ADTech, TimSo, et al:
Here's what I came up with. I have a cluster of Orlando area channels at roughly 52 - 53 degrees, at forty-ish miles. Also a cluster of Tampa-area channels at just about the reciprocal heading (235 - 238), at roughly 50 miles. The Hawk (optimized for 14 - 69) at 12 1/2 above gound level (and at least 2 1/2 feet above the roofline) was pulling in all four network affiliates from both Orl and Tpa markets and the pbs channels and a few independents. Aimed roughly 52 - 53-ish degees, dead-reconing (I don't have a compass). However, 'aimed' that way, even though it was outside and above the roofline, I was losing what is my strongest channel, the ION affiliate from Melbourne (at roughly 110 degrees and 30 ish miles). And I like some of the ION law-enforcement shows.
Here is the Stealth Hawk (vers 1) which I tried my best to get the angles and lengths as perfect as possible with.... I did add one 2 " Narod to each lower leg for the higher VHF channels.
nikiml's Antenna pages - Stealth Hawk optimized for ch. 14-69
my own photos :
http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/o...psafe3bf6a.jpg
http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/o...psfbdc1e49.jpg
I wasn't happy losing that ION affiliate. So I looked for another option.... and came up with this -- another 'diamond' added to the same mast within the radius of the Hawk diamond. ( and I don't remember the website where I found it, but tried to get the angles correct here also, although the lengths are a bit shorter) This second diamond is by design not fixed at 90 degrees to the the Hawk diamond. And it's not connected directly to the Stealth Hawk -- it has it's own leads running direct to the Balun.
http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/o...psd344774e.jpg
http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps3cd3c739.jpg
Now i've got some desired multi-directionality. That ION channel to my SE, and also, another PBS and indie (which the websites don't seem to agree on what and where they are).
This was all scrap metal from that 40-plus year old busted up lampshade. I have no idea what cheap metal it is. Again, 12 1/2 feet AGL, 2 1/2 to 3 feet above roofline. This is a mobile home with an aluminum 'roof-over' (round roof, not pitched-angled) ... that aluminum roof-over might be helping. If so, it would help even more if I were to re-mount the antenna at the highest point of the (round) roof.... but I don't want to go that far. So again the question for those of you deep into antenna-homebuilds -- I have no idea what cheap metal that lampshade was made of. Duplicating the design, using aluminum, using copper wire ... would that make a difference in the gain? (I have enough Romex lying around, could redo the design using that, easier to get the lengths and angles perfect)
Expecting some weather here this eve and overnight... we'll see how this holds up