|
Post by SIX-SHOOTER on May 4, 2018 13:11:44 GMT -5
Well I was given Two Very RARE beam antennas from the 1970's yesterday.One is the Shakespeare MegaBeam 4104.It's a 4 element all fiberglass yagi.It is still in the shipping tube from Shakespeare & it was sealed until I removed the plastic end cap.I also have at least one 3 element beam of the same brand & design but I don't have the one page manual in my hand so I don't remember the model number for it.Best I can tell is these were sold around 1977 & they are Very RARE.There is no mention of the antenna specs & the instructions are NOT very detailed at all.The boom & elements are all fiberglass which makes them an oddity I think.Never knew that Shakespeare ever made any beam antennas but I have 1st hand proof that they did make at least two.I found online that they possibly made four different models & one was dual polarized & all were made for the 11 meter CB Band.I will be keeping the four element & eventually put it up & I will sell the three element locally since shipping cost are so crazy. Just thought I'd share this RARE find since I'm sure most here have never heard of or seen these antennas.Sharing the knowledge for the data base. SIX-SHOOTER
|
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,245
|
Post by Sandbagger on May 4, 2018 18:20:47 GMT -5
Well I was given Two Very RARE beam antennas from the 1970's yesterday.One is the Shakespeare MegaBeam 4104.It's a 4 element all fiberglass yagi.It is still in the shipping tube from Shakespeare & it was sealed until I removed the plastic end cap.I also have at least one 3 element beam of the same brand & design but I don't have the one page manual in my hand so I don't remember the model number for it.Best I can tell is these were sold around 1977 & they are Very RARE.There is no mention of the antenna specs & the instructions are NOT very detailed at all.The boom & elements are all fiberglass which makes them an oddity I think.Never knew that Shakespeare ever made any beam antennas but I have 1st hand proof that they did make at least two.I found online that they possibly made four different models & one was dual polarized & all were made for the 11 meter CB Band.I will be keeping the four element & eventually put it up & I will sell the three element locally since shipping cost are so crazy. Just thought I'd share this RARE find since I'm sure most here have never heard of or seen these antennas.Sharing the knowledge for the data base. SIX-SHOOTER Yea, I don't recall any purely fiberglass beams back in the day. Since the Consumer Product Safety Commission rules only applied to omni-directional antennas, it wasn't necessary for beam antenna makers to switch to fiberglass. But I guess Shakespeare wanted to be ahead of the curve.
|
|
|
Post by BBB on May 5, 2018 12:04:22 GMT -5
Pictures please or it didn't happen. Plus it would be nice to document that MegaBeam 4104. There is mention of it on the WWDX site but the pictures are gone. They mention a required balun for the 3 element in the factory wiring harness that may have come with the 4 element antenna too? Was that in the carton? haha, saw you have seen this already... www.worldwidedx.com/threads/shakespeare-3-element-beam.131717/
|
|
|
Post by SIX-SHOOTER on May 15, 2018 17:27:05 GMT -5
Pictures please or it didn't happen. Plus it would be nice to document that MegaBeam 4104. There is mention of it on the WWDX site but the pictures are gone. They mention a required balun for the 3 element in the factory wiring harness that may have come with the 4 element antenna too? Was that in the carton? haha, saw you have seen this already... www.worldwidedx.com/threads/shakespeare-3-element-beam.131717/The shipping tubes were sealed just as they were when they left the factory.I don't have a copier or scanner connected to my laptop or iPhone & I have attempted many times posting pictures from my laptop & having zero success here on this site.Everything is still in the shipping tubes just as they were packaged at the factory back in 1977.I removed the staples from the end of the tubes so that I could then remove the plastic end caps from the shipping tubes.I do NOT recall seeing any balun but I will simply wind a coil of coax like on every other beam if needed like I have on any HF band beam & I bet it will do just fine.If not I will put a beam balun on it while setting it up.It will be a while before it goes in the air because of a very large Live Oak Tree that must 1st be removed for the space for the 2nd tower.I have had ZERO emails about the 3 element ad online so I may own it a while also but it is paid for & it does not eat anything so I'm good.The documentation is far better on the 3 element than the 4 element by a long shot & includes a diagram of the beam where the 4 element does not? Guess they thought everyone would figure it out eventually? LOL SIX-SHOOTER
|
|
|
Post by MonkeyMan on May 17, 2018 8:30:27 GMT -5
Not much on the interweb about these, but I did manage to find a couple pics... Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by SIX-SHOOTER on May 19, 2018 19:09:27 GMT -5
Not much on the interweb about these, but I did manage to find a couple pics... Strange but that is a better picture than included with the antenna.The instructions are very vague & it does NOT include an assembled picture as you have found? I will eventually get it assembled once we get the very large Live Oak Tree removed & I will have plenty of photos but without a scanner/copier I don't know if I will get the instructions posted or not. SIX-SHOOTER
|
|
|
Post by SIX-SHOOTER on Jul 2, 2018 17:16:05 GMT -5
I have an EXTRA printed Copy of the instructions for the Four Element if someone can post it I will mail the copy to you so that it may be shared for future references.I don't have the ability to share it so looking for someone who can & will share it here & on other web sites as well when possible.
SIX-SHOOTER
|
|
|
Post by SIX-SHOOTER on Jul 9, 2018 20:12:59 GMT -5
I just posted some pictures of the instruction sheet for this antenna on the Worldwide DX Radio Forum page since it does not tell me the files are to large.Maybe someone can copy them to this group.
SIX-SHOOTER
|
|
|
Post by Night Ranger on Jul 10, 2018 14:20:24 GMT -5
Well I was given Two Very RARE beam antennas from the 1970's yesterday.One is the Shakespeare MegaBeam 4104.It's a 4 element all fiberglass yagi.It is still in the shipping tube from Shakespeare & it was sealed until I removed the plastic end cap.I also have at least one 3 element beam of the same brand & design but I don't have the one page manual in my hand so I don't remember the model number for it.Best I can tell is these were sold around 1977 & they are Very RARE.There is no mention of the antenna specs & the instructions are NOT very detailed at all.The boom & elements are all fiberglass which makes them an oddity I think.Never knew that Shakespeare ever made any beam antennas but I have 1st hand proof that they did make at least two.I found online that they possibly made four different models & one was dual polarized & all were made for the 11 meter CB Band.I will be keeping the four element & eventually put it up & I will sell the three element locally since shipping cost are so crazy. Just thought I'd share this RARE find since I'm sure most here have never heard of or seen these antennas.Sharing the knowledge for the data base. SIX-SHOOTER There is a regular skip station on channel 38 LSB that runs one of those four element Shakespear antennas. He goes by "Peeping Tom in Windsor Ontario, Canada". I hear him almost daily during the summer skip months. Night Ranger
|
|
|
Post by SIX-SHOOTER on Jul 10, 2018 20:09:30 GMT -5
I don't recall ever hearing anyone say they were using one & I know I have never seen one until a local friend gave this one to me still sealed in the original shipping tube.I have been in CB Radio since 1965 & must say I had never even heard of one & I have owned many antennas made by Shakespeare but never knew they made a beam.I know it is a RARE animal for sure & I hope that I will get it in the air here one day.
SIX-SHOOTER
|
|
|
Post by SIX-SHOOTER on Nov 14, 2018 20:59:42 GMT -5
OK,I also came across THREE NOS Shakespeare 4127 Dipole antennas.They are made with the same design as the beams but with just a single set of elements that mounts on a short piece of PVC that comes with the antenna & Co-phasing harness that is used to connect the upper & lower sections of the element.It must be pretty RARE as well since I found almost ZERO information online.I do have the included original paperwork with them as well.
SIX-SHOOTER
|
|
|
Post by ytradio on Nov 15, 2018 10:08:27 GMT -5
Wonder why a dipole would need a co phasing harness?
|
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,245
|
Post by Sandbagger on Nov 17, 2018 13:12:15 GMT -5
Wonder why a dipole would need a co phasing harness? It's probably not a "co-phasing" harness, but rather a simple balun. A better way of transforming a balanced load (dipole) to an unbalanced feedline (coaxial cable).
|
|
|
Post by ytradio on Nov 18, 2018 10:20:52 GMT -5
Ok, that makes more sense. I personally have had so many baluns go bad over the years, that I usually direct feed any tuned dipole these days.
|
|
|
Post by SIX-SHOOTER on Nov 18, 2018 14:48:04 GMT -5
Wonder why a dipole would need a co phasing harness? Because it uses it to connect the Two single wound whips that make it a dipole.There is no connection between these without the co-phasing harness which feeds each side.The entire antenna is fiberglass so there is not metal so they would radiate together.It works the same way that the beams that they made does.I know most people have never seen or heard of any of these antennas & don't understand that they don't work like any other antennas that we are use to seeing.One side of the co-phasing harness connects to the top end of the element at the base of the antenna which has a 3/8th threaded end & the other side to the lower side of the element so they are electrically connected & fed.The co-phasing harness looks just like any other built for twin mirror mount or other dual antennas on a vehicle except that they are shorter. SIX-SHOOTER
|
|
|
Post by SIX-SHOOTER on Nov 18, 2018 14:51:29 GMT -5
Wonder why a dipole would need a co phasing harness? It's probably not a "co-phasing" harness, but rather a simple balun. A better way of transforming a balanced load (dipole) to an unbalanced feedline (coaxial cable). See my last post.It is NOT a Balun but a Co-phasing harness as I stated above.I assure you I know the difference since I have been doing this stuff since 1965 & there is a big difference.One common feedpoint & two separate outputs & it looks just like any other co-phasing harness used for dual mobile antennas only a bit shorter. SIX-SHOOTER
|
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,245
|
Post by Sandbagger on Nov 19, 2018 8:11:12 GMT -5
Wonder why a dipole would need a co phasing harness? Because it uses it to connect the Two single wound whips that make it a dipole.There is no connection between these without the co-phasing harness which feeds each side.The entire antenna is fiberglass so there is not metal so they would radiate together.It works the same way that the beams that they made does.I know most people have never seen or heard of any of these antennas & don't understand that they don't work like any other antennas that we are use to seeing.One side of the co-phasing harness connects to the top end of the element at the base of the antenna which has a 3/8th threaded end & the other side to the lower side of the element so they are electrically connected & fed.The co-phasing harness looks just like any other built for twin mirror mount or other dual antennas on a vehicle except that they are shorter. SIX-SHOOTER That's all well and good except that's not how you normally feed a dipole. If the unbalanced feedline were to connect directly to it, the "hot" (center of coax), goes to one element, and the shield side goes to the other element. The fact that this is a fiberglass antenna is irrelevant. There is still a 1/4 wave piece of wire in the center of the fiberglass, and it behaves exactly like any other dipole. It may LOOK like a co-phase harness, but I'd be willing to bet it's actually performing the function of a balun. That just makes more sense. A standard cophase harness simply separates the hot sides to feed two "hot" antenna elements, while the ground side connects to the counterpoise (a vehicle body typically). The sections of coax feeding each antenna in the co-phase harness also need to be 75 ohm and odd multiples of a 1/4 wave to provide the proper feedpoint impedance at the "T" connection. Feeding the two elements of a dipole with only the "hot" side makes no sense. Where would the ground side go? It has to go somewhere..... Not trying to start a heated argument, but sometimes things are not what they seem. Does this "harness" have PL-259's on each end, or do they connect to the elements via spade lugs or similar?
|
|
|
Post by MonkeyMan on Nov 19, 2018 9:00:49 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by SIX-SHOOTER on Nov 19, 2018 11:16:02 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by SIX-SHOOTER on Nov 19, 2018 11:20:18 GMT -5
Those pictures of the MegaBeam instructions are the ones I posted just FYI.There is a single PL-259 on one end and two lugs on the other ends.One for each antenna.
SIX-SHOOTER
|
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,245
|
Post by Sandbagger on Nov 19, 2018 12:28:30 GMT -5
Those pictures of the MegaBeam instructions are the ones I posted just FYI.There is a single PL-259 on one end and two lugs on the other ends.One for each antenna. SIX-SHOOTER Ok, thanks for posting that, it clears up a few things. Although it's tough to tell from the drawing where the other cables go. It's clear that they are tying the coax braid to the one half of the dipole, and the center (hot) side of the cable to the other, which is what I would expect. And they appear to be grounding some part of it to the mast/boom. It could be a coaxial balun, or simply a direct feed.. I also was looking in the instructions for the element lengths. It would seem that the driven elements are simply typical 102" fiberglass mobile whips, with 3/8-24 threads. The other elements should be different lengths (Directors should be shorter, and reflector longer), and they are shorted together by the jumper, but are isolated from the boom. An interesting design, but no stranger than the Astro Beam was.....
|
|