Kevin,
I agree that being able to bring the SteppIR down to ground level is a
big help. I have owned a four element SteppIR Yagi for seven years now and
also have a BigIR vertical. I like the antenna very much and reckon it
gives me the best bang for minimum wind load.
Two EHU units have failed on me over the years. One of which is the
current design. All my EHUs have been upgraded to the current design. I
never had a problem with a boot but I replace them any way every few years
as they are inexpensive an available from local hardware stores in the USA.
It is my experience that even using new Nylock nuts that the screws
holding the EHUs to the mast and holding the EHUs closed can work loose over
the year.
My SteppIR is at 80 feet on a crank up tilt over tower designed to be
stayed. The tower is capable of 112 feet but has never been this high. I
use to have it at 88 feet but age makes me more cautious. Taking the Yagi
down involves a good bit of work and maybe it will sometimes go two years
without being lowered but my preference would be to take the antenna down
for an inspection each year.
SteppIRs do fail. SteppIRs do work very well. They have a smaller
wind load than many aluminum antennas and they are a multiband antenna which
can be used across all the ham bands from extreme to extreme on each band.
My SteppIR has the trombone for 30 and 40 which works very nicely at 80
feet.
Never just replace roach poles on the SteppIR without making sure they
have the same velocity factor as those you have been using and that the
replacement units match the controller you are using. I was burnt on this
issue. I replaced the original controller with the newer model and found
all my lengths were off so needed to make adjustments - with SteppIR help it
all worked out.
I am a SteppIR fan. My antenna provides 40 through 6 meters and does a
good job. The antenna holds up very nicely to the winds here in EI on a
good height.
Everyone has their own decisions to make. There is no one answer but
for minimum windload; good performance and multiband the SteppIR is hard to
beat. Are they inexpensive no - no antenna with these capabilities is.
73 Doug EI2CN
-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Kevin
Stover
Sent: 01 March 2015 00:33
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] [Bulk] Re: SteppIR
If you are a member of the SteppIR Yahoo group you would get the idea.
Unless things have changed and questioning the SteppIR way is verboten
over there.
Be that as it may I wouldn't own one without a crank-up/tilt-over tower
under it.
I think it's a take it down once a year antenna.
On 2/28/2015 4:04 PM, Kim Elmore wrote:
> Several have mentioned potential failure points for the SteppIR antennas.
I haven't heard about many failures. In fact, I can't think of any. There
are a fair number in us by now. How often are failures encountered?
>
> Kim N5OP
>
> "People that make music together cannot be enemies, at least as long as
the music lasts." -- Paul Hindemith
>
--
R. Kevin Stover
AC0H
ARRL
FISTS #11993
SKCC #215
NAQCC #3441
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