Hy-Gain AV-12AVQ User Manual

Starkville, MS 39759 USA Ph:

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INSTRUCTION MANUAL

AV-12AVQ

Triband HF Vertical

10, 15, 20-Meter

General Description

This vertical antenn a is designed for operatio n
on 10, 15 and 20 meters. It is designed to
work against earth ground or a radial ground
system. When used in conjunction with a
resonant radial system, the vertical antenna
becomes very efficient with a low angle of
radiation and excels in DX communications.
A simulated radial ground system (Model 14
RMQ, Order No. 184) is available from your
Hy-Gain dealer. This manual tells you how to
construct your own radial system. The
12AVQ-S now features stainless steel
hardware for all electrical and most
mechanical con nections .

NOTE: If you mount the antenna, then find the
roof space is too small for the radial system,
you can droop the radials over the roof at
almost any angle without seriously changing
the performance of the antenna.

WARNING

When installing your system, take extreme
care to avoid any accidental contact with
power lines or overhead obstructions.
Failure to excise this care could result in
serious or fatal injury.

It is designed to fit a 15/8" mast. A 11/4"
plumbers pipe has a 1 5/8" outside diameter
and is highly recommended for masting
material. This is the-- minimum roasting
material which will meet the severe weather
survival specifications of this antenna. The
warranty, is void if a lighter mast is used.

The Model 12AVQ-S is made of high quality
seamless aluminum tubing for maximum
strength. The Hy-Q traps are durable and
highly weather resist ant.

The Model 12AVQ-S antenna is designed to

y

g

match 50 ohm coaxial transmission line. By
following our detailed instructions and
measuring accurately, an SWR of 1.2:1 or
better at resonance may be obtained. An SO­239 coax receptacle is mounted in the base of
the antenna for maximum weather protection.

NOTE: If the input terminals of the SO-239
input connector are checked with an
ohmmeter, they will show a direct short.

is normal.

This

Unpack the parts and check them against the

Determine where to mount your antenna
(rooftop or ground) and what mode of
transmission to use (Phone or C W). Take note
of the dimensions in the manual. For the
antenna to operate at peak efficiency, these
measurements

must be accurate.

The typical
VSWR chart should help you decide the best
mode for your purposes.

Assembl
To become familiar with the antenna and to

simplify the assembly, read through the entire
manual before be

inning.

CAUTION

Do not try to adjust one band for Phone and another for
CW or the antenna will not operate properly. All
bands must be set for CW or for Phone.

Select the base assembly (Item No. 4) and the
#16 compression clamp (Item No. 8) Slip it
on the end of the base assembly. Do

tighten at this time.

not

Select the proper size tubing clamp as shown
in the chart. When installing the clamps, place
the clamp near the tube end with the top of the
clamp over the slot in the tube as shown in
Figure 2.

Installation of the Tubing Clamps

Take care when measuring the tubing lengths
for your mode of transmission.

After adjustment of the tubing lengths, tighten
the clamp with a 5/16 inch nut driver, socke t,
or open end wrench until the tubing will not
twist or telescope.

Figure 2 Tubing

Clamps

Select the M2 section (Item 1) and slip it into
the base assembly. Measure Dimension 'Was
shown in Figure 3 according to your mounting
location and mode of transmission. Now
tighten the compr ession clamp

slightly.

Carefully recheck all dimensions - then
tighten all compression clamps

securely.

Place the 7/16" caplu g (Item 10) on the end of
the antenna.

Select the #10 tubing clamp (Item 9) as s hown
in Figure 2. Slip the clamp over the M2
section but do

not tighten as this time.

Select the 10-meter trap (Item 5) and slip it
into the M2 section with the plasti c cap at the
top. Measure 2 1/4 inches fr om the edge of the
M2 section to the bottom of t he trap as shown
in the illustration (Dimension "B"). Now
tighten the clamp

slightly.

Select the M3 section (Item 2) and a #10
tubing clamp and slip it onto the M3 section.
Now slip the M3 section (end with clamp
installed) over the 10-meter trap and measure
Dimension "C" according to your mounting
location and mode of transmission. Tighten
compression cl amp

slightly.

Select the rema ining #10 t ubing cl amp and
slip it over the M3 s ection.

Select the 15-meter trap (Item 6) and slip it
into the M3 section with the pl astic cap at the
top. Measure Dimension "D" according to
your mounting location and mode of
transmission. Tighten compression clamp

slightly.

Install the two (2) U-bolts ( Item 13) using the
5/16" nuts and lockwash ers (Items 16 and 19)
as shown in Figure 4.

Select the four (4) 1/4"-20 x 3/4" screws, nuts
and lockwashers (Item s 12, 17 and 20) and in­stall on the base assembly. If the antenna is to
be ground mounted, tighten these screws
securely. If the antenna is to be roof mounted,
refer to Figure 5 before tightening these
screws.

A radial system must be added for
proper operation when this antenna is mounted
on the roof.

guying

the

This radial

tem. The radials s hould be the

sys-

system

can also

act as

length shown in Figure 6 after the strain
insulators are installed. If you prefer, you may
obtain a radial system specifically designed
for your 12AVQ-S by asking your local Hy­Gain dealer for the 1 4RMQ.

CAUTION

If copper is used for the radials, solder lugs must be used
to prevent dissimilar metal corrosion from occuring.

Select the #6 t ubing cl amp ( Item 7) and sl ip it
over the 1 5-meter tr ap.

Select the M4 section (Item 3) and slip it into
the 15-met er trap. Me asure Dimensio n "E" a c­cording to your mounting location and mode
of transmission then tighten the compression
clamp slightly.

Figure 3 Ov erall view with Call outs and

Ground your radial system by connecting t he

p

(

)

,

base of the antenna to proper ground using
#10 or larger copper or aluminum wire. A
proper ground consists of an 8 foot copper
clad, steel ground rod driven into the ground
as close as

ossible to the antenna base.

If the antenna is ground mounted, install as
shown in Figure 4. Ground the base of the an­tenna as described above.

6" Maximum length ground wire (No t

52 Ohm coaxial cable

NOTE: For improved performance, use more
ground rods. Any good electrical connection
can be used. (Not Supplied).

Figure 4 Ground Base

of Antenna

Connect the coaxial cable as shown in Figures
4 and 5. Weatherproof the connection using
Coax-Seal® or some similar substance to
prevent water from ruining the coax.

Not Supplied

WARNING

Keep this antenna out of reach of
children or pets. The antenna radials are
hot with rf proportional to the operating
power.

Coax-Seal® is a registered trademark of Universal Electronics