3 Element Assembly Instruction Manual
Contents
1. The ability to tune the antenna to a specific frequency without regard for band width results in excellent gain and front to back at every frequency The SteppIR design was made possible by the convergence of determination and high tech materials The availability of new lightweight glass fiber composites Teflon blended thermo plastics high conductivity copper beryllium and extremely reliable stepper motors has allowed the SteppIR to be a commercially feasible product The current and future SteppIR products should produce the most potent single tower antenna systems ever seen in Amateur Radio We thank you for using our SteppIR antenna for your ham radio endeavors Warm Regards Mike Mertel Michael Mike Mertel K7IR President SteppIR Antennas 3 Element 4 SteppIR Design Currently most multi band antennas use traps log cells or interlaced elements as a means to cover sev eral frequency bands All of these methods have one thing in common they significantly compromise performance The SteppIR antenna system is our answer to the problem Yagi antennas must be made a specific length to operate optimally on a given frequency So instead of trying to trick the antenna into thinking it 1s a different length or simply adding more elements that may destructively interact why not just change the antenna length Optimal perform ance is then possible on all frequencies with a lightweight compact antenna Also sin2. 0003 Silicone Tape 20 Roll 1 09 0004 Silicone Tape 10 Roll 2 60 0003 ff 3 4 U Bolt amp Saddle 60 0004 02 2 U Bolt amp Saddle 4 Long Reach 3 60 0062 1 4 20 x 2 3 4 SS Bolt 3 60 0030 1 4 20 SS Nylok Nut 8 60 0046 6 16 18 SS Nylok Nut 15 60 0041 14 SS Flat Washer La 1 0 32 x 7 8 SS Panhead Screw 1 0 32 x 3 4 SS Panhead Screw 10 SS Washer 138 60 0019 10 32 SS Nylok Nuts CE l 2 09 0001 SteppIR Antennas 3 Element Assemble the Boom amp Connect to Mast Plate The 3 element SteppIR Yagi boom consists of four sections shown in Figure 3 The element mounting brackets are pre installed at the factory We double check the fasteners for proper tightness before shipping but it is always a good idea to check them yourself before installing the antenna The boom is completely assembled and drilled at the factory to assure precision element alignment You may notice in some cases that on a given splice Figure 5 the holes on each side of the splice are at 90 de grees with each other This is as designed and not a mistake Pre drilled holes are quite snug to align al most perfectly In some cases you may find it necessary to assist the bolts with a tap of a hammer or thread them in by turning with a wrench If the holes are visibly out of alignment when you are assem bling the boom you probably have the boom pieces put together in the wrong order Each piece of the
3. boom has a number permanently written scribed or stamped on it Figure 5 Match each number with the exact same number of a corresponding boom piece Figure 13 shows how each boom section is numbered Connect the boom by sliding the respective sections together and align the pre drilled holes Figure 7 and 9 It is advisable to apply a very thin film of connector protector Figure 1 supplied or spray a small amount of WD 40 on the male sleeve before sliding the female section onto it Do not twist the aluminum excessively as this can cause binding Note Put a small amount of connector protector supplied or anti seize grease on all bolts 1 4 or larger especially on the u bolts it greatly increases their gripping power Anti seize grease molybdenum based is available at most auto part stores Note The boom bolts need to have a total of 5 flat washers on each bolt to prevent the nut from bottoming out at the end of the threads before it is tight Insert the included bolts into the pre drilled holes and tighten the Nylok nut securely Figure 11 Note Make sure the boom bolts for the center splice 2 are installed as shown in Figure 19 if you install them the opposite way the bolt will interfere with the mast plate SteppIR Antennas 3 Element 3 Element Yagi Spacing and Installation Layout not to scale Figure 13 Boom Mast Plate Optional 6m Passive 2 in Lon J Most 40m 30
4. Antenna System ss ALI E MAD le LA MA AU Patent 6 677 914 3 Element Yagi Instruction Manual Antarctica at 75 mph SteppIR Antennas 2112 116th Ave NE Suite 2 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Tel 425 453 1910 Fax 425 462 4415 Tech Support 425 891 6134 www steppir com Rev N _ 10 17 07 SteppIR Antennas 3 Element Abbreviations EHT Element Housing Tube EHU Element Housing Unit EST Element Support Tube pole FCC Flexible Connection Coupler rubber FCC EST SteppIR Antenna Information Web Sites as of 4 09 07 http steppir com http groups yahoo com group steppir SteppIR Antennas 3 Element SteppIR Why Compromise The SteppIR antenna was originally conceived to solve the problem of covering the six ham bands 20m 17m 15m 12m 10m and 6m on one tower without the performance sacrifices caused by interaction between all of the required antennas Yagis are available that cover 20 meters through 10 meters by using interlaced elements or traps or log periodic techniques but do so at the expense of significant performance reduction in gain and front to back ratios With the addition of the WARC bands on 17m and 12m the use of interlaced elements and traps has clearly been an exercise in diminishing returns Obviously an antenna that is precisely adjustable in length while in the air would solve the fre quency problem and in addition would have vasily improved performance over existing fixed length yagis
5. ce the SteppIR can control the element lengths a long boom is not needed to achieve near optimum gain and front to back ratios on 20 10 meters Each antenna element consists of two spools of flat copper beryllium tape conductor 54 Wide x 008 Thick mounted in the element housing unit The copper beryllium tape is perforated to allow a stepper motor to drive them simultaneously with sprockets Stepper motors are well known for their ability to index very accurately thus giving very precise control of each element length In addition the motors are brushless and provide extremely long service life Copper Beryllium Tape The copper beryllium tape is driven out into a hollow fiberglass elements support tube see below forming an element of any desired length up to the limit of each specific antenna model a vertical uses only one side The fiberglass elements support tubes poles are telescoping lightweight and very du rable When fully collapsed each one measures approximately 57 in length Depending on the model there may be additional extensions added to increase the overall element length The ability to completely retract the copper beryllium antenna elements coupled with the collapsible fiberglass poles makes the entire system easy to disassemble and transport The antenna is connected to a microprocessor based controller via 22 gauge conductor cable that offers numerous functions including dedicated buttons for eac
6. e works DO BE CAREFUL Warning Make sure to remove the black rubber plug from the base section of each of the telescop ing element support tubes poles This is a shipping plug for handling convenience and will seriously damage the copper beryllium strips and drive mechanisms 1f not removed Check all four sections of each pole for packing popcorn or any other foreign object that could interfere with the copper tape movement There are foam plugs glued in the small end of each of the dark green telescoping poles These plugs allow the poles to breathe preventing the buildup of condensation inside Do NOT remove block cover plug cap or in any way inhibit air flow through this foam plug filter 4 k ia x w va i then m ee on Note The telescoping element support tubes will not all be the same length this 1s not a problem as long as they are a minimum of 17 8 They are interchangeable and can be used in any nor mal element position Next wrap each joint on the fiberglass poles with the all weather elec trical tape see Figure 25 Each joint should have at least the full width of the tape on both sides of the joint Use common sense on the amount of tape or you will not have enough of the silicon tape used later to cover the electrical tape Exception On joints with metal reinforcing rings Figure 26 5 the tape must go further so it extends a minimum of 3 4 be yond the metal ring and onto the fiberglass po
7. ents mixed up on the terminal block you will get very confusing results such as high SWR low performance etc Mark the cables coming from each element box with colored electrical tape or a felt pen Mark them before you tape them along the boom it is very easy to get two parallel wires mixed up Now when you are on the tower it will be easy to identify each element control cable posi tively Tape to boom approximately from coax connection Rotor Loop Control cable and coax taped together Suggested Coax Routing Figure 41 SteppIR Antennas 3 Element Prepare the Telescoping Fiberglass Element Support Tubes Note If you have ordered the optional 40m 30m Dipole Kit you also need to refer to the sec tion on preparing the poles ESTs in that specific manual The 4 special poles for this option have some differences from the standard poles Locate e Six dark green fiberglass telescoping poles Figure 24 e Six black rubber boots with clamps e Roll s of black electrical tape e Roll s of black silicone self curing tape e Your tape measure Normal W Optional 40 30 Dipole Kit 3 Element 6 poles 4 Normal amp 4 Special 8 total The quantity of tape provided will depend on the number of elements Note The reinforcing rings sections on the first two pole sections provide extra strength in potential high wind conditions Figure 26 5 The green fiberglass poles are all assembled in the same mann
8. er and when extended become element support tubes ESTs for the flat strip copper beryllium elements themselves The copper beryllium strips are shipped retracted inside their respective element housing units EHUs Repeat the following procedure for each telescoping pole Telescope a pole to full length by pulling each section out firmly in a twisting motion until it is extended as far as possi ble Each segment is tapered and should lock securely in place when fully extended Pole lengths may vary but when fully extended each pole must be at least 17 feet 8 inches in length as measured from the butt end of the pole to the tip Figure 24 Verify the length for each pole before installa tion or wrapping the joints If a pole comes up a little short 1 2 to 17 try collapsing the pole and starting over this time aggressively jerk each sec tion out instead of twisting The pole cannot be damaged and you may gain a minimum of 1 2 or more If you have trouble collapsing the pole try carefully striking one end onapiece of wood or other similar surface placed on the ground ae SteppIR Antennas 3 Element At the factory when we quality check the poles to verify that they meet minimum length we hold the butt large end and whip it like we were casting a fishing pole with considerable force This procedure can produce a significant difference in the extended length of some poles as a last resort if nothing els
9. h ham band continuous frequency selection from 80m to 6m depending on the model There are also 17 ham and 6 non ham band memories and you can select a 180 direction reversal or bi directional mode and it will adjust in just about 3 seconds yagi only Element Support Tube Copper Beryllium Tape Stepper Drive Motor E Element Housing Unit SteppIR Antennas 3 Element Table of Contents 3 SteppIR Why Compromise SteppIR Design Table of Contents Parts List wa Boom Assembly a Element Spacing and Position Drawing 8 Connecting Control Cable a KA 6 Meter Passive Element Installation optional SteppIR Options Semos Ns SteppIR Warranty PARTS LIST ITEM QTY PART DESCRIPTION Bo nsetonMana EN NA peras Mana a keni p es ven tement Rousing 2 Passive Element Housing D E Wasita NAN T5013 Telescoping Poe 18 Foot 4 Segmen Foogy H osor ek Disconnect 1 5 to 1 25 Fernco Tonio Cate 2conductoy ee SteppIR Antennas 3 Element 6 PARTS LIST ITEM QTY PART DESCRIPTION WB Connector Kit 1 10 1102 21 1 1 2 x7 PVC Tube Terminal Enclosure 1 60 1009 01 ABS Plug End Cap for Terminal Enclosure 1 60 6000 35 8 Hose Clamp 1 20 6020 12 12 Position Terminal Strip 1 20 6020 01 1 Position Terminal Strip 1 10 1029 01 Connector Protector Blue Packet Hardware BAG 1 2 09 0001 Electrical Tape 3 4 x 66 Roll 1 09
10. le Figure 26 5 Apply one complete wrap of electrical tape around the fiberglass tube as you begin and then work your way across the joint and back using half overlap wraps so that the entire area is seamlessly cov ered Carefully stretch and smooth the tape with your fingers as you apply it especially when you change directions this will help avoid ripples and have the tape lie as smoothly as possible At the end of the run cut the tape with a knife or scissors and press the end onto the pole Then run your hand over the tape a couple of times to firm up the bonding SteppIR Antennas 3 Element Recommended Lengths for Silicone Tape Wrapping A 18 in 46 cm eee a Es in Al cm A B C C Ilin 28cm Drawing 6 Next you will weatherproof and UV protect each joint with the black self curing silicone tape see Fig ure 26 It is important that you pre cut the silicone tape to the recommended lengths If you do so you will have more than enough for each joint Refer to Drawing 6 for proper lengths for each joint In the event you require more silicone wrap you can order more from SteppIR Sometimes it can be found at a hardware store or a marine supply store IMPORTANT Per the manufactures specifications the silicone tape has a shelf life of 12 months before it is used and should be stored in a cool dry environment Silicone tape will not stick to just any surface It only bonds to itself Be sure to remove all the connector
11. ll be at the other Slide the cables and terminal strips into the provided plastic enclosure Figure 37 position the cutout in the threaded cap over the cables and screw the enclosure onto the cap Figure 35 SteppIR Antennas 3 Element Attach the wiring enclosure and control cable to the boom or mast Position the plastic enclosure in a convenient position on the boom or mast making sure that the cut out in the cap is facing downward Figure 39 We do not seal the enclosure so that in the event there is water accumulation inside the enclosure from condensation it will be able to escape Fasten the en closure to the boom using the screw clamp taking care to not trap the cables in between Secure the cables to the boom every foot or so The terminal housing mounting location is not critical It can be mounted on the boom or even vertical on the mast what ever works best for your installation Note Be careful NOT to tape the cables over a sharp edge unless you provide extra protection to pre vent eventually cutting through the sheath and shorting the wires Warning We strongly recommend that you perform the Test Motor procedure at this point to verify the wiring is correct and the elements are in the right location ref to the Operators Manual If you are not going to connect the control cable and test it on the ground make sure you have the element control cables positively identified and well marked If you get the elem
12. m Return Mounting Bracket 2 2 Splice 31 in From center of driven element to center of 6m passive element 89 5 In Director Driven Reflector Note Element spacing is measured from element center line to element center line in all cases not from the brackets or element housing units SteppIR Antennas 3 Element 9 Connect the Boom to the Mounting Plate The mast plate has a total of ten 8 pre drilled holes Four are used for the 2 stainless steel mast clamps and four more are used for the 1 3 4 stainless steel boom clamps If you are going to use a temporary mast during assembly connect the mast plate to the mast using the included 2 stainless steel U Bolts with saddles and Nylok nuts as shown in Figure 17 Tighten securely Note If you are doing this on the tower it is advisable to test each U bolt for a proper fit and bend if necessary to ensure ease of assembly on the tower Connect the boom to the mounting plate on the opposite side of the mast Figure 17 and 19 using the 1 3 4 U bolts saddles and nuts Align the boom so that the element brackets are level then tighten securely The center balance point of the boom is at splice 2 as shown in Figure 19 There will be a bolt on each side of the splice make sure that the nut end of the horizontal bolt is facing away from the mast plate Figure 19 Otherwise you will not be able to secure the boom snugly to the boom clamps To ensure a bala
13. ment bracket be sure to re tighten the two horizontal bolts The housings without the coax connector are the director and reflector they are identical and inter changeable the one with the coax connector is the driven element the balun is on the inside of this housing The reflector and director should be positioned so the actual fiberglass element is furthest away from the driven element Figure 23 amp 41 The driven element should be positioned so that the element is closest to the mast plate Figure 25 amp 41 Fasten each element housing to the element bracket using eight 10 32 x 7 8 screws flat washers and Nylok nuts The flat washer needs to be placed between the screw head and the plastic element housing Tighten securely but not too tight if you over tighten the nut you may split the plastic flange on the element housing The olive green element housing tube EHT Figure 21 on each antenna housing will appear uneven in length it is actually centered on the inside of the antenna housing Note The reflector element and the driven element will have the EHT offset tube lined up so that the short side and long side of the each EHT are facing in the same directions The director element EHT configuration will be the opposite This is normal SteppIR Antennas 3 Element Connect the wiring and secure to boom WARNING Make sure the 25 pin sub D connector is not connected to the controller if the DC power supply is ene
14. mounts between the driven element and the director the elements that are approximately 89 apart The center of the 6m element should be 31 from the center of the driven element see Figure 13 Fasten securely to the boom using the 304 SS U bolt saddle and hardware Make certain that you have the 6 meter passive element level with the other elements Warning When attaching the 6m passive to the boom be careful not to trap the element control cable under the U bolts When you are using the 6 meter band keep the antenna in the forward direction and rotate accordingly Optimum performance will be from 50 000 MHz to 50 500 MHz The 180 degree mode is exactly the same as the forward mode since we have no choice when the aluminum passives are used however the Bi Directional mode works to the same degree by directly reducing the front to back ratio Figure 59 SteppIR Antennas 3 Element SteppIR Options e 40m 30m Dipole loop e Y Cable e Transceiver Interface Rig Specific e 6m Passive Element Kit SteppIR Antennas 3 Element e Voltage Suppressor amp RF Bypass Unit 12 Conductor e Element Expansion Kit 3 Element to 4 Element SteppIR Antennas 3 Element IM Stepp Antenna ystems www steppir com Limited Warranty These products have a limited warranty against manufacturer s defects in materials or con struction for two 2 years from date of sale Do not modify this product o
15. nced weight load the center of the mast plate should be reasonably close to the center balance point of the boom Determining the direction of the antenna The SteppIR Yagi has three directions in which it can be used Normal 180 degree and bi directional This can make it complicated to describe the actual aiming direction of the antenna When you are installing the Yagi you will want to position the antenna so that the normal direction coincides with your rotor heading When you are in normal direction the forward or aiming element is a director and the element behind the driven is a reflector In the normal direction the director is the element that is closest to the driven element 89 50 between the two In the 180 degree mode we swap the reflector and director positions by changing their respective lengths However we do not simply swap the actual element lengths we create a new antenna based on the new element spacing So you will always have an optimized antenna SteppIR Antennas 3 Element Attach the antenna housing to the element to boom bracket Place the flat side of the element housing unit EHU on top of the element boom brackets Figure 21 Note If the mounting holes for the element housing do not line up with the holes in the element bracket it may be necessary to loosen the two horizontal bolts that hold the element bracket to the boom After mounting the element housing to the ele
16. ng 4 It is imperative that the stainless steel hose clamp be located so that the clamp on the outside of the rubber boot on the EHU side of the connection is completely PAST the aluminum reinforcing ring This ensures that the hose clamp can grip onto the fiberglass and the ring will prevent the rubber boot from ever coming off e Firmly tighten both stainless steel hose clamps one over the EHT and the other over the EST Then test the connection by pulling and twisting it There should be no slippage at the joints NOTE You should re tighten each clamp a second time at least 30 minutes after the first time you tightened them before raising the antenna to the tower to be sure that there has been no cold flowing of the PVC material on the rubber boot SteppIR Antennas 3 Element Optional 6 Meter Passive Element Each 6 meter passive element comes in 3 pieces The main body with a 1 2 x 58 element section at tached to it and two 3 8 element sections Figure 59 The overall length of the element is approxi mately 112 when assembled Use a small amount of the included Teflon connector protector solution when connecting the two sections of tubing Slide in the short ends of the 3 8 tubing the end that has the least amount of dis tance from the edge of the tubing to the drilled hole and align the holes Install the 6 32x3 4 ma chine screws and Nylok nuts and tighten securely The six meter aluminum element
17. protector residue from your hands before handling silicone tape as that residue will cause the silicone wrap not to adhere to itself in places Take care to keep the silicone wrap free of dirt or debris Also this tape MUST be cut Do not tear it Wash your hands before completing the following steps Position the black silicone tape about 1 2 to the right of the black electrical tape and wrap one layer continually stretching the silicone tape a minimum of 100 its original length completely around the pole so the tape fully overlaps itself Then slowly wrap the silicone tape to the left using half overlap wraps extending about 1 2 beyond the black electrical tape When you reach the end wrap one layer completely around the pole so the tape fully overlaps itself just as you did at the beginning of the wrap If you are stretching the tape correctly you will get about two layers of tape at each joint As before carefully stretch and lay the tape down as smooth as possible The final joint should look like Figure 26 Important After the silicone tape has been applied be sure to rub each wrap with your hand several times to ensure that it is flat and has adhered to itself SteppIR Antennas 3 Element Attach the Fiberglass Element Support Tubes to the Element Housing Units The butt ends of the green fiberglass poles may vary slightly in outside diameter Some of them may have been sanded while others were not The colors at the ends
18. r change physical construction without the written permission of SteppIR Antennas Inc This limited warranty is automatically void if improper selection instal lation unauthorized modifications or physical abuse beyond the manufacturer s control has occurred Manufacturer s responsibility is Strictly limited to repair or replacement of de fective components The manufacturer assumes no further liability Thank you for choosing steppik p 2 a ha a oe i p gig a en F i i a MA a P 7 La 7 a A B a 5 E 40m 30m Dipole Option Antenna Systems www steppir com
19. r protector pouch Connect each wire of the 4 conductor ca ble to it s respective location on the 12 position terminal strip Figure 31 and Figure 33 You will need to repeat this on the opposite side of the terminal strip for the 12 conductor cable as well Each cable all 3 of the four conductor cables and the 12 conductor cable will have a silver wire which is the ground You will need to connect all three element ground wires to one side of the single terminal strip and the 12 conductor cable ground wire to the other side Figure 31 Figure 33 HK OR tae Waste eed S Figure 27 SteppIR Antennas 3 Element To Antenna TERMINAL BLOCK BLACK BLACK BROWN ORANGE BLACK YELLOW GREEN BLUE VIOLET BLACK GREY WHITE GREEN Male 25 Pin Dsub SIIN Ziolo NIDN To Controller Drain Wires from Shield drain wire Each Element TERMINAL BLOCK 2 12 Conductor Cable 3 Element to Controller eT Warning Look carefully at the order of the elements on the terminal block They are not intui tively laid out as they appear on the boom we did it to make the 2 Element wires consecutive R DRIVEN Figure 33 DIRECTOR REFLECTOR TO CONTROLLER IN SHACK When the connections have been secured you will want to position the cables so that they are parallel with the 12 position terminal strip Figure 35 The 12 conductor cable will be at one side and the 3 four conductor cables wi
20. rgized and plugged into the controller There is voltage present on the con trol cable wires even when the power button on the controller has been pushed to off Shorting the control wires with power on them will destroy the driver chips Either un plug the power supply or disconnect the 25 pin sub D connector before making any connections or cutting or splicing the cable Note If you have more than 200 of control cable you must use our optional 33 VDC power supply This will then allow up to 500 of control cable with no problems Be sure to connect the controller case to your station ground using the 8 32 lug on the back of the controller This is important for RFI immunity as well as lightning protection If you are in a high lightning area take the appropriate precautions the controller can be damaged by lightning it is beyond the scope of this manual to cover all of the complexities of lightning protection see some of the ARRL publications that address this The surest protection is to disconnect the 25 pin sub D connector and power supply then move them well away from the controller Each antenna housing will have an installed 4 conductor cable attached to it using a waterproof strain relief fitting Figure 27 There will be a 12 position terminal strip included with the antenna and a single position terminal strip for the ground connections as shown in Figure 29 and 33 First dip each bare wire into the provided blue connecto
21. will be either natural or black The difference in colors has no affect on performance Do not be concerned if they vary slightly in tight ness when being installed on the EHUs This is normal All poles are tested at the factory prior to shipping however in the event the pole just won t fit sanding it 1s okay The EHTs on the EHUs have aluminum reinforcing rings attached to provide extra strength in high wind conditions Figure 51 Locate the six rubber boots and repeat the following procedure for each of the six fiberglass poles e Place the narrow end of a rubber boot onto the butt end of an EST Slide it about 6 out onto the EST Figure 53 lt Ni Figure 57 1 i f a8 J d jal ti r p d a f A a al Lp 1 L s J a esi a Ae a in a 4 4 k alee 5 PEH i JPI ir E l z 1 n rr 1 a is ane a i ut ie iy r i a h a r be e 4 Figure 51 sah if Figure 53 ed Figure 55 4 e Insert the butt end of that EST into one of the EHT on an EHU as shown in Figure 55 It is very important to ensure that the butt end of the EST firmly bottoms out inside the EHT Make sure the EST is seated all the way into the EHT Then push the rubber boot firmly onto the EHT until the hose clamp is past the aluminum ring and will clamp down onto the fiberglass EST The correct mounting position of the rubber boot is shown in Figure 57 Note that current production antennas now have a narrower aluminum ri
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