The 6 meter band is hot in the summer time and there is no better way to exploit it than with a directional antenna like the 6 meter Moxon. The Moxon is a 2 element Yagi that is inexpensive and easy to build, but also offers great results with 5.5dbi of gain and a 25db front to back ratio
The Moxon is named after its creator Les Moxon, G6XN. It is best described as a rectangular two element Yagi antenna. I said rectangular as the ends of the driven element and the reflector are folded inwards, which reduces the amount of space it occupies, about 70% of the space of an equivalent dipole antenna. If you add lightweight spanners to the rectangle, you can rotate the antenna.
Typically, a 6 meter Moxon will have about 5.5dbi of forward gain, and exhibit a high front to back ratio, up to 25 dbi when elevated to the optimal height of about 18 feet. They also have a 50 ohm impedance at the feed point, so no matching network is required, which simplifies their construction.
To make this project more approachable, three of the parts are 3D printed, the hub, hub adapter, and feed point mount. I used PLA+ to print these parts. This is ok for temporary use, but if you are thinking of permanently mounting this antenna, I’d use something more weather resistant like Petg or ASA. All of my 3D printed parts are available on Thingaverse if you want to tackle this project yourself.
The KB9VBR 6 Meter Moxon Antenna Parts list:
4 – 48 inch x 3×8 inch fiberglass fence posts
1 – 3D printed Moxon hub
1 – 3D printed hub adapter
1 – 3D printed Feedpoint center
SO-239 chassis connector
20 feet 20 or 22 ga wire
6 x ½ inch machine screws, nuts, and washers
8 small Ring terminals
String trimmer line
Painters pole: 15 – 23 feet
3D Printed Hub and feedpoint STL files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6649022
Painters Pole 3D printed adapter: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6542716
Plans and dimensions: https://www.jpole-antenna.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/KB9VBR-6-Meter-Moxon-Antenna-Plans.pdf
Source for the 48 inch fiberglass fence posts:
Fleet Farm: https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/smv-industries-inc-3-8-in-x-4-ft-smooth-fiberglass-fence-post/0000101764782
Tractor Supply: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/sunguard-3-8-in-fiberglass-rod-post
AC6LA Moxon Calculator: https://www.ac6la.com/moxgen1.html
Build the Black Widow 15 meter Moxon: https://youtu.be/4ddtVW8HweM
The Black Widow Moxon, now 70% lighter: https://youtu.be/f56AX5esxgQ
— My 3D Printer —
Creality Ender 3 v2 Neo 3D Printer: https://amzn.to/3Crj8Q1
eSun PLA Pro (PLA+) black filament https://amzn.to/3NpcZua
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