[NLRS] M Squared vs Directive Systems antennas

[Mike A. King - KM0T]

Jon,

Thanks for the update on your tower project by the way.

Im not sure I can add to the exact info you are looking for, however....

Anything I have bought from Dave at Directive Systems has been outstanding.
Any time I have a question, he is always good with me on the phone.  I never
knew of directive systems until I started getting into higher band stuff, so
I ended up with M2 on 432 and down.  All 902, 1296, 2304 and 3456 are
Directive systems loopers.  I also use 5.7 Ghz feeds from David as well.
His power dividers are real good too.

David lives out where the WX is probably much worse an antenna environment
than here, so I think as Jerry said, his low band antennas are probably more
robust.

My M2 stuff is good, performs very well, but I have had assembly issues on
almost every antenna I have bought from them.  Miss-aligned boom sections
are the main thing.  (holes in one end of a boom section, going to the next
section are off - so the elements are not exactly in the same plane)  Also,
missing boom to mast clamps on more than a few, and element drilling holes
in the wrong place on my 10M4DX.  All things I fixed on the fly.  However,
most of the time, I put the antennas together just a few nights before I
needed them and discovered the problems.  It was just king of a pain if you
know what I mean.  They have survived all the ice I have had here, as well
as winds in excess of 70 MPH.  No issues with baluns and the connecting
blocks as some have had.

The only antenna from M2 I never had issues with was my 6 Meter 6M5.  Went
together like a dream and has 65 countries to its credit interlaced with all
the other antennas on the mast, so it does work.  The 6M5X is a bit more
boom lenght, so the gain and F/B I understand is a bit better.

My 222 M2 antenna works great - I have the 5WL, but again this one seemed
slightly bent in terms of the boom section alignment.  Not a big issue as it
works FB, but again, one would seem to expect not to have this problem.

Its a hard choice I think.  If I had to do it again, I would probably call
David and check out his K1FO design yagis myself.

However, Dave is a one man shop.  Order early based on your deadline for
assembly / operation.

I have worked Dave a number of times on the air.  Never worked anyone from
M2.  (not that it matters, but just a fact)

Good luck to you!

73

Mike - KM0T en13


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan Fox" <w0amt@attbi.com>
To: "NLRS Reflector" <NLRS@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, October 04, 2002 1:44 PM
Subject: [NLRS] M Squared vs Directive Systems antennas


> I am going to buy a 6 meter beam for the tower and I have narrowed my
> choices to the M2 6M5X and the Directive Systems K1FO DS50-5.  I am
> also looking for a 222 beam and again it would probably be either an
> M2 or Directive Systems.   I have never seen any of the Directive
> Systems antennas.  Are they similar in construction to the M2?  Are
> they strong enough to withstand Minnesota Weather?   Should I just buy
> the M2 and not look at others?
>
>
> Thank You
>
> 73, Jon
> W0AMT
>
> _______________________________________________
> NLRS mailing list
> NLRS@mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/nlrs
>