[TowerTalk] New antenna system-enjoy it

[4x1ad]

OK Jerry. I love your enthusiasm about the SteppIr. It seems I'm an old
fashion guy. While it's clear that the Customer Service is wonderful,
antenna is radiating and  there are many satisfied hams, I still need little
bit more to fall in love with the SteppIr. For example, a technically
competent comparison between NEC4.x modeling of SteppIr against models from
F12, Optibeam etc. .  Also, a practical comparison made by someone who has
enough space, towers and motivation to test the SteppIr against other
antennas at same height and at same location at different paths and hours of
the day: in short, a consistent comparison over a reasonable time period. If
I good remember, few years ago I saw a K7LXC book  abot antenna comparison.

I also like very much the antenna manufacturers who gave apparently modest
gain and F/B figures while indicating the esential test set-up and
reference.

I will buy a SteppIr the day after they will add a lenght-adjustable boom
(just kidding).

I hope that the SteppIr life test has been done in real operating conditions
(both low/hi temperature and humidity cycles as per IEC 68-xx standards).
Note that I'm talking about testing at system level, not separate components
on special fixtures. I don't know any U.S. or EU amateur antenna
manufacturer with the ability and willing to perform such a costly and
lenghty test. Anyway, any Reliability/Product Integrity Engineer asked to
calculate the  reliability figures for a SteppIr system , will get the
Project manager close to a heart failure.

But life is stronger than the theory: the most important thing is that
antenna works and you're satisfied.
Enjoy it.

73
Morel
4X1AD

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jerry Keller" <k3bz at arrl.net>
To: "TowerTalk" <towertalk at contesting.com>; "4x1ad" <4x1ad at iarc.org>
Cc: "(Reflector) SteppIR" <steppir at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 9:34 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] New antenna system


> Morel... we all know SWR is not the whole story. I will let others debate
with you about the
> SteppIR's F/Band F/B ratios and gain figures in comparison with other
antennas, as I am not all that
> well qualified to discuss such matters.
>
> As concerns reliability and life expectancy of components, Fluidmotion has
test-cycled the SteppIR
> mechanisms literally millions of times without failure. If you will search
the archives of more than
> 4000 postings over the past 2-1/2 years of the SteppIR YahooGroup
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SteppIR/
> you will find that over 600 users have described perhaps a dozen or two
instances of problems, most
> of which were eventually attributed to causes other than the SteppIR
antenna itself. And solutions
> to the few "actual" problems were quickly found and just as quickly
resolved by Fluidmotion's
> amazingly responsive customer service. I know of no other manufacturer of
antennas anywhere in the
> world that has the record of customer satisfaction and responsiveness to
custmer needs that the
> folks at Fluidmotion have earned. If there has been one downside, it's
that there have been so many
> orders that it takes a while to get one of these magnificent antennas.
But, as always, anything
> worth having is worth waiting for!!
>
> So, Morel, I will challenge you... you have my opinion, and I can point to
the huge worldwide
> response to the SteppIR and the nearly universal satisfaction of SteppIR
users worldwide as my
> evidence. Perhaps you can name me another "antenna design development
since the invention of the
> yagi" that shows more promise for great all-around performance than the
SteppIR concept? I don't
> think so....
>
> 73, my friend, and good DX..... Jerry K3BZ
>