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Cubical Quad

Directional Antennas

A beam built from full-wave loops instead of straight elements.

Band: HF/VHF
Gain: ~7-10 dBi (2-3 elements)
Polarization: Horizontal or vertical (feed dependent)

Photos

Real-world photo of a Cubical Quad in use — Real-world example. Source: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0; Aaronno).

Radiation / wave patterns

Idealized radiation pattern of the Cubical Quad — Idealized azimuth radiation pattern (illustrative, generated). Radial scale in dB.

How & why it works

A cubical quad is the loop equivalent of a Yagi: a driven full-wave loop is paired with a reflector loop (and optional director loops) on a boom. The parasitic loops re-radiate with phasing that reinforces the signal forward and cancels it backward, producing directional gain. Compared with a Yagi of similar size, the quad often shows slightly more gain per boom length and a lower radiation angle, at the cost of a bulkier, three-dimensional structure.

Real-world uses

HF DX beams, contesting, and VHF point-to-point links.