In the spring of 2025, I was gifted a slightly used M² 6M8GJ six meter yagi antenna from a very good ham friend of mine. The antenna was in excellent condition and packed in a nice carrying bag. The 6M8GJ is an 8-element six-meter yagi on a 43′ boom and is designed to be a light-weight DXpedition antenna that can be broken down and transported on an airplane. It is also strong enough to be used in home installations.
I knew it was too big for my QTH but the person who gave it to me said it could be built to six or seven elements. I inquired M² about the measurements for shortening it to 6 or 7 elements and they supplied me with the information I needed. Since I would be installing the antenna by myself, I decided to make it 6 elements which puts the boom at about 28 feet with an estimated weight of around 20 lbs.
I had been using my 3-element SteppIR yagi on six meters for the past several years with limited success and I wanted something better. My SteppIR has the 6-meter passive add-on element which makes it 4 elements on a 14′ boom. For the past few years I have been working toward the Fred Fish Memorial Award (FFMA) and the ARRL DX Award on six meters. Since I do not have a six-meter amplifier, all my contacts are made with 100 watts. I really needed a “real” six-meter antenna.