2 Bay Kit
Only $12
The 2 bay kits
are jig
built, have many of the same great features and use the same elements
and
stand-offs as the 4 bay kit
These make great antennas for urban / suburban use and are quite small.
Without a reflector these antennas are very easily hidden and can make a great antenna for outdoor use in areas where antennas are restricted by housing rules or family members. This antenna mounted outside can outperform much larger antennas mounted indoors, especially with newer buildings where the use of metal in the structure is more common. Even a simple asphalt shingled roof can cut the signal by several db's and add multiple layers or metal flashing, duct work and flashing and signals can degrade very fast.
Even for indoor use these antennas can work great in urban areas where signals are strong and are small enough to be placed in spots where larger antennas won't fit. The smaller size can be an advantage when trying to find that perfect spot for reception sometimes just a few feet or inches can make the difference between getting reception or not.
![2 bay Kit](2%20bay%20Kit2.JPG)
In my testing
it is shown to get better reception than the popular coat hanger
U-tube 4 bay made with 7" whiskers and 5 3/4" bay spacing and this
antenna is smaller which gives you more freedom to position it as you
like.
![U-Tube 4 bay 7x5 3/4 vs DIY 2 bay Chart](../Data/U-tube%20vs.%20DIY%202%20Bay%20both%20amped.jpg)
Non Amped test is HERE it shows the readings taken from a Apex DT250a digital converter box
and compares the poorly designed 7" x 5 3/4" U-tube antenna against a
DIY 2 bay and
(2) 2bays stacked one over the other and combined with a
splitter/combiner.
A reflector could be added for more reception gain and to help cut down
on multi-path interference often found in Urban areas.
A reflector could be as simple as a sheet or horizontally running
strips of aluminum foil on some cardboard. Oven or Cooling racks
also make good reflectors as well as hardware cloth and wire fence.
A reflector area 24" wide and 18" high
is a good choice, larger is OK but much smaller may cause reception
issues.
![2 Bay on a board](../pictures/9-5x9%202%20bay.JPG)
Here is a 2 bay simply mounted to a piece of wood this was the exact
same antenna used in the field
test with the U-Tube 4 bay. |