My original question about a quad vs SteppIR was for a 2-element (Cubex)
quad with separate feeds. There seems to be a general agreement that the
3-element SteppIR would have much better directivity. (To me this equates
to useful gain, especially for receiving.) The quad has an 8' boom and the
yagi has a 16' boom --- that is probably the key element in the whole
matter. The yagi is considerably larger with more turning room needed but
may have a better "neighbor view" appearance than the quad.
I am not quite clear how the yagi and the tiltover tower work together. I
assume I tilt the tower such that the mast is 8' above ground (half the
boom length) and work from a stepladder. This also means that there must
be tree clearance to tilt the yagi. I assume that, generally, the yagi is
easier to assemble, move, install, etc, than a quad.
I am not a climber. I constructed the Cubex quad by tying the boom and
mast about 10' up on my tower (I don't mind climbing that far!) and then
working from a stepladder to attach the spreaders (with elements
installed) to each end. Then, working from the tower, I connected the
relay box, coax to each element , feed coax, and control wires --- with
most of this taped to the boom. At this point, I could probably have
hoisted the whole thing to the top of the tower if I used a 10' gin pole.
However, a cousin-in-law has a 60' cherry picker (for tree trimming) and
we used that. Even so, it was a nontrivial job. Of course, everything
was easier because there were no guy wires for the tower.
The quad was a very good antenna. (I moved from 100 countries confirmed to
about 260 confirmed in two years of casual operation --- and I have an
almost blind spot toward the South Pacific due to a small mountain next
door.) Like many people I have the impression the quad is a quieter
antenna although I cannot prove it. However, the mechanical aspects are
messy, especially for the few of us who are not growing younger.
(Anyone interested in a 40' aluminum tower (standard Universal 40' with
rotor plate) and all the Cubex quad parts, including a NIB set of wire
elements? I think about $1200-1300 is a reasonable price but I need to do
a little research. Both are in excellent shape. Location is near
Poughkeepsie, NY. I also have a Yaesu G450A rotator in excellent shape; I
need to do a little research to see if this is suitable for the SteppIR.
I used the G450 gently and have had absolutely no problems with it. The
quad has much less turning moment than a yagi and is easy on rotators.)
I thank the many people who responded with useful information and comments
for my questions.
Bill
W2WO
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See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather
Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
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