buy a new Coax Friday, and apparently from the looks of the (brand New Coax connector) I dragged it on the ground all day saturday.. :oops:

Funniest

part about it is I was poking fun at my friend who neatly folds his up every time, then 5 minutes later, he's Neatly Unfolding his up.. But his still looks "neat" :roll:

Hmm..

Mel.
Let me know if you find a Small Yagi that works decent.. I've been wanting something easy and light to pack around

cafoxhunter · Post by **cafoxhunter** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 12:16 am

go to www.speeddogs.net then go to classifieds then tracking equipment on the left side look for the ad with the smaller yagi I have not used one but heard they work real good

pig snatcher · Post by **pig snatcher** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:45 am

Quick track has out a new compact antenna on their web site. I have heard good things of it but dont know first hand.

Copper · Post by **Copper** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:45 am

The antenna on the speeddog website is a moxon antenna. It will work but won't have as much gain and the radiation pattern is not as good. if you want to see what the radiation pattern looks like go to.

http://www.coolweb.ws/genesis/Downloads/Genesis.pdf

Then go down to were it says moxon Beam.

Heck I would just build one Myself before buying one.

It would work though but I would get to know the limitations of it before you go chasing dogs all over.

Rockcreek · Post by **Rockcreek** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 2:21 am

I have a Marshall antenna and love it! Easy to pull out and put away and I haven't noticed any loss of range at all. It was worth every extra penny. I have several buddies who bought them after they saw mine and no complaints... except the price.

Bearhunter · Post by **Bearhunter** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 9:13 am

pig snatcher wrote:Quick track has out a new compact antenna on their web site. I have heard good things of it but dont know first hand.

I bought one of these.There is a slight decrease in range(wont get rid of my yagi) But for ease of carring in the field it cant be beat.Will out track a Tracker.I did modify the carry case.It comes to be carried on the belt.I added a shoulder strap to mine.

popcorn501 · Post by **popcorn501** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 11:29 pm

It will be really hard to get anything smaller than a yagi without lossing your range period i don't care what anybody says about the smaller antennas,it just isn't going to happen

bigdog061 · Post by **bigdog061** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:08 pm

Hey Mel, I have the new tracker antenna and have lost some range but not enough to loose a dog!!!! It is so convienent and I recommend it!!!!!!! I hunt mountains and have no trouble!!!!

Paul