12" X 15" Two Bay Bowtie

No cross phase

NEW BOWTIE

There is no plan or drawing for this model. It's an off the cuff, seat of the pants, What If,,,,, And it works very well for ALL CURRENT UHF frequencies (14-36) tested out to 30+ miles, post repack. I have no idea how this build functions on VHF, try it. No amplifier needed, but if you have one, give it a go.

I have to credit 'holl_ands' with the creation of this antenna. I cannot find an original drawing of his (or anyone else) for this design, I was inspired by his work on the FF6 and this antenna is a direct result.

4NEC2 MODELING across all available UHF 470-608MHz.

Raw Gain 12.25-13.81

Net Gain 11.83-12.61

SWR 1.95 good, above Rf 29, SWR 2.92 high, if you have many channels above 29 the FF4 may be a better choice for you.

DETAILS

Copper wire used here is #12, #10 can also be used.

Backbone is 3/4 in square aluminum tube. You can also use PVC Lumber, see video below.

Bows 12.5"

Bay spacing 15"

Phase line seperation 1.75 - 2"

No cross over

Center feed

Element to reflector 4.5", 5.5" is better

Bow tip spread 5.5", 7" is better

This model normally needs a reflector for best gain and stability. Do it right.

Then GROUND IT PROPERLY

This model is much easier to build on PVC, watch this video. ↓↓

Half an hour ago this was a Hoverman

TIP

This was an easy build and I simply removed the Hoverman from the reflector and mounted the bowtie. I always set the reflector mounting bolts @ 5" above and below the center feed point for easy change out. Anything I build with a backbone longer than 11" is predrilled to fit my standard 29" x 36" reflector setup. Undo the nuts and change the antenna, easy peasy.

FINAL,,,,,not really

I moved the active elements out to the end of the reflector mounting bolts, increasing the space to the reflector to 5.5 inches. This Improves gain and signal stability.

So, this has been up over a year and I'm happy. The target station has great stable reception and the two other stations have a stronger signal without amplifiers, filters or other expensive gizmos.

If you're having problems with a particular channel, get back to basics with the theory page. Then build a better antenna that targets your problem channel.