The only quad I owned was a PDL Uni-quad for 11 meters.  It had 2 
coaxes so you could run either vertical or horizontal 
polarization and man it could really null out the skip.  I think 
it was up for at least a couple years before I got my ham ticket 
and it held up well.  I used to help a low vision friend who 
lived nearby.  He rode a bike with a 108 inch CB antenna on it 
and I would relay phone messages and such.  He did onsite house 
calls doing organ repairs for a local business.  Of course that 
was way before cell phones and I don't even think there were that 
many car phones out there in 1971 or so.  Those were some fun 
days.  73, Jim WA6EKS

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Duke, K5XU" <[log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Date sent: Sat, 22 Aug 2015 18:29:42 -0400
Subject: Quad Antennas

Phil is right that you do not hear many people using a quad these 
days.

From 1972 until 1983, I ran a Hy-Gain 2 element tri-band quad 
that they
called the Hy-Quad.

The wire elements and plastic insulators finally broke to the 
point
that I had to look at rebuilding it.  Since I had a Mosley TA33 
JR in
storage, I opted to scrap the quad, and gave it to a missionary 
friend
who did rebuild it for only 15 meters.

While I worked the world with the Mosley, there was no comparison
between that antenna and the 2 element quad.

When using the quad, if the world didn't beat a path to my door, 
that
quad would go out and drag the world in off the street.

Mosley also made a 2 element quad at the time I ran the Hy-Gain.  
My
friend across town had their quad, but couldn't keep it 
operational for
more than a few months at a time.

I believe Cubex is still around, but I may be wrong about that.  
If they
are not, I don't know who makes a full size quad commercially for 
any
band or band combination.

Some of the best fun I ever had was during 2 field day operations 
where
the club I was with at the time ran a full size 2 element quad on 
40 meters.

The bottom was about 10 feet off the ground, but that thing would
scream.  When we had worked everything we could hear on the east 
coast,
four guys would pull up the anchor ropes, walk the antenna around 
to a
different direction, then drive the anchor pegs back into the 
ground.
Those were the days!

--
Mike Duke, K5XU