The "story" behind these antennas begins with Les Moxon (G6XN)
, a legendary UK radio amateur who published the seminal book HF Antennas for All Locations through the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) in 1982. The Origin Story
While Moxon's name is now synonymous with the "Moxon Rectangle," he actually developed his designs as experimental improvements to the VK2ABQ beam created by Fred Caton. Moxon sought a compact, efficient directional antenna that could be built in restricted spaces—literally for "all locations," including small urban gardens.
The transition from a specialized experiment to a global standard occurred when L.B. Cebik (W4RNL)
used computer modeling to refine Les Moxon's wire designs, naming the resulting geometry the "Moxon Rectangle" in his honor. Key Design Features
The Moxon antenna is a unique 2-element parasitic array characterized by its rectangular shape, where the ends of the driven element and the reflector are folded toward each other.
HF Antennas for All Locations : L. A. Moxon - Internet Archive
It sounds like you're looking for the classic radio manual " HF Antennas for All Locations
" by Les Moxon (G6XN). This book is the definitive source for the Moxon Rectangle, an antenna prized for its high front-to-back ratio and compact size.
While you can find various summaries and build guides online, the full text is often sought after by amateur radio enthusiasts for its practical advice on building effective antennas in restricted spaces. Where to Find the PDF or Physical Copy
Borrow/Read Online: You can borrow or stream a digital copy of HF Antennas for All Locations on Internet Archive. Preview & Build Guides:
If you specifically need build plans for a Moxon rectangle, resources like the 20m Moxon-Yagi Antenna Build Guide hf antennas for all locations moxon pdf hot
on Scribd provide dimensions and assembly steps based on Moxon's work.
Buy Physical: New and used copies of the 1993 edition (ISBN 9781872309156) are occasionally available at Amazon or specialized sellers like eBay. Key Details from the Book Hf Antennas for All Locations - Amazon.com
The heat radiating off the hood of the old Jeep was nothing compared to the heat coming off the debate inside the ham shack.
"It’s about gain, Jerry! You can’t work DX with a wet noodle!" shouted Bill, gesturing wildly at a tangle of coaxial cable.
Jerry, calm and methodical, simply tapped the glossy cover of the book on the table. "It’s not always about gain. It’s about signal-to-noise ratio. And in this location? You need this."
The book was titled "HF Antennas for All Locations." It was well-worn, the spine cracked from years of use, but the chapter they were arguing over was the one that had been photocopied and pinned to the corkboard: The Moxon Rectangle.
"I don't care if it’s a Moxon or a Yagi," Bill grumbled, wiping grease from his forehead. "It’s July. It’s 100 degrees in the shade. The last thing I want to do is climb a tower."
"Who said anything about a tower?" Jerry smiled, opening the PDF on his tablet. The blueprints glowed on the screen. "That’s the beauty of the Moxon. It’s compact. It’s forgiving. And for this field day? It’s going to be the hottest antenna on the band."
The location was a remote corner of the state park, surrounded by tall pines that played havoc with high-angle radiation. The air was thick, sticky, and buzzing with the sound of cicadas. The "hot" in the air was oppressive, but the "hot" topic of the weekend was the antenna design Jerry was preaching.
While the rest of the club wrestled with a massive, three-element Yagi that required three men and a prayer to hoist, Jerry laid out his materials on the grass. He didn't need a boom the size of a telephone pole. He had a simple spreader made of PVC, some insulated wire, and a calculated dimensions sheet printed straight from the Moxon section of the All Locations PDF.
"See the loading?" Jerry explained to a skeptical teenager named Alex. "The Moxon bends the ends inward. It shrinks the footprint by about thirty percent compared to a standard Yagi, but it keeps the front-to-back ratio incredibly high." The "story" behind these antennas begins with Les
"So it's smaller," Alex said, swatting a mosquito. "But does it work?"
"In a noisy location like this? It’s a lifesaver," Jerry said, stripping the end of the wire. "It’s directional. It hears where you point it and ignores the noise behind you. That’s the secret sauce."
They built the frame in under an hour. It was a rectangle of wire, bent at the ends, looking deceptively simple. While the tower crew was still shouting instructions and tightening guy wires, Jerry and Alex carried the lightweight frame to a modest push-up pole.
"Hotter than a two-dollar pistol," Bill muttered as he walked over, finally freed from the tower work. He looked at the wire rectangle. "That’s it? That’s what’s going to work Europe?"
"That’s it," Jerry said. "
Maximizing Performance in Small Spaces: A Guide to Les Moxon’s HF Antenna Philosophy
For amateur radio operators, the "perfect" antenna location is a myth. Most hams must contend with small suburban yards, restrictive covenants, or nearby interference. Les Moxon (G6XN), a World War II radar engineer and communications expert, addressed these realities in his seminal work, HF Antennas for All Locations. First published in 1982 by the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), this book remains a definitive resource for building high-performance, space-efficient HF antennas. The Core Philosophy of HF Antennas for All Locations
Unlike standard textbooks that rely on dense calculus, Moxon’s book focuses on practicality and intuitive understanding. He argues that an effective antenna is one that works within the limitations of your specific environment.
Simplified Design: Moxon uses minimal mathematics to explain how antenna elements interact, making the content accessible for both beginners and experienced experimenters.
Focus on Wire Antennas: Recognizing that wire is the most cost-effective material, the book provides extensive details on optimizing wire-based arrays for limited spaces.
Innovation over Convention: Moxon critiques traditional designs, offering "new approaches and insights" to squeeze gain and directivity out of compact footprints. The Famous "Moxon Rectangle" The location was a remote corner of the
While the book covers a broad spectrum of designs, Les Moxon is most famous for popularizing the Moxon Rectangle (or Moxon Beam). This 2-element directional antenna is a evolution of the VK2ABQ antenna, refined by Moxon’s discovery that a rectangular shape with critical end-spacing significantly improves gain and front-to-back ratio.
HF Antennas for All Locations : Moxon, L.A.: Amazon.de: Books
Because the Moxon can be built as a small magnetic loop variant (though less common) or a wire version strung between trees, it offers directivity without a large rotator. Some amateurs hide Moxons in attics or along fences.
Dimensions courtesy of L.B. Cebik (W4RNL) modeling:
Note: Builders should cut wires slightly longer and prune for resonance.
Moxon antennas are popular for SOTA (Summits on the Air) and POTA (Parks on the Air). Made from fiberglass poles and wire, a 20m Moxon weighs under 1 kg and packs into a small bag. Setup takes 10 minutes.
If you have typed the phrase "HF antennas for all locations Moxon PDF hot" into a search engine, you are likely part of a specific breed of radio amateur. You are frustrated with noise, restricted by HOA covenants, living in a dense urban environment, or simply tired of the "compromise" that comes with most multi-band antennas.
You want performance. You want directivity. And you want it now.
The keyword cluster here tells a story: HF (High Frequency, the lifeblood of long-distance QSOs), All Locations (from a 10th-floor balcony to a 1-acre backyard), Moxon (the unsung hero of antenna design), PDF (ready-to-build plans), and Hot (high gain, low angle of radiation).
This article is your complete guide to why the Moxon rectangle is the most underrated antenna for the modern ham, where to find the canonical PDF files, and how to build one that will make your signal the "hot" topic on the band.
The following parameters outline a standard 20-meter (14.200 MHz) wire Moxon build.
Here is how to take that "hot PDF" and adapt it to your specific QTH.