Snip
I'm wondering if there have been any attempts at more than 4 element
SteppIR's?
I'm happy with my 4L but it would be nice to have some more smoke. What
might be interesting are some longer boom more limited band combinations,
with higher performance e.g. 6 L on 15/12/10 or 5 L on
20/17 or 6 L on 17/12 on 42' boom (the one I want, since my modeling so far
for an interlaced 5/5 design isn't succeeding).
Another advantage of limiting the band combinations is that there isn't as
much compromise when stacking them. Also, there would be less tower
loading, fewer rotators, etc. than conventional 3 band contest stacks.
However, there remains the tuning delay when QSYing or band changing, which
is a bit of a problem in contest S&P & mult chasing.
Grant KZ1W
End snip
There has been a lot of debate in various circles about the SteppIR cost and
compromise when you are in a typical high performance contest configuration
for the East Coaster in DX Contests. Three stacked SteppIR or positioned
stacked beams for direction flexibility. One camp has 3 SteppIR or C31XRs
or TH11a or OBs on ring rotors for full flexibility. The theory being that
you have a 3 high stack when you need it to EU and you can turn the other
stuff when you don't. The penalty is that the cost is HUGE if its SteppIRs
or OBs and you often are forced to "turn an antenna" out of the stack to
work a mult or hear a weak calling station from the non-stack direction.
Also, the stack is not optimum spaced for usually more than 1 band. Some
even added a monobander or 2 to supplement the inefficiencies after less
than stellar results in contests.
I actually looked at this extensively as I set up my contest station. I
came to the conclusion that if you really wanted a full performance 3 high
stack worthy of the investment, you needed a 120 ft tower and the stacking
for 10 was not at all good. Even 15M was not great. 20M was excellent.
I was not wanting quite that high a tower and had permits for 80 ft towers.
I actually found that for the same budget as a 3 high stack of fully
rotating SteppIRs on a 120 ft tower, I could populate 2 - 80 ft towers with
monobanders and top rotating antennas. I have higher gain on my top
antenna, a better stack on 15 and 10, and a fixed south monobander on each
band at the utility height of 50 ft to 60 ft. I don't wait for antennas to
turn and I don't sacrifice my optimized EU stack performance for the
privilege.
At the end of the day, all antenna choices are compromises and there is no
right answer for all. Just critically look at the positive and negatives
and make a choice for your priorities. But realize that unless you have 2 -
120 ft towers with dedicated monobanders and ring rotors plus a fixed south
monobander, you ARE making compromises somewhere.
Ed N1UR
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