[TowerTalk] SteppIR Wind Damage

[VR2BrettGraham]

K3MH suggested about SteppIR tubes & lengths:

>Have you tried the re-calibration routine to re-set the element lengths?  I
>changed tubes and also upgraded my controller 6 months ago.  I apparently
>had one of the first Steppir versions.  You can alter the default tuning
>lengths of the driven and other elements.

Calibrate just runs the motor(s) long enough that the
strips can be assumed to be fully retracted & therefore
extended from a known state to a known length.

Yes, you can change the element lengths yourself, but
what length to use on a parasitic element with one
new tube & one old one?

As K8IA noted, the difference on a driver can easily be
dealt with - at least based on where the SWR meter is
along the feeder.

On a parasitic element, finding the correct length for the
particular tubes being used might not be so easy.

The failure K6DGW QSPed earlier reminded me of thinking
about this when the new tube mystery first surfaced.  A total
tube replacement is a no-brainer - you end up with all tubes
of type same & firmware with dimensions for those tubes.

I hope somebody somewhere might benefit if they stumble
across this post, but unless the mixed tubes are on a driver,
I suspect most users will not notice to begin with - a 100 kc
or two shift in SWR curve can be seen from shack & is
probably being actively monitored by the user.  The change
in gain or pattern if a parasitic shifts that much is a bit more
subtle & is not being watched for so closely (if at all).

73, VR2BrettGraham