[Antennas] 6 meter beam

[Carlos A. Archilla]

Hello all:

A good friend gave me a 6 meter transverter and I finally decided to get into the Magic Band action. 

Hoping to build a 4 or 5 element beam I began my search in the ARRL Antenna Book; on page 18-18, I found what seems to be a good choice for starters.  Labeled 506-12 on the book, the antenna has a twelve feet boom, 5 elements, optimized for the 50 Mhz to 51 Mhz band section with a claimed gain of 10dbi, 22db F/B ratio and an SWR of 1.6:1 or better.  A quick check on aluminum prices turned me around and away from the building scheme.  

Another option, is to buy a ready made antenna that could cost less than the materials for the 506-12 on the ARRL Antenna book.  Enter the HyGain VB-64DX for $144.  this antenna seems to be a good buy compared with the price for building the 506-12, however, the big word missing is "optimized".  What am I missing here besides one director?  Can I "optimize" the HyGain beam adding the extra element and changing the spacings following the Antenna Book schedule? Or should I settle for the HyGain as it comes?  Are there any other choices in the price class?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Carlos / KP4GL