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Reviews For: SteppIR Fluidmotion 6-20mtr Yagi

Category: Antennas: HF: Yagi, Quad, Rotary dipole, LPDA

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Review Summary For : SteppIR Fluidmotion 6-20mtr Yagi
Reviews: 117MSRP: 1099
Description:
Remotely ajustable 6-20 mtr continuosly...available as Dipole-2 elements or 3 elements Yagi.Copper tape length inside fiberglass tubing controlled by stepper motors. 1500W rated!
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.steppir.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
22.51174.6
W3ACO Rating: 2006-10-26
Works Great !! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have it up on a 55 ft tower now about 6 months. I can work everyone I can hear on 20M, 17M and 15M, mostly with just a single call !. I put out only 600 watts so I am not a big gun.
Construction: Some of the holes for mounting the stepper motor housings didn't line up right so I drilled matching holes at several locations. Otherwise everything went together well. I had problems with the controller tuning the elements, but Mike sent me a new controller and everything works just fine. VSWR is less than 1.3 EVERYWHERE I operate! 3 second reversal of the beam with just pushing a button works great. Overall a 5.0, service support is excellent and the antenna works great. Just my $.02 worth.
KG4LRU Rating: 2006-10-13
Great ADD on for 40 meters Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the 3 element IR almost 4 years ago. Just completed the 30/40 add on to the yagi.I wasn't expecting big improvement over my loop. But I am hear to tell you what great add on. I had it now 4 weeks highest swr on 40 is 1.23 with the antenna up at 65 feet and the dipole able to be turned really improvement my DX capability Now the antenna does 6-40 meters . It just doesn't get better than this my first contact on 40 was Denmark. 5/9 plus 10 report. I had 90 MPH one lighting hit 1 1/2 of Ice . No damage I run this on a lite duty tower. get one with the new expanded 40 meter freq this is going to the hot set-up That us cramped for space guys can have. Jim and Mike can we get 80 meter Hi HI Support is still best in the industry. You can not go wrong with this antenna . Fluid motion has made sure their older antennas can be upgraded to newest design. Who else does this? Very satisfied Customer!
N4MWY Rating: 2006-09-07
works great Time Owned: N.A.
It takes some getting used to but it works great.

I have the 3 element beam with the 6 meter passive element. With this, 6 meters, 10 meters, 12 meters, 15 meters, 17 meters and 20 meters can be worked. It is an expensive antenna, but you get six bands without any traps.

n4mwy
MW0CRI Rating: 2006-09-06
fantastic!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
after much consideration and reading i finally opted for the steppir, and what a choice!!.since gaining my licence back in 1999 i've only had various mini beams up at this qth ok they worked fine thru sunspot max but thought i neede something a little better.so some hard saving and grovelling to the xyl,in went the order. 2 ele was my choice due to lack of space and neighbour considerations.
only 1 problem during construction..motor housing units
not lining up properly just slightly of center.after a bit of twisting finally got it secure.so got it up on top of a 45ft tennamast set everything up and away to go.
17mtr and 20 mtr have been my main bands that i have used it on as everything else is dead.what a joy to be able to work everything i hear! and first day had a pile up from ja on 17mtrs.used in russian rtty test as single band 20 mtr lp (75wts) entry.188 qso's in 4.5 hrs all continents.and tower was on 17ft up due to high winds.anyway i'll finish with, reckon i made the right choice we'll see what winter brings and can't wait till the sun god awakes!if want to see the antenna up a photo is on my qrz.com page.73s to all cu on the bands
LU1HQV Rating: 2006-08-17
Review in two steps.. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Ok.. I want do this in two step..
A).- Construction: I had a lot of problem whit construction, basically when tried to assemble boom.. nothing go well whit nothing!!! No match in any hole... I tried for two days before figure out I need to re-do all holes.. grrrr!!!
After that.. motors.. again same problem.. no match.. humm.. my mistake??.. one week after.. again.. redo a little each holes (was little and didn't match..)
At this time I feel like "why I don't bough a optibeam??"...
Finally after more a month I raised my steppir...
First contact, N3NRE, spain, S9 firm (well this thing work..) Second contact.. LU3AFC, Argentina (definitally this thing work..) Last contact... Italy... on 17 mts...
ROE 1:1 to 1:3 max all band.. sometime a little adjust and all go to 1:1 withound any problem...
B).- second part... Will buy steppir again?? I don't know... This is my second steppir and work incredible well but experience in construction not was very well and smooth..
Sugestion: First, definitelly you need some help to raise (antenna is heavy) and take a look at Manfred video (very helpfull.. thanks you!!) and check and recheck two times if holes fits.
End: Antenna work very well, I don't think have better antenna right now out there in three elements but construction are a little difficult.
K0XB Rating: 2006-08-16
Excellent product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I put up a 3-element SteppIR Yagi recently, replacing a KT-34A, and I have to agree with everyone else that this is an excellent product. It goes together quickly and easily, and it works just like the book says it should. I like it a lot.

My only criticism so far is the 12-conductor cable seems somewhat flimsy. If I were to do it again, I would order the 16-conductor cable, because it seems to be much more rugged.
KY6R Rating: 2006-07-06
YOWZA! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I now have a 2 element SteppIR yagi to compliment my BigIR vertical. I have built every wire antenna and used many competitors aluminum antennas (with a tuner to get them to work WARC bands, etc), but NOTHING comes close to the FluidMotion SteppIR antennas.

I have the black powder coated boom - and its amazing how "stealth" my antennas are. They just meld into the trees on my .33 acre lot. Luckily no CC&R's or HOA's here - but still - no complaining neighbors either.

Mounted on a Force-12 LPT-1242 crank up, and just rocks!
KB9WL Rating: 2006-06-09
great antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
well, what's left to say - Fluidmotion has a clear winner. My 3ele has been up two days and my results could have been written by Fluidmotions's marketing department --- on first cq I worked Puerto Rico, second contact was Tasmania, third contact Adelaide Australia (all on 20m).

The mechanics of the antenna seem fine, the assembly was simple, and operation is a snap. I used a ten foot jib temporaily affixed to the mast to hoist the boom using a two-point lift. I had a pulley on the extreme end of the jib and a pulley about 2 feet from the mast. Prior to the lift, I installed one set of tubes on the bottom. The hoist was done to deliver the other end of the boom to the top plate of the tower, keeping the boom about 30 degreees off-level. Once the high boom end got to the top of the tower, I pulled it up shoved enough of the boom past the mast, lashed it to the mast, and installed the tubes. Then, we pulled the boom sorta level and I muscled the boom/mast plate to the mast and installed the u-bolts. The remaining tasks were easy. This method let me clear all the guys and stay clear of the other antennas on the mast. (don't try this unless you are experienced at rigging). I did lightly sand some of the boom tube ends to guarantee a smooth fit because I was a little worried about the arm and shoulder strengh required to insert the tubes into the motor units while dangling around on top of the tower. A smooth fit really helped.

My only other concern was the effect that the 3ele stepper would have on my long john 6m antenna -- not to worry - not affect that I can detect.

This is a great antenna -- it works quite well -- wish I could think up good things to say that have not already been said!

About the only nit to pick - it is a little difficult to put the coax seal on the cable connection -- you can just use several short pieces and mold it with your fingers.
7Z1UG Rating: 2006-05-13
More than Great !! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Finally - after a waiting time of totally 4 1/2 months ( 3 months delivery and 6 weeks in the local customs) I was able to put the 3-el SteppIR (with the additional 6m element) on the roof. Assembly was easy - despite 2 screw-holes which were drilled 90 degrees wrong according to the manual. But that was no problem at all. On all bands the SWR is 1 : 1.0 or 1 : 1.1 over the whole bands. Only on 20m I had a slight lower SWR due to the metal components on my roof (4 SAT dishes, a big watertank and some A/C chillers). The whole assembly was a piece of cake.
After we finished the work we tried and the first QSO took place with a station in Costa Rica (TI2..). His comment: " Wowww Manfred what have you done, you are 59+25!!" This comment made my day. Ever since all reports are amazing and I am pretty sure that I could work the DXCC within one week ! I produce regular pile-ups whenever I call CQ. Queues in other pile-ups are history. Mostly I get in with one call only.

We made a short video during the installation. Elias (HZ1EJ) was the camera man but he had no experience in taking videos. So a bit too much zooming etc.... But anyway it might be funny to watch it.

You will find 2 versions:

1.) 150 kbit/s version:
http://www.manfred-dk2ug.com/Videos/Steppir/steppir-movie150.wmv

2.) 340 kbit/s Version:
http://www.manfred-dk2ug.com/Videos/Steppir/steppir-movie340.wmv

3.) An animated photoshow:

http://www.manfred-dk2ug.com/FotoStories/steppir-low.wmv

Have fun with your SteppIRs.

73,
Manfred / 7Z1UG (DK2UG)
Riyadh KSA
www.manfred-dk2ug.com
manniko@hotmail.com




K0JW Rating: 2006-05-09
Superb!! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Well, I got the 3 element up in the air a couple of weeks ago, the assembly is very easy and straight forward and the whole antenna weighs only about 45 pounds. I have this mounted on a Universal free-standing tower at 40 feet, and the performance is absolutely superb. Feels good to be heard quickly in the pile-ups and I am only using 200 watts, no linear needed. Let the fun begin, this is all it is cracked up to be!