Building SBGH - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

peekaboo · 2009-03-17, 09:14 PM

I am in the process of building a SBGH and have a few questions about it.
1. Does it matter if one uses stranded copper wire instead of solid?
2. Perhaps I'm not reading the plans correctly, but how is the balum attached to the frame?
3. Is it essential to have the many small screws attached on the reverse side of the frame?
TIA
Paul

300ohm · 2009-03-17, 09:39 PM

Quote:

1. Does it matter if one uses stranded copper wire instead of solid?

I personally dont think stranded works as well as solid, but havent modeled it because its pretty near impossible to do, heh. Stranded is also floppier, not a good thing.

Quote:

Perhaps I'm not reading the plans correctly, but how is the balum attached to the frame?

The balun is attached to the elements. You wire tie or tape the coax to the mast or other places to give it strain relief and make a neater job of routing the cable.

Quote:

Is it essential to have the many small screws attached on the reverse side of the frame?

Since I dont use glue, the screws hold the fitting in position.

peekaboo · 2009-03-17, 09:47 PM

Thx 300ohm for the quick reply. I actually figured the 2nd question after seeing a picture of someonelse's build. Having a hard time getting #6 solid though. No luck with Crappy Tire or the like.
Paul

300ohm · 2009-03-17, 10:17 PM

The cheapest place I get 6 gauge copper is at my local electrical supply houses at 32 cents a foot. For the original SBGH, youll need 10 feet for the driven element. Look in your yellow pages for their location.

NineBall · 2009-03-18, 09:38 AM

Assuming peekaboo is in the GTA (North York), then #6 copper is pretty hard to find locally. Most people go with roughly equivalent sized copper rod which can be had at Metal Supermarkets. There's even one in North York. Checking their website right now you can get Copper Round C110 .125" (roughly equal to #8) in a 12' piece for $11.52 CDN (cheaper than 10' as no cuts required). Other grades may be cheaper but that is all they have listed on their site currently.

300ohm · 2009-03-18, 09:46 AM

Quote:

at Metal Supermarkets

You guys and your Metal Supermarkets, heh. I wish I had one down here.

I used to have a great metal scrap yard locally where I could get great deals on all kinds of metal pieces. Sadly they closed about 10 years ago and the nearest equivalent one is about 50 miles away. The local metal recycler now doesnt like to sell metal, its very hard to cajole him with parting of anything. See, I have to do things the hard way down here, heh.

peekaboo · 2009-03-18, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NineBall

Assuming peekaboo is in the GTA (North York), then #6 copper is pretty hard to find locally. Most people go with roughly equivalent sized copper rod which can be had at Metal Supermarkets. There's even one in North York. Checking their website right now you can get Copper Round C110 .125" (roughly equal to #8) in a 12' piece for $11.52 CDN (cheaper than 10' as no cuts required). Other grades may be cheaper but that is all they have listed on their site currently.

Thx for the info, yes I am in North York. Even today I tried Home Hardware, they only had stranded at that thickness. Any solid they had was way thinner.

iowa59 · 2009-03-18, 08:28 PM

I'm new at this, this is definitely a science. I want to build a DBGH, I still haven't seen a diagram detailed enough. Plus, could you steer me to some place to learn some of the basic terminology, and what is a 'sticky'?

300ohm · 2009-03-18, 08:45 PM

A sticky is a thread that is posted at the top of forums that stays at the top and doesnt move down.

Quote:

I want to build a DBGH, I still haven't seen a diagram detailed enough.

My build plans are in the sticky and the link to the original DBGH are here :
http://www.digitalhome.ca/ota/superantenna/

Quote:

Plus, could you steer me to some place to learn some of the basic terminology, and what is a 'sticky'?

Heres a very good site :
http://www.hdtvprimer.com/

be236 · 2011-10-02, 02:24 PM

Since SBGH and DBGH antenns have such good gain across UHF low and high, why dont those antenna makers build this so a regular person can just by it if they dont have the time or skills to build it themselves?

300ohm · 2011-10-02, 06:18 PM

Antenna Craft made the G1483 and Super G1483. They are still available from Summit Source for pretty cheap. The G1483 has less gain than the SBGH mostly because of only 4 sets of reflector pairs rather than 6 pairs like on the SBGH.

They way they built the G1483, the manufacturing costs had to be very low. And it makes for a very light antenna, a good thing.
I think theyre afraid to market an updated version, especially one with vhf-hi capability, because it would kill the rest of their antenna line up that has a higher $ markup.

2009-03-17, 09:14 PM	#1
peekaboo Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North York Posts: 226	Building SBGH I am in the process of building a SBGH and have a few questions about it. 1. Does it matter if one uses stranded copper wire instead of solid? 2. Perhaps I'm not reading the plans correctly, but how is the balum attached to the frame? 3. Is it essential to have the many small screws attached on the reverse side of the frame? TIA Paul

2009-03-17, 10:17 PM	#4
300ohm Veteran Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Somewhere in Delaware on the flat side Posts: 7,012	The cheapest place I get 6 gauge copper is at my local electrical supply houses at 32 cents a foot. For the original SBGH, youll need 10 feet for the driven element. Look in your yellow pages for their location. __________________ My builds/plans (not the latest models) are located here.

2011-10-02, 02:24 PM	#10
be236 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 406	Why isnt GH antennas commercially made? Since SBGH and DBGH antenns have such good gain across UHF low and high, why dont those antenna makers build this so a regular person can just by it if they dont have the time or skills to build it themselves?

2011-10-02, 06:18 PM	#11
300ohm Veteran Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Somewhere in Delaware on the flat side Posts: 7,012	Antenna Craft made the G1483 and Super G1483. They are still available from Summit Source for pretty cheap. The G1483 has less gain than the SBGH mostly because of only 4 sets of reflector pairs rather than 6 pairs like on the SBGH. They way they built the G1483, the manufacturing costs had to be very low. And it makes for a very light antenna, a good thing. I think theyre afraid to market an updated version, especially one with vhf-hi capability, because it would kill the rest of their antenna line up that has a higher $ markup. __________________ My builds/plans (not the latest models) are located here.

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2009-03-17, 09:47 PM	#3
peekaboo Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North York Posts: 226	Thx 300ohm for the quick reply. I actually figured the 2nd question after seeing a picture of someonelse's build. Having a hard time getting #6 solid though. No luck with Crappy Tire or the like. Paul

2009-03-18, 09:38 AM	#5
NineBall Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Whitby, ON Posts: 238	Assuming peekaboo is in the GTA (North York), then #6 copper is pretty hard to find locally. Most people go with roughly equivalent sized copper rod which can be had at Metal Supermarkets. There's even one in North York. Checking their website right now you can get Copper Round C110 .125" (roughly equal to #8) in a 12' piece for $11.52 CDN (cheaper than 10' as no cuts required). Other grades may be cheaper but that is all they have listed on their site currently.

2009-03-18, 08:28 PM	#8
iowa59 Rookie Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 3	I'm new at this, this is definitely a science. I want to build a DBGH, I still haven't seen a diagram detailed enough. Plus, could you steer me to some place to learn some of the basic terminology, and what is a 'sticky'?