Cushcraft Amateur Beam AntennasCushcraftBeam AntennasAmateur Antennas   Beam AntennasPlease click on underlined model numbers for photo and further information.ModelFrequencyElementsFor.

I purchased a Cushcraft A148-10s used from a SK. It has a 12' or so boom on it and I just don't have that much space. I'm wondering if I can remove the first three directors and turn it in to a 7 element instead of 10? By doing so it will take about 3 feet off of the boom length and let me actually use it. I know I'll have to move the mount point a bit but the big question is what happens to the SWR. I also know the gain and front to back will suffer but come sacrifices have to be made.ThanksVE6CPUStephen. Stephan -IF you are really going to go this route - wanting to build a 7 element 2-meter antenna from the A148-10S.THEN to save yourself significant fabrication / finding balance point with that boom -purchase the BA and BB boom sections from Cushcraft for the A144-7S antenna.Use that boom and the reflector, driven element and 5 directors from your A148-10S antenna.

Cushcraft

Reassemble the parts (pulg-n-play) - and you now have an A148-7S antenna!!Save the old 3 boom pieces and and extra elements, if you ever desire the full 10 element yagi in future.Gregw9gb. Well, I did, I had a 2Mtr 148 and cut it down and It didn't mess it up that bad. I had the change the distance between the director and distance from the driven element. Take off the directors and don't cut the boom and read it with a MFJ 269 and see what changes are made when I remove parts from the main boom. Some times it will change the SWR but if you don't remove only 1 or 2 director it will have to be spaced again to set it up.All I'll say is try it and see, that is the fun of being a Ham. I'm not an EasyNEC expert, but generally, each director you add has significantly less effect on the total performance than the previous one. In other words, a three element beam with have a significant improvement over a two element one, but a 4 will not be as great an improvement as a 3, and a 5 not as great an improvement as a 4, etc.Removing the three directors might almost have a negligible affect on your success rate, and in fact, since the directional pattern will probably be just a little 'fatter', you might actually find the antenna easier to use than a more directional beam with just a little more gain, and F/B ratio!I would certainly follow the advice given above, and see what the results are.73, and good luck, Jim.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'd forgotten about mmana. Just downloaded it now I have to remember how to use it.I was just out side and removed the front three elements and repositioned the mount point (easier to do as it didn't take drilling holes). Just looking at the SWR and it did effect it a bit but only by a.2 so now my lowest is 1.3 and highest is 2.2. Not overly worried about it. The directionality of it is not as good. F/B seems worse but its hard to tell.

Pointing it away from the main repeater does make the S level drop by two. So its only a S9 instead of 20+ when pointing at it. Being off by 90 barely effects it. The S meter tickles the 20+. Over all I don't think it will be that bad.Thanks againVE6CPUStephen. Quote/b (w9gb @ Jan.

03 2008,16:44)Stephan -IF you are really going to go this route - wanting to build a 7 element 2-meter antenna from the A148-10S.THEN to save yourself significant fabrication / finding balance point with that boom -purchase the BA and BB boom sections from Cushcraft for the A144-7S antenna.Use that boom and the reflector, driven element and 5 directors from your A148-10S antenna. Reassemble the parts (pulg-n-play) - and you now have an A148-7S antenna!!Save the old 3 boom pieces and and extra elements, if you ever desire the full 10 element yagi in future.Gregw9gb. Click to expand.HA!

GOOD LUCK!I tried to order a simple piece of fiberglass tubing for the driver element of my A3 tribander after it broke in an ice storm. Cushcraft will not export any antenna parts outside of the USA. I was told it would have to be shipped to a friend in the USA and have them ship it to me. Now that makes a lot of sense. Their antenna parts must be some national secret or something. I have since decided to purchase antennas other than Cushcraft from now on.It worked out better in the end.

Cushcraft A148 10s Manual Meat Chart

I bought what I needed from Bob Morton at where I got twice as much product for half the price. Quote/b (w9gb @ Jan. 03 2008,16:44)Stephan -IF you are really going to go this route - wanting to build a 7 element 2-meter antenna from the A148-10S.THEN to save yourself significant fabrication / finding balance point with that boom -purchase the BA and BB boom sections from Cushcraft for the A144-7S antenna.Use that boom and the reflector, driven element and 5 directors from your A148-10S antenna.

Reassemble the parts (pulg-n-play) - and you now have an A148-7S antenna!!Save the old 3 boom pieces and and extra elements, if you ever desire the full 10 element yagi in future.Gregw9gb. Click to expand.HA! GOOD LUCK!I tried to order a simple piece of fiberglass tubing for the driver element of my A3 tribander after it broke in an ice storm.

Cushcraft will not export any antenna parts outside of the USA. I was told it would have to be shipped to a friend in the USA and have them ship it to me.

Now that makes a lot of sense. Their antenna parts must be some national secret or something.

I have since decided to purchase antennas other than Cushcraft from now on.It worked out better in the end. I bought what I needed from Bob Morton at where I got twice as much product for half the price. Click to expand.Won't disagree with that statement. Laird Technologies (UK firm, US HQ in St. Louis) has slightly improved responsiveness, but I actually had to insult them to get the parts that I needed.Speaking of bad customer service - Vertex/Standard (Yaesu) wins that award for 2007.I am now sending back the wrong part for a Yaesu rotator repair a third time (YES - this is the third RA/reorder in 2 weeks).Seems that parts, technical support and customer service can't talk to each other.IF you buy Yaesu equipment - this is a very bad sign - so much for the Dennis R. Motschenbacher, K7BV era.w9gb.