Why 4-square array?

Ok first of all, I have space 🙂

2nd because of the current sun spot cycle the lower bands are becoming more important. 40m is my favorite band.

A couple of month after receiving my license (May 2016) I installed an endfeded longwire (10m – 80m) … With this antenna I worked until March 2017. It is a very good antenna, but not really for DX. So I need an upgrade.

First thought: Yagi, at least 3el … ok, lets calculate: tower (20m), basement, antenna, rotator, etc. … a lot of money.

Then I worked VE9ZY, Mac, and he told my about 4-square vertical array’s. The rest is a lot of reading, reading, learning, learning and at last a lot of work 🙂
Project start was January 2017 (reading, checking parts, etc.) … first wave: April 2017 🙂
Also many thanks to Steve, G0UIH (“Mr. Vortex”) for helping me out on some technical questions.

• 4 x Lambda/4 self-supporting verticals from Steve, G0UIH (Vortex Antenna Systems Link)

• Phasing Box & controller from DX-Engineering

• 24 Radials on each vertical

• calibrated for 7.150 Mhz, SWR 1:1.07

• Feedlines to the phasing box: RG11, 75 Ohm, v/c 0.85 tuned for 7.150 Mhz

• Feedline from shack: H2000 flex

• Return-line for dummy load reading in shack: Ultraflexx 7

• F/B 25db minium, 35db maximum

• Return power to dummy load @400W: 2-4 W

So how does it perform?

Ok, I have no comparison to a dipole, but I can compare it with my 40m long endfeded wire-antenna (direction north/south). On short/middle (Europe) skip distances, the 4-square beats the longwire with 6 to 12db (mostly 2 s units). On DX the difference is amazing. Stateside signals are up to 4 s-units louder than on the longwire. JA/VK with 5/6 on the 4-square are not readable on the longwire.

Conclusio:

If you do not have the possibility to build a 20m (60ft) tower and mount a 2el (or bigger) yagi on top, I can recommend the 4-square to 100% 🙂

For backup and for 80m I use an HyEndFed 8 Band antenna

Bands: 80m-10m, power-handling: 1600W
Mounting point is ~15m on top of the roof, straight to a tree, also ~15m (North/South)