4 SQUARE K9AY - 160 M

   There have been many installations of the 4SQ K9AY for 80m used in SP since early spring 2005. As it came out later, the 80m antenna works also surprisingly well on 40m.

   Using the scaling rule from the antenna theory, many people were asking about the installation for 160m, expecting that it would also work on 80m. In September Marek SQ3JPM worked out details of the phasing system for 160m and we went to the field to hear the results.

   Using the distance of 40 meters between individual poles and the length of 24 meters for a single K9AY frame, we obtained sensational results. We were even more surprised using the same set on 80m.

   In the phone CQWW Wiesiek SP6HEQ worked on 160m using a dipole for transmitting and 4 square K9AY for listening. His results in the contest (with a wire in bushes and an imitation of PA) were astonishing. And his stories about what he heard and how he heard have been rewinding during our club meeting till today.

   In November we tried to increase the frame loop size up to 32 meters. The poles heights had to be increased up to 9 meters. Forward gain on 160m went up by a few dB. The impression that the antenna is a bit too silent disappeared.

Fantastic parameters of F/B ratio on 80m stayed untouched.

   Recordings made by Staszek SP3HRN during 2005 CQWW CW on 160m confirm: the system really works!

In the future we will be publishing successive MP3 files from 4SQ K9AY. [
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   This year Jurek SP3GEM prepared the SN3A station for 80m CW in such a way, that I was able to listen the set of 8 Beverage antennas on one and 4 SQ K9AY on the other radio using the audio switch (STEREO, RADIO 1, RADIO 2) driven by the WinTest keyboard. Working with this setup was a real pleasure. And the impression of three-dimensional receiving is hard to describe.

4SQ K9AY - 80M - CQWW CW 2005
SN3A owner Jurek SP3GEM


   The most impressive were short signal fading of USA stations on the Beverage antennas that had been copied with a short delay on 4 SQ K9AY. There have been even such situations, that during receiving the e.g., WB1ABC callsign, each letter was received through other ear.

   Having an extensive experience of using this antenna, we decided to try to prepare a complete setup of 4 SQ K9AY for Robert SP5XVY to be installed during the Peter One expedition in February 2006. I wrote "try" because we didn't pack GROUND (non-existent on the island) and wind-free weather. Robert got only a few hundred meters of thin wire to eventually make radials instead. A few days ago the package took off to Punta Arenas in Chile.

   Characteristics of the 4 SQ K9AY and pictures of the package preparation are shown below.


Bogdan SP3RBR

Translation by Micha³ SP5TAT - tnx











From left: Tomek SP3DWQ, Marek SQ3JPM, Bogdan SP3RBR
and ......... 20-kg package





Best DX !

SP3KEY Team
21.12.2005

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