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Re: [TowerTalk] Steppir antennas

To: "'Al Williams'" <alwilliams@olywa.net>, "'towertalk'" <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Steppir antennas
From: "Joe Subich, W4TV" <w4tv@subich.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2008 16:07:01 -0500
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>

> 4.    Perhaps an option to include more elements so that the spacing
>        between elements could be varied by choosing among them for
>        the higher frequencies.

The MonstIR and DB-36 already use this approach ... they have three 
active elements on 40/30 with a shorter fourth element added as a 
first director or 20-10 meters. 

An experimenter could easily extend the boom of a MonstIR/DB-36 to 
create a longer antenna for 20 Meters using the existing 40/30M 
reflector and then add a "standard" element at a location more 
suited to maintaining good F/R through 10 meters.  

The existing 4 element 20-6 meter design could potentially be 
extended to a 36 foot boom with a standard element used as a 
20 - 15 meter reflector and a shorter tunable reflector added 
for 12/10/6 meters.  

Some of these designs are possible with the new controller 
as it supposedly contains a more capable microprocessor and 
larger EEPROM for element data.  The limitation will be the 
maximum number of supported element drivers. 

73, 

   ... Joe, W4TV 
     



> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com 
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Al Williams
> Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 3:38 PM
> To: towertalk
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Steppir antennas
> 
> 
> Readers interested in the merits of Steppir antennas may be 
> interested in 
> the
> following observations and predictions:
> 
> 1.  Yagi type antennas (fixed element length) have been used 
> for many years
>       with variations benefitting from different 
> manufacturers and users
>       experience. Except for the newlly announced Steppir DB36 and a
>       controller the original design and hardware has not changed.
> 
> 2.   I expect that we will see a beefed up tape, better 
> fitting element 
> tubing,
>       stronger ehu's, and protection for the drive circuit 
> which will reduce
>       failures.  And in addition will allow a 2 element 80 
> Steppir to also 
> be
>       reliable.
> 
> 3.   I don't know what improvement the new controller provides but I
>       expect to see a far more versatile one.
> 
> 4.    Perhaps an option to include more elements so that the spacing
>        between elements could be varied by choosing among them for
>        the higher frequencies.
> 
> These will not replace the big boy's multi=tower, stacked, 
> long boom monobanders but would appeal to  the rest of us.
> 
> k7puc
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Rudy Severns" <@contesting.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 9:50 AM
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Steppir antennas
> 
> 
> > I'd like to pass on my experience with several SteppIR 
> antennas.  Some
> > years
> > ago I won one of the original SteppIR dipoles at the NW DX 
> convention.
> > After using it for a while I moved on to one of the early 
> three element 
> > 20m+
> > arrays and a couple of years ago to the monster SteppIR with three
> > elements
> > on 40m and 30m and 4 elements on 20m+.
> >
> > My initial reaction to the dipole was "this Rube Goldberg can't 
> > possibly work!"  The monster SteppIR is an order of magnitude more 
> > complicated that the original SteppIR's and is certainly 
> not for the 
> > mechanically challenged when it comes to assembly.  My opinion has 
> > still not changed, these antennas
> > cannot possibly work.
> >
> > However, time and experience have cast some doubt on that opinion.  
> > After several years and several antennas, I have yet to have a 
> > failure.  These contraptions  have worked flawlessly for 
> me.  My QTH 
> > is a high wind environment being on a hilltop in western 
> Oregon but I 
> > rarely have much ice loading.
> >
> > I'm not suggesting anyone buy one of these but since I saw 
> a good of 
> > conversation on the reflector about these antennas and 
> thought I would 
> > add my experience for anyone interested.
> >
> > 73, Rudy N6LF
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >
> >
> > --
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> Date: 11/4/2008 
> > 8:26 AM
> >
> > 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> 
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