Antenna Information

How we make our antennas:

Wire: All HY-POWER antennas are made from 12-gauge solid insulated wire and have been designed to give you many years of trouble free service. On the HF bands, RF flows on the outer surface of the conductor. Copper oxide is not a good conductor and as copper wire corrodes, the antenna's losses increase causing a decrease in efficiency. Insulated wire helps prevent this oxidation, increases antenna life and maintains HY-Performance!

Coils: The coils used on our multi-band antennas are not traps but a form of isolation coil. They act like traps but do not have capacitors across them as do traps. Since there are no capacitors to break down from the high voltages that occur on the antenna system, the coils will handle the legal power limit ICAS (intermittent commercial amateur service) without failing. The coils used on the loaded single band antennas are also designed to handle the full legal limit ICAS. Stainless steel hardware is used on all coils and a special weather proofing is added.

Antenna packages: All antenna packages are assembled and ready to install, complete with a center insulator which includes an SO-239 connector so you can simply connect your coax without any soldering. This insulator also contains an eye bolt so you can easily attach a rope for raising the antenna. Two end insulators are also included in the package. All you have to do is decide where to put your new antenna! Install it as an inverted vee, flat dipole, sloping dipole, or even as a vertical. Attach your coax and radio and you're on the air! It's just that simple! All HY-POWER antennas will resonate on the bands as specified for each model. Example: Model 3B4016L - This antenna is made to work on the 40-, 75-, and 160-meter bands. It will resonate on all three bands and should not need a tuner. However, should you use a good transmatch, you will find that you can also use this antenna on 15 meters and possibly on other bands, although with a slight decrease in efficiency.

Our antennas are made to resonate at the bottom of the specified bands. This is done so the user can trim the antenna to the desired operating frequency. This is very easy and instructions are provided to show you how to do it. Just like any antenna, maximum efficiency is found at resonance!

Suggestions: When choosing an antenna, the longer unit will provide the greatest band width. If a three-band 40-, 75-, and 160-meter antenna is what you are looking for, choose the one that is 124 feet long if possible. This does not mean that the 106-foot model will not work well. Both antennas will be very close in performance on their resonant frequencies. You will not notice any difference on your S meter between the two models. The longer antenna simply provides a broader operating range! This is also true with our loaded single band antennas. The 131 foot model of the 160-meter loaded dipole will have greater band width than the 82-foot model.

If you want to make your own loaded dipole for the 40-, 75-, 80-, or 160-meter band, HY-POWER can make the job easy by providing loading coils and complete instructions at a very reasonable price!

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