Even though the Carolina Windom antenna will work on the 6-meter band, it doesn't perform well for me. I wanted to operate 6M in VHF contests, so in 2017 I built a simple wire dipole inside PVC pipe up 13 feet.
The dipole left much to be desired, so in 2021 I replaced it with a homebrew Moxon antenna.
The Moxon consists of a rectangle of ½" PVC pipes and a central "boom" with a tee that fits onto a mast made of 1" galvanized steel conduit. The coax feed line runs inside the mast to the antenna.
The antenna's driven element and reflector are #12 bare copper wire held 3" above the PVC pipe on ¼" fiberglass standoffs made from a driveway reflector stick.
Since I'm allowed only one RG-8X feed line into the shack,
I bought a remote antenna switch to select either the Carolina Windom or the Moxon.
I drove a steel fence post into the ground, and attached the mast to it with hose clamps. The clamps are tight enough to prevent the antenna from rotating in wind, but still allow me to rotate it by hand.
To rotate the antenna, I walk outside and twist the mast using a galvanized lag bolt "handle" screwed into it. The bolt head points in the direction of maximum radiation.
Sadly, the PVC frame didn't withstand the elements, and broke apart in 2022. Nevertheless, I did manage to make 135 QSOs in the June 2022 ARRL VHF Contest with this broken antenna!
I scrapped the ruined Moxon, and designed one to use ⅜" fiberglass rods in an X-frame. I 3D-printed the center hub, the corner fittings, the feed point, and the wire end insulators. I reused the original wire and fiberglass standoffs from the broken frame.
This one weighs less than the PVC version, and seems to be more robust.
The little "finger" on one side points in the forward direction, although I've worked stations off the sides, so who knows where the RF goes?
The Moxon stands only 13 feet above the ground – about level with my ham shack chair. To the left is what I see out the window.
Click here to buy 3D-printed parts to build your own 6M Moxon.
Updated September 1, 2024