I made my initial comments off-reflector, but this seems to be
drifting, so will
summarize here. I went from a kt34A to a T8 to a 3 el SteppIR, so
can comment
directly.
1) The gain of the T6 is NOT more than a 2 el steppIR. It is
probably about the
same. The effective boom length of the LPDA is not the full boom,
since not all
elements are active on any one frequency.
2) Going from the kt34a to the T8 was approximately the same
performance.
I MAY have given up a little bit on 20m, but nothing appreciable.
3) You can bend the ends of the longest T8 element down, to shorten
the turning
radius. Looks a bit funny, but works fine.
4) Going from the T8 to the 3 el SteppIR was a definite improvement
in performance.
Although I couldn't do an A/B comparison, there was no doubt that I
was getting through
on first call, when it took 2 or 3 calls with the log.
5) It is true that any mechanical system with moving parts will
eventually need maintenance.
SteppIR is no exception. Mine was quite good for over 5 seasons,
though.
6) Although my T8 rode down a tower from 90', when it came under oak
tree attack,
the boom is perfectly straight and clean. The elements became
pretzels. But even today,
many years later, I can buy crash parts from Tennadyne at reasonable
prices, if I want to
rebuild the log. (which I may.)
One man's opinion: If budget is driving your choice, get the log.
If performance is driving the
choice, get a 3 el steppIR. You COULD get a 2 el steppIR, and add
the third element later.
You'll want to.
N2EA
> A friend suggested the T6, and I'm glad I went that route. It
> covers 5 bands and even tunes up on 6m. The gain is a little
> more than the 2el Steppir, but at half the price.
>
The T6 has a higher gain due to a boom that is more than twice
the length of the 2 element SteppIR. The 3 element SteppIR is
a much better "apples to apples" comparison with either the T6
or T8.
> Although the Steppirs are generally very reliable, there is
> the possibility of mechanical/electrical problems down the
> road. There's not much to go wrong with Tennadyne's.
>
Reports of metal fatigue at the boom to element joints of the
Tennadyne antenna are quite common.
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