Much like the work I did on the vertical I spent a few weeks reading the instruction manual and spending time on the Hex Beam Yahoo Group in order to gain a better understanding and insight on the hex beam. The instruction manual from DXE was clear and easy to follow. It was a great day the UPS truck pulled up in front of the house.

I started by putting together the hardware that would hold the spreaders in place on the hub. Unlike a homebrewed hub, this DXE hub was well manufactured with a solid collar on both the top and bottom in which a mast would slide through.

Once the hub was ready an aluminum tube slide over the top of the fiberglass mast that was then set in a 3′ tripod from which the remainder of the construction would take place. Measurements needed to be exact in order to get the correct length of the spreaders, which were built using three different diameters of fiberglass poles. These were held in place by appropriate sized band clamps.

The 5-band coax connector provided a fast, easy interconnection of the driven element feed points along the center post. DXE also provided a 10″ jumper with a double female adapter. Currently this is how I am feeding my hex beam, but I plan on reinstalling the feed line current choke I previously purchased from DXE.

Prior to tying the spreaders to the center post I placed all 30 wire guides (5-bands) on the spreaders, again using an exact measurement that would be modified once the wires were run. A cushioned P-clamp on the end of each spreader would be used to tie off each spreader to the center post.