I installed my Steppir 3 element with 40m myself in 2017. Took 2 days. Takes up a lot of back yard over our pool and wife hates it. It is a large antenna. ve4mm
I was today years old when I learned I'll never have the patience to put one of these together. Awesome job!!! I'll stick with my Alpha-Delta Dipole :)
Happy holiday Josh wow buddy you really did a fantastic job I would be totally lost you're pretty sharp guy putting that thing together not that it's so hard but it's a lot of work congratulations man very nice antenna
I assembled and put my SteppIR DB18 up on my 65ft tower entirely on my own. My tower was a telescopic tilt-over though. Loved having 2 elements on 40 meters. Miss that antenna, sold it when I sold my house to emigrate. I see you have some nasty electrical power lines really close to your property - hope they are not too noisy. Have fun with the new antenna
1. If you give up ham radio, you will make a superb fisherman 2. Drill Master heat gun, excellent! I have a couple myself, $8 on sale and a free flashlight :)
Interesting! So the fiberglass tubes are themselves the radiating elements? No wires inside, I wonder if they are somehow infused with some type of alloy during the manufacturing process. And the plastic tubes joining the dipoles, also no wire?
Great video and just what I needed to push me to decide on a Steppir rather than a traditional yagi. Did you ever get to posting a video about your subsequent experience with this antenna on the bands it supports?
Hey Josh love your videos! I’m curious as to what type of antenna tripod that is you’re using. I cannot seem to find one ANYWHERE in my area that can support the weight of a three element beam and rotator, thanks ! 73’s VE6KRP
Thanks for the video, need to watch No 1 now. You are very patient letting them know Glen Martin Tower, lost track of how many times. Question; Is this antenna difficult to permanently move from one home to another? Boom 16' no need to dissemble. Can the elements 36/2 or 18' be removed from boom for transport easily and all reassembled at new QTH?
Nice build vids Josh. Hey, next time you're up on the roof, could you please give us some perspective on how your antenna faces & then a slow 360° pan so we can see views/obstructions/mtns. It's too bad you are so close to those big high voltage feeder lines. Are you being smoked out at the moment from all of the fires in the area? We are getting a lot of smoke here in Tucson from CA.
Two things. I don't see the "leveling eye bolt" on your high wind kit plate. I see the hole for it but the hole is over by the bolt/nut that passes horizontally through the boom and it needs to replace the bolt/nut that passes vertically through the boom. Meaning the plate has to flip. Second observation is the vertical angle bracket, if mounted there, would not be in the center of the 40-30 loop. It would be offset. There should have been a separate saddle bracket that would boom mount right in the center of the loop for that piece to mount to. My experience thus far with the SteppIR documentation is that it is, to say the least, a challenge.
Thank you very good coverage of the build. I am waiting for my urban beam to arrive, although smaller it is similar in the build. Mine will be on a 40 foot crank up mast. 73 de KM6LBW.
As a new general running an end fed from myantennas I'm thinking of upping my antenna game . I'm curious how this has held up and would you recommend something like this or a hexbeam ? Low maintenance and effective is what I'm after . I'm not really limited by space
hi josh i know you done this video a while back but just want to say im putting a sirio sy27 3 elerment 10 11m yagi up tomorrow can,t wait . you remember me josh from liverpool the one who said passed his tec well foundation on may 1st and i told you it was my first field day on hamnation remember lol 73 and ill let you know how i get on with the beam
Hey Joss. Im looking at the Urban beam. How is performance at your height above ground? Mine would be similar one story. How tall is the roof mount and can you give specs and install for that? Finally what is storm/wind loading like? Any problems with the roof top mount?
Josh good job I put up a 4l with loop way back when they first came out I use dielectric grease at all wires terminal blocks. A recheck the band clamps on the boots they will appear to be loose as the rubber takes a set good luck you will enjoy it K1ZW
Hi Josh how and where do the white tubes fit ? just got the 30/40 kit and find the instructions and worried that the ends of them could damage the antenna ribbon, thanks.bob.G0WYD
How high up do you have this antenna mounted? I've only got a 32ft roof line and a half wave on 40m would be way higher than i'd be able to mount an antenna in the suburbs. Would this work ok around 35-37ft?
You do a controller test on the ground. If they’re all in working order you set it up. The rest of the tuning is done once it’s installed via the controller box.
I need to put my first antenna up on my roof. I'm think I'm going with a rotatable dipole Crushcraft D4 but I'm not sure on which mount to use. Will a TV eve mount work? What about mounting on the side of the house? I could do a roof mount
As beautiful as these antennas are,.. part of me prefers your christmas light dipole but I do understand how difficult it would be to rotate the lights. :^) 73, de- W7MAG
Why aren't there any lightweight 20 meter mono band beams? I can't find any and I can't justify extra weight and cost and inneficiency of multiband beams
Sorry Josh but many of us elderly retired people can't afford many of these high priced antennas and buy and buy different radios . The stepper antennas is the highest priced antennas on the market .
That ground match argument doesn't make sense, why, because the VSWR is not going to change wayyyy out of spec, if you are going to dump a ton of money into a tower and beam then run Heliax, the biggest you can get. All those pesky SWR issues disappear with 1 and 7/8 Heliax, same with any noise. Yea still run a 1:1 current choke at both ends but a 100m or 300ft run wil be silent above ground let alone below buried. The slight mismatch due to ground level and ground resistance ect will not worry good coax.
I enjoy your videos but where do I start on this one. Steppirs might work in well in temperate California but not in the Midwest. This story I share here is verified by a neighbor ham friend that has one of these mechanical monsters and totally regrets buying it. When the temp goes below zero the beryllium strip that's suppose to slide effortlessly inside those fiberglass tubes fails when the stepper motors quit. He also has to take his antenna down off his tower every so often to treat the outside of the fiberglass tubes with I think Baby oil to keep them from cracking. Finally he's replace 3 of these "miracle" control boxes that switch the direction 180 degrees. These antennas aren'y ready for prime time and probably never will be. Just buy a Mosley as the only time you take them down is when you retire moving into an HOA. This is a company that has been in business for decades and never needs to advertise as their reputation preceeds them. The power loss proported by those "losses loads" with a Mosley is BS. Also the perfect SWR story is shot down because the spacing of the elements doesn't change. Unless you like constantly tinkering with an antenna like a Fussy Ferrari, buy the Mosley as they are built for the long haul and are bullet proof in every way!
@@lizzyfan1986 I agree but for your typical tower stacking 5 monobanders is a tall order. I've heard guys with a 20 meter yagi and they were the strongest on the band. I believe the JK does all the bands in one antenna w/o traps. Sounds pretty cool. My story is I bought the TA-53 along with the rotor for $500 used. The beam was originally bought in 1990 and installed and taken down in 2011. Then I bought it with the rotor in 2011 and it's still up there running great. Since I spent so much on the tower I blew my budget. I thought I would go this cheap route for now and get the StepIR (my dream antenna at the time) later. Well 10 years later it's still up there and running great.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse On the control box. There should be a rubber grommet around the cable for weather proofing. If it didn't come with a grommet, check to see if there is a weather proof seal not shown in the video . If you open or install it on a humid day, tape a couple of desiccant packets to the inside to absorb moisture. Temp changes will cause moisture to condense in the box. Check it at least twice a year or after storms as water will find a way in. And btw, do you have a video that shows your grounding for the mast?
@@HamRadioCrashCourse I design microwave systems for a teleco. I've also installed equipment on towers. So many times someone forgot to thread a cable thru a grommet first. Or left it on the ground. 😆 Woop.
How on earth you got away with that on the house roof my neighbours and wife would freak out, nicely done.
When neighbors start paying my mortgage I’ll consider their complaints. As for the wife. The trick is to assemble it while they’re out of the house. 😬
Esthetics aside, why would anyone want to have (even low power RF) that close to your loved ones?
@@chuckwilliams6294 I checked for rf exposure. They’re not around any dangerous levels.
@@chuckwilliams6294 when that thing fails its gonna be epic.
Have you posted the SteppIR part 3 yet?
I installed my Steppir 3 element with 40m myself in 2017. Took 2 days. Takes up a lot of back yard over our pool and wife hates it. It is a large antenna. ve4mm
Adhesive line heat shrink, love the stuff! My go to connector sealing method.
I was today years old when I learned I'll never have the patience to put one of these together. Awesome job!!! I'll stick with my Alpha-Delta Dipole :)
LOL! IDK that comment cracked me up!
“It’s not that big”
Lol.
Happy holiday Josh wow buddy you really did a fantastic job I would be totally lost you're pretty sharp guy putting that thing together not that it's so hard but it's a lot of work congratulations man very nice antenna
Looks great Josh, Leah doesn't know what she's talking about, ham radio is at the forefront of aesthetics
Thank you for your video, I was debating on which antenna to get. I’m definitely getting the steppir 73
I assembled and put my SteppIR DB18 up on my 65ft tower entirely on my own. My tower was a telescopic tilt-over though. Loved having 2 elements on 40 meters. Miss that antenna, sold it when I sold my house to emigrate. I see you have some nasty electrical power lines really close to your property - hope they are not too noisy. Have fun with the new antenna
Great video, as always. I'd be interested to see how the 40m dipole portion of this antenna, at that height, compares to the BigIR vertical on 40m.
At the height I have it, which is too low for 40. The vertical will be better for DX.
Wow this looks like a cool antenna. -and 6 meters too? Badass.
1. If you give up ham radio, you will make a superb fisherman
2. Drill Master heat gun, excellent! I have a couple myself, $8 on sale and a free flashlight :)
My dude, I love fishing. Whatever you fish I got the tackle and I'm ready.
Man that looks scary! My wife would murder me if I put something like that on the roof!
I came really close.
@@ItsaMeLeah 🤣
Interesting! So the fiberglass tubes are themselves the radiating elements? No wires inside, I wonder if they are somehow infused with some type of alloy during the manufacturing process. And the plastic tubes joining the dipoles, also no wire?
The fiberglass tubes are hollow. The EHU unit shave the radiating elements in them. Part one of the series covers it in more detail.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse Ah OK thanks, I'll watch Part 1!
Great video and just what I needed to push me to decide on a Steppir rather than a traditional yagi. Did you ever get to posting a video about your subsequent experience with this antenna on the bands it supports?
Is there a Part 3?
Hey Josh love your videos! I’m curious as to what type of antenna tripod that is you’re using. I cannot seem to find one ANYWHERE in my area that can support the weight of a three element beam and rotator, thanks ! 73’s VE6KRP
Thanks for the video, need to watch No 1 now. You are very patient letting them know Glen Martin Tower, lost track of how many times. Question; Is this antenna difficult to permanently move from one home to another? Boom 16' no need to dissemble. Can the elements 36/2 or 18' be removed from boom for transport easily and all reassembled at new QTH?
Nice build vids Josh.
Hey, next time you're up on the roof, could you please give us some perspective on how your antenna faces & then a slow 360° pan so we can see views/obstructions/mtns.
It's too bad you are so close to those big high voltage feeder lines.
Are you being smoked out at the moment from all of the fires in the area? We are getting a lot of smoke here in Tucson from CA.
Two things. I don't see the "leveling eye bolt" on your high wind kit plate. I see the hole for it but the hole is over by the bolt/nut that passes horizontally through the boom and it needs to replace the bolt/nut that passes vertically through the boom. Meaning the plate has to flip. Second observation is the vertical angle bracket, if mounted there, would not be in the center of the 40-30 loop. It would be offset. There should have been a separate saddle bracket that would boom mount right in the center of the loop for that piece to mount to. My experience thus far with the SteppIR documentation is that it is, to say the least, a challenge.
wow this is great Josh- thank you
Where is part 3, I can't find it anywhere? Great Vids by the way....
Josh, which antenna base on your roof did you use for this install?
Thanks very much and keep up the good content!
Larry
de K7HN
It’s a Glen Martin tower.
Thanks for the videos is there going to be a pt3 thanks,
Thank you very good coverage of the build. I am waiting for my urban beam to arrive, although smaller it is similar in the build. Mine will be on a 40 foot crank up mast. 73 de KM6LBW.
Did you build the tower? That's exactly what I'm looking for.
It’s a Glenn Martin roof tower.
Where is part 3 of the 3 element Steppir build? I've watched parts 1 and 2 but nowhere do I find part 3? Terry
Not up yet.
As a new general running an end fed from myantennas I'm thinking of upping my antenna game . I'm curious how this has held up and would you recommend something like this or a hexbeam ? Low maintenance and effective is what I'm after . I'm not really limited by space
I was running a Hex Beam before installing the 3 el SteppIR. I prefer the SteppIR.
Hello Josh can you tell plz what the roof mount you are useing or the name of them andrew
This is an awesome build!!! Thanks for sharing.
Oh my Gawd. Theres no way any neighbor would approve. LMAO That thing needs its own area code. Just a lovely addition to the neighborhood.
hi josh i know you done this video a while back but just want to say im putting a sirio sy27 3 elerment 10 11m yagi up tomorrow can,t wait . you remember me josh from liverpool the one who said passed his tec well foundation on may 1st and i told you it was my first field day on hamnation remember lol 73 and ill let you know how i get on with the beam
Its barely visible from the street. LOL Nice work. Looks great.
That’s a huge (area wise) antenna. I can’t wait to see it finished. OMG lol
The end of this video it’s pretty much done. Next videos will be the accessories and the control box which is awesome.
Hey Joss. Im looking at the Urban beam. How is performance at your height above ground? Mine would be similar one story. How tall is the roof mount and can you give specs and install for that? Finally what is storm/wind loading like? Any problems with the roof top mount?
Stick with a hex
Josh good job I put up a 4l with loop way back when they first came out I use dielectric grease at all wires terminal blocks. A recheck the band clamps on the boots they will appear to be loose as the rubber takes a set good luck you will enjoy it K1ZW
Steppir vs. Hex Beam. What’s your take since you have had both? Pros, cons, comparison please.
At that height...the db difference between the two is gonna be very marginal
Hi Josh
how and where do the white tubes fit ? just got the 30/40 kit and find the instructions and worried that the ends of them could damage the antenna ribbon, thanks.bob.G0WYD
That's It, I can't take it any more... We're moving out of this HOA!
;-)
So did you move?
Those small scissors look like splicing snips!
Electrician scissors.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse ...For fiber-optic work.
A wild Pliers Wrench appears.
All you need now is some engine blocks and couches on your front lawn.
After 2years of operation has any of the mechanical components of the antenna failed or giving you trouble?
No trouble so far. I will be making a follow up video soon!
How high up do you have this antenna mounted? I've only got a 32ft roof line and a half wave on 40m would be way higher than i'd be able to mount an antenna in the suburbs. Would this work ok around 35-37ft?
It would be better higher, but I don’t have that so I go with what I got. 👍
How do you check one of these type antennas on the ground? It’s a pain to put on tower check take down and repeat.
You do a controller test on the ground. If they’re all in working order you set it up. The rest of the tuning is done once it’s installed via the controller box.
I need to put my first antenna up on my roof. I'm think I'm going with a rotatable dipole Crushcraft D4 but I'm not sure on which mount to use. Will a TV eve mount work? What about mounting on the side of the house? I could do a roof mount
TV antenna tripods likely cannot handle the weight. I'm using a Glen Martin roof tower.
Couldn't steppir cut and tape the pipe for us in the dipole config? Don't understand why they would leave that to the end user...?
Josh, what are you using for tripod and rotor??
Glenn Martin tower and Yaesu rotor.
It has steppir motors in it so call it a Steppir yagi
Let me guess. "But, honey, it's for the business. It will pay for itself 100x over" 😉
I believe I wrapped it up with "Honey, we're leaving money on the table..."
Awesome, could you show how you grounded it?
There is an inline lightning arrestor. It’s in my grounding live stream.
Dude ! That thumbnail! You went full chooch !
Very full.
What kind of antenna roof mount is that
Your Stepir Link goes to a G5RV type antenna.
Where is PT3? I don't see it!
Where did you got that roof mount (mini-tower) ?
It is a Glenn Martin antenna mast.
I got a 40m dipole made from washing line 😜
Would like to know what you telescopic mast setup on you’re roof is ???
I don’t use a telescopic mast.
With the antenna at the height how do u find 40m
Josh needs an intervention 😄
Agreed.
voilà une bonne action. Installer un perchoir à oiseaux.😜
"If you build it, he will come....."
Omg what watch is that i want one.
GShock Range Master
Very impressive, I am sure that it's going to make it easier to work some great DX. Keep up the great work and I hope you have a great time with it.
At that height, you are not gonna see much difference between the new Steppir and the original hex beam
As beautiful as these antennas are,..
part of me prefers your christmas light dipole but I do understand how difficult it would be to rotate the lights. :^) 73, de- W7MAG
Thats a very stout looking roof tower
It is for a hex, not so much for the Steppir
Why aren't there any lightweight 20 meter mono band beams? I can't find any and I can't justify extra weight and cost and inneficiency of multiband beams
I assume because you could just make a lightweight beam in 20.
Mono band hex on 20
The HOA: 👀
What is the mount that attaches to the roof?
I have the same question? What tri pod are we using?
Will it work okay that low?
No difference between that and the hex beam that was there before...it's just too low
Great work Josh. Do you hire out for beer and chips....73 my friend
Sorry Josh but many of us elderly retired people can't afford many of these high priced antennas and buy and buy different radios . The stepper antennas is the highest priced antennas on the market .
No need to appologize. I know its not for everyone. Run the radio you have! The most important thing is getting on the air.
Mantep....sekali bos
part 3?
I’m work.
Thats a monstrosity of a 3 element beam.
Can't for the life of me find part 1?!
weres part 3
That ground match argument doesn't make sense, why, because the VSWR is not going to change wayyyy out of spec, if you are going to dump a ton of money into a tower and beam then run Heliax, the biggest you can get.
All those pesky SWR issues disappear with 1 and 7/8 Heliax, same with any noise. Yea still run a 1:1 current choke at both ends but a 100m or 300ft run wil be silent above ground let alone below buried.
The slight mismatch due to ground level and ground resistance ect will not worry good coax.
Different world - never be allowed to deploy such a large structure.
Be allowed by whom?
Wish I had you income & Wife but didn't get lucky enough so Divorce first then maybe I can save up for a step IR 😜
I enjoy your videos but where do I start on this one. Steppirs might work in well in temperate California but not in the Midwest. This story I share here is verified by a neighbor ham friend that has one of these mechanical monsters and totally regrets buying it. When the temp goes below zero the beryllium strip that's suppose to slide effortlessly inside those fiberglass tubes fails when the stepper motors quit. He also has to take his antenna down off his tower every so often to treat the outside of the fiberglass tubes with I think Baby oil to keep them from cracking. Finally he's replace 3 of these "miracle" control boxes that switch the direction 180 degrees. These antennas aren'y ready for prime time and probably never will be. Just buy a Mosley as the only time you take them down is when you retire moving into an HOA. This is a company that has been in business for decades and never needs to advertise as their reputation preceeds them. The power loss proported by those "losses loads" with a Mosley is BS. Also the perfect SWR story is shot down because the spacing of the elements doesn't change. Unless you like constantly tinkering with an antenna like a Fussy Ferrari, buy the Mosley as they are built for the long haul and are bullet proof in every way!
Mosley or any Yagi with traps are a compromise...full length Yagi is only way such as a JK
@@lizzyfan1986 I agree but for your typical tower stacking 5 monobanders is a tall order. I've heard guys with a 20 meter yagi and they were the strongest on the band. I believe the JK does all the bands in one antenna w/o traps. Sounds pretty cool. My story is I bought the TA-53 along with the rotor for $500 used. The beam was originally bought in 1990 and installed and taken down in 2011. Then I bought it with the rotor in 2011 and it's still up there running great. Since I spent so much on the tower I blew my budget. I thought I would go this cheap route for now and get the StepIR (my dream antenna at the time) later. Well 10 years later it's still up there and running great.
Aaaaand you forgot the grommet.
lol what grommet?
@@HamRadioCrashCourse On the control box. There should be a rubber grommet around the cable for weather proofing. If it didn't come with a grommet, check to see if there is a weather proof seal not shown in the video . If you open or install it on a humid day, tape a couple of desiccant packets to the inside to absorb moisture. Temp changes will cause moisture to condense in the box. Check it at least twice a year or after storms as water will find a way in.
And btw, do you have a video that shows your grounding for the mast?
@@HamRadioCrashCourse I design microwave systems for a teleco. I've also installed equipment on towers. So many times someone forgot to thread a cable thru a grommet first. Or left it on the ground. 😆
Woop.
I’ll take a look or make something. 👍
You have Covid-19 hair. lol
The size and complexity is giving me a panic attack
Haha brooo ur going to be able to contact aliens soon enough