[TenTec] TenTec Digest, Vol 56, Issue 9

[Ken Brown]

No doubt that Steppir antennas are really nice, and they can be adjusted 
for super low SWR on the line to the antenna, not just between a tuner 
and the  rig.  That is really neat, and I'd love to have one myself. 
However, it is not necessary to have a Steppir or other remotely tunable 
system, or a multiple resonance antenna (such as one with traps or 
resonant stubs or coils as with Gap or Butternut) in order to have high 
efficiency on several bands. A plain vertical can be tuned (with a tuner 
in the shack) to work  efficiently over greater than an octave (like say 
60, 40, 30 and 20 meters) .

You don't have to spend a lot of money to have an efficient antenna. In 
fact the cheapest simplest homebrew antennas are often more efficient 
than the expensive, ready built (some assembly required) ones that have 
moving parts, coils and other do-dads on them.

N6KB

 CATFISHTWO at aol.com wrote:
>  
> in a word... Steppir
>  
> I have a 3 ele steppir 6-20 m beam and I love it. it is a perfect antenna  on 
> every frequency. no tuner needed. they make beams up to 40m and a couple of  
> verts up to 80 meters. 
>  
> worth every penny       tom N6AJR
>  
>  
>  
> ==========================================================
>  
> In a message dated 8/7/2007 9:01:29 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
> tentec-request at contesting.com writes:
>
> Alan,  absolutely a great post, and well said.  You are right on the money!  
> Effective power is the key.  An improved or efficient antenna is the  lowest 
> cost route to effective radiated power.
>
> A point was made in  the QRP forum at the local ham convention Sat.   Even if 
> you are  using one of the shortened antennas, you still have to keep the high 
>  
> voltage ends well away from conductors and screening foliage, or other  
> detriments to the high near field levels.
>
> And the high current  magnetic field concentration near the feed point should 
> also be protected  from coupling to conductors.
>
> A dipole can be shortened to 60 per cent  of full length and maintain 
> efficiency in the greater than 90 per  cent
> value.  You just have to have it in the clear of detractors from  its field. 
> Low profile antennas like the Moxon rectangles can provide beam  performance 
> in less than traditional Yagi dimensions.  Use of low  loss insulators, 
> conductors,  and fasteners is key to small antenna  use.
>
> An easily elevated small beam may be the answer for aging  hams.  The masts 
> from Force 12 that were marketed for portable use  come to mind.  Motorizing 
> such an elevating cable for that mast might  be fairly simple.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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