Homemade windsurfer:)--

[Jussaguy]

Those look a lot more efficient than efexor's relatively flat dish, more compact too for transport. Next time extend the copper all the way down to the base of the antenna, and 1" above the tip of the antenna. You should pickup a little more efficiency based on what I've read about parabolics. For $19 it's hard to beat this folding setup, I really like mine. It stores away quite nicely when folded. Aluminium or copper will give the same result, but the copper looks cool.

Hey John.

I know this is an old thread but I was just trying out these foldable that you were talking about, almost out of curiosity. I didn't really notice any range difference and in fact found it easy to lose total connection for the reason that you have to be facing even more so at the bird with parabolic reflectors.

Any advice as to what I might be doing wrong?

Be well.

 

[kingkong90210]

Old thread i know, but u do need to read up on parabollas and focal points of parabolas. The antanae has to be the focal point

 

[WetDog]

There is some data to suggest that 90 degree reflectors have somewhat more gain than a parabolic version. I've looked around for the basis of that and haven't found much, but, assuming that is true then it makes sense. TANSTAAFL (There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch) is one of those fundamental underpinnings of antennas (the other is Murphy's Law). If you increase gain then you DECREASE BEAM WIDTH. In other words, make it harder to use.

You can get 15+ dB of gain out of a circularly polarized helical. It will have a beam width of about 5 degrees compared to about 120 or so for the stock antennas. That would be all but useless unless you were trying for absolute distance in a straight line. In which case it would be a great antenna.

Horses for courses.

The 'standard' Windsurfer design seems to offer a good balance between gain (a couple of dB), beam width and just plain utility. I have a boosted UAVmax patch antenna with Sunhaus boosters. They work quite well but are a PITA to set up. More and more I'm leaving them behind for my Windsurfer / Stock system.

Nice to have options, you just have to understand what the benefits and tradeoffs are.