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Hi all,

We have a Yagi antenna for our Point to Point. Unfortunately it gets icy and stops working. That said, one possible solution is a Radome, but the antenna is almost 5 foot long and I am at lost to finding the Radome for this type of antenna. Where could this type of Radome be purchased?

Thank you,

I doubt you will find a manufacturer with a catalog of radomes for yagis. There just isn't demand. You would have to produce one locally. Making it out of plastic sheets shouldn't be that difficult. Mounting will be the problem. A 5+ foot long radome will cause a great wind load. In the worst case the first storm will take down your whole mast.

Hi Petri,

I had not thought of that aspect. Thank you.

How can I keep ice off the Yagi? Is a heating wire advisable and if so what is a good make? Does it introduce gain or loss to my link budget?

Thank you

Mark

If you add any wires to your antenna you'll ruin the design. Let alone if you apply current to the wires :-)

No, a radome is the way to go. You just have to design it to take the load. It will need some kind of internal structure made of same plastic (no metal screws or parts), which doesn't heat up in a microwave oven (easy to test!) Oh, put a glass of water in the oven with the plastic. You could also start with a hard rifle case, hang glider case or just flatten out a piece of plastic pipe from a construction site. The ready made cases have metal hinges, locks and emblems, which you would need to remove. In any case you need to test the material. Even if it says PP, PE or ABS it could contain something that blocks microwaves.

Radomes are easier to get for dishes. I am just wondering how did you come to choose a 5" yagi?

Hi Petri,

Thank you for your feedback. The decision pre-dated my involvement. Supporting many scenarios right now that are ill advised from a design perspective.

Thank you,

Mark