Towertalk
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [TowerTalk] first post

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] first post
From: W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu@w0mu.com>
Date: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 10:25:03 -0600
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Fixed spacing is just fine when you can vary the element lengths.

Mike W0MU

On 6/6/2014 9:49 AM, Drax Felton wrote:
The stepper has fixed element spacing and more complexity and gears and motors 
to go wrong.  My Mosley pro96 lasts forever and there's no mechanicals.

It and the steppir too is not ideal in all situations.   But it works well 
enough.



On Jun 6, 2014, at 11:29 AM, W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu@w0mu.com> wrote:

Money has nothing to do with selecting a SteppIR.

Please show me one antenna that can cover all bands 40-6 wiith NO interaction 
between the other bands.  An antenna that is optimized for each band it is on 
and does not have 23 other element flapping in the wind that are un-needed at 
any given time.  Show me another antenna that can be switched to bi directional 
mode or 180 in seconds?

Don't buy a KLM god those insulators were awful and those caps blew up all the 
time...........They fixed those issues just like SteppIR has fixed some issues 
they had with faulty boots.  Gosh what about the tips breaking off Hygain.  I 
guess those are out now.  Honestly every antenna out there can have issues.

The 4 ele SteppIR I have in Colorado has been up since 2006.  Zero problems.  
The first one I put up in Montana was an early version with bad boots and 
required some maintenance.

Nobody said it was the end all antenna.  There are many choices out there.  
This was one suggestion.  Have you priced some of the other brands of big 
antennas lately?

A 100ft guyed tower requires lots of Phylistran, concrete the same rotor and 
cables that the crank up does,  not to mention a ton of space for the guy 
wires.  You need to be a climber or have the ability to hire one each time you 
need something done.   The guyed tower will give the ability to stack or rotate 
the entire thing. A 100ft guyed tower is expensive too.

As I said the older I get the less I want to climb.  My desire to test and play 
antennas has not declined.  With a crankup it is much easier to change out 
antennas and perform maintenance and if i you live in a hurricane area or super 
windy area you can crank the tower down.

Good luck with your project and welcome to the list.


Mike W0MU

On 6/6/2014 8:29 AM, Jim W7RY wrote:
Agreed!

A StepIR  IS NOT the end all of antennas. Just because you have one and paid 
LOTS of money for it doesn't make it the best antenna in many respects.


73
Jim W7RY


-----Original Message----- From: john@kk9a.com
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2014 4:58 AM
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] first post

There are decisions that only the original poster can make.  We have no
idea what his budget is or what his goals are regarding the antennas.  The
SteppIR and crankup suggestion is very expensive and you will not have the
loudest signal on the band.

A 100'+ crankup tower is $35,000 and a 4el SteppIR is $3,000 and you still
need a rotator, cables and lots of concrete.

John KK9A



To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] first post
From: W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu@w0mu.com>
Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 22:26:08 -0600
The archives can be found by going to contesting.com or google archives
towertalk.

Feel free to ask some questions.

I would look at the SteppIR for an antenna that can cover all the bands
you are looking for. You will be limited to one band at a time.

As for a tower. I would try to stick with a crankup. The older I get, not
yet 50, the less desire I have to climb.

Mike W0MU

On 6/5/2014 10:20 PM, Bruce wrote:
i am new to this list, like a few minutes ago. only because i have had a
40 foot crank up tower with a force 12 c4 atop for some 10-15 years. we
are looking for a new house and it will have no deed restrictions. i can
put up whatever my little heart desires. i am looking at a tower of at
least 100 feet and would like antennas for 10/15/20 as well as warc 12/17
and 40m atop. no trapped antennas. had a mosley before the force 12 and it
was amazing what the force 12 heard that the mosley was deaf to. but first
the tower.

not sure how to find previous posts to the list so sorry if this may seem
repetitive to the list. direct replies are fine to keep list traffic down.

73...bruce

_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>