[TenTec] Opinions on StepIR vertical

[Stuart Rohre]

One should not blindly put up antennas "the higher the better".  There are
optimum heights for various installations, if your aim is to work DX.

Beams for example, can be placed too high to have optimum DX take off
angles.
Look at the elevation take off angles as you raise a horizontal beam or
dipole over a half wave high.

Being on an elevated mountain location, a good point was made by a poster,
that you do NOT have to place the antenna high to still get good DX
operation.   Antennas placed optimally, reference a slope in the direction
of the DX, enjoy another gain factor created by the downslope condition
aiding the signal propagation from that antenna.  It must be in some
proximity to the drop off to have the most effect.

This was covered in one of the ARRL Antenna Compendium volumes, and other
antenna publications of recent years.

Gud DX,
Stuart
K5KVH