[TowerTalk] Comparison between SteppIR and Cushcraft LogPeriodic?

[Jim Lux]

At 06:34 AM 9/6/2006, Michael Tope wrote:

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Mike, K6BR" <noddy1211 at sbcglobal.net>
>
> >
> > The Cushcraft will change bands instantly where the SteppIR takes a
> > few seconds.
> >
> > Comment:- I really do not notice the time, by the time you tune the rig
> > the
> > antenna is there.
> >
>
>In most applications I would agree. The one place where the log
>has an advantage is for a frequency agile mode like ALE (automatic
>link established) where you are constantly hopping quickly from
>one band to another. You can't beat the log for that.


I'm not sure that the SteppIR couldn't keep up. The hopping around 
for ALE is just for link sounding, and can be quite slow ( 1 
channel/second, it might be configurable, I'd have to go look it 
up).  While the comm is going on, there's no hopping.

Now, for a real spread spectrum HF radio (either hopper or direct 
sequence) the SteppIR probably wouldn't hack it, although, the SS 
radios that I've seen for HF (and I haven't seen very many..so it's 
not representative) only use a 500 kHz or so bandwidth (that being 
the size of the propagation window from point A to point B)

This IS an interesting question, though, and I'll bet someone has 
actually tried PCALE or MARS-ALE with a SteppIR.
Jim, W6RMK