| W2PD |
Rating:      |
2013-03-26 | |
| terrific antenna |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I live in an antenna restricted neighborhood and was looking for the most inconspicuous antenna that would still allow me to work some DX. Eighteen months ago I chose the Steppir BigIR and have been quite pleased with it. I put down about 50 radials (25 to 33 ft) and covered the base unit with a “resin rock” from Home Depot. The antenna is in my backyard and virtually invisible from the street. In spite of being surrounded by trees the antenna works very well; it follows the frequency of my K3 and KPA500 perfectly and will not allow transmission until the antenna stops tuning (make sure that you get both options on the controller). My SWR is always 1:1 and I can easily work 12 and 17 meters along with the more traditional bands. With very casual operating (I work full time plus) I have over 100 counties confirmed.
A few weeks ago my control cable shorted and the controller stopped working. Jim Streible (K4DLI), provides technical support for Steppir and was the perfect “Elmer”. After asking me to make a series of resistance and voltage measurements he figured out the problem. After having me replace 2 resistors and a chip I was back on the air. With any other company I suspect I would have had to send the controller back to the factory.
Yes, the antenna is more complex and expensive than most but the advantages; including superb after-market support, make it a wise purchase for those that cannot put up a tower and beam. |
|
| K7ER |
Rating:      |
2013-03-20 | |
| BigIr Rocks!! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
On 2-8-13 I decided to order a Steppir BigIr Vertical, made the call talked with Bart. I gave him my info and what my goal was and placed the order. Bart called me on 2-22-13 and said the BigIr was ready to ship! I was like YESSSS!. I got the antenna in 3 days after, very pleased with the service.
I am not going to go into all the parts detail, I do not need to explain the whole manual either.
I checked all the boxes did an inventory of all the items: Antenna, 80m coil, controller, controller wire, Icom interface cable, balun & instructions . All was complete. A few days went by I put the entire antenna together without a hitch.
I mounted the antenna on the aluminum pipe and slid it into my existing pipe I already had cemented In the ground. Fished the two control cable thru my 1 ½” buried pvc conduit attached the cables to the EHU and the coil . I then attached the 80m coil to my DX engineering plate with a pc of copper stip 4” wide from 4 bolts on the plate to the 80m coil unit. My extensive radial field consists of the DX engineering radial plate and 106 radials ranging for 16’ up to 66’ in a semi rectangular pattern.
I wired the controller connector to the two cables plugged it into the controller. Plugged the Icom cable to my 756P3, plugged it into the wall and off I went. I first made sure that the controller new it was hooked to the Icom, set the baud rate then did a calibration. The controller dose a great job of following the frequency.
All the bands have a great swr 1.5 or better most were flat. At first 80 was off the chart! But the realized that I had to reconfigure the set points that were defaulted with the eznac program that Steppir used to set up the parameters. These points are generic and must be tailored due to your installation, ie surroundings, proximity to structure, ground conductivity , metallic objects, etc etc.
I have only used it for a week or so. I have noticed quite a difference between my 43’ vertical mostly 20 meters on up, the ¾ wave setting seems to work great. My 43’ vertical worked real well on 75/80 and 40m, but I had to use a tuner and I know I was losing something with the tuner and a non resonate antenna. The tuner was in the shack and the only tuner that I could find that would work at the base of the antenna would be the new MFJ remote tuner, but the review was not good. So the answer was the BigIr. My elmer said the the best antenna is a resonate antenna and so far I am impressed. I did make a few calls to Jim with tech support and I have to say the Jim was great and answered all my questions. The customer support is amazing.
I did work a few quite a few DX stations on 20 mostly South America and some ZL & VK’s when I was testing. All was good with even a huge solar flare.
I will up date my review as time passes when I have more experience with the BigIr.
73
Jerry
K7ER Nevada
PS. Special thanks to Joe N6MM for providing me all the wire for my radial field wire and Pete WB6DOQ for Elmering me all these years and Eric AK6Y for all the support |
|
| Done |
Rating:      |
2012-09-25 | |
| Great Antenna |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
After a few weeks with this vertical I am very impressed with it, smooth tuning up and down the bands. With the transciever interface the SteppIR follows the VFO nicely.
Added the 80 meter coil option and it works. No problems getting out to europe with a few trys and Alaska which I have never heard with the G5RV. Running only 24 radials initially- will be adding more- no joy here with burying radials in the hot summer- but well worth it.
Fine tuning the swr with the controller depending on your enviromental conditions is what sets this antenna above all others. Expensive - yes. The manual is currently being updated, the current one is slightly difficult to sort through. Customer service is great, quick responses for questions. SteppIR has a nice product here...
I will buy another when this one dies. |
|
| W4MAY |
Rating:   |
2012-06-03 | |
| Two owned two dead |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have owned STEPPIR products since 2005. My first BIGIR died died after 4 years. Water intrusion and corrosion caused a significant amount of damage. The unit was so far gone not even a new EHU would not have helped. The fiberglass poles were so corroded that the thing was a total loss. Mike at STEPPIR gave me a 10% discount and I ordered another one (a MK III).
This one lasted 3 years. After three years -- the base of the EHU cracked and came down in a 35 MPH wind. The antenna has always been guyed. Note STEPPIR now has modification that strengthens this area. Too late for me.
So words of advice. Live in a high rain/wind and UV area STAY AWAY from this product. The long term survivability is questionable.
Note -- I have 2 element STEPPIR up since 2006 with no issues. That product I love. |
|
| VE6SQ |
Rating:      |
2012-05-06 | |
| I love it! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Well,
some time has passed since I first reviewed my BigIr
I have been less than happy with the sun (but then who hasn't!). In spite of that, My DXCC count is now sitting at 112 countries (and I seldom hunt for DX) and I have WAS on 20. 49 on 40 & 15, 45 on 80 and 42 on 10. Still 3 QSOs away from the triple play - but that will come soon. I have been very happy with it's performance in the various contests - having racked up more than 8000 QSOs since my first report. It certainly is not in the same league as a beam, but I am more than happy with it - now if only the sun would just behave itself!!
Villy ve6sq
A 160 option would be interesting as well - I would give up the 60m tape for a chunk of 160!
----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by VE6SQ on 2011-03-11
When I decided to get back in the game after a hiatus of over 10 years (actually more like 35+ yrs on hf) I pulled a 15/20/40m inverted vee up into a birch tree in the back yard. It worked - and the the swr was acceptable over most of the bands. It also barely fit in the yard - making a full size 80 meter leg out of the question.
Then the birch tree had to come down. The alternative was a scotch pine - but I lost almost 10 feet of height off an already low antenna.
No room for a tower & beam - so the search began for a vertical.
Finally decided upon the BigIr and after what seemed an endless wait, the antenna arrived in the 2nd week of November (a Friday). Steppir had (at my request) shipped the cable & mounting pole early, so by the time the antenna showed up, we had everything ready to go.
The only shortcoming was trying to get the collapsing fibreglass poles extended as specified. Lucky for me, I managed to geta hold of someone at the factory (Tech support had already called it a day), who very kindly told me that the second below the telescoping pole has been made a little longer so... (documentation!!).
Anyway, one we were past that little issue, things proceeded (did I mention that the screw layout for the attachment of the 80m coil housing didn't match any of the diagrams - added a bit of time to the process).
Anyway - got the thing up in the dark - that part was quick!!. Few issues with the computer hookup to the controller (RTFM!) or in this case the diagram! (interesting if non standard approach to supporting both TTL level & RS232 level signals).
My BigIr is terribly radial challenged. We managed to get 500 ft of wire buried, but it's far from optimum - some directions are very radial challenged).
Having said that - Dont try and take it away from me.!!
Some bands, I can't get the SWR below 1.5 to one... and that's the absolute worst case!!
Could I break the pileups during the ARRL DX SSB - nope... Of course I was only running 100 watts. I managed only 40 contacts and I had to work for them - hard.
On the other hand, in the contests where so many are not trying to contact so few and in the CW & RTTY contests - a lot of fun!! Even managed a 60 minute run of 50+ contacts in two of the RTTY contests - once on 40 & once on 15.
WAC, Antarctica, WAS (all modes) (1 short on RTTY, 3 short on CW and 6 short on SSB) WAC on 40/20/15. All NA coasts some dx on 80 and a total of over 2000 contacts since the thing was installed - more than enough fun for anyone....
Now if can fish some wire under the deck, and along the outside of the fence.....
Villy ve6sq
|
|
| KN2M |
Rating:      |
2012-01-03 | |
| Excellent on 40 |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I haven't had a vertical since a Butternut on the roof of my apartment 30 yrs ago. This is my primary DX antenna in a deed restricted subdivision. Issues; expensive, slow production, and the instructions are not exactly clear as ALL antennas share portions of the same instruction manal. I find the mounting pole, a machined aluminum tube was really short in my opinion to mount the antenna. I incorporated a galvanized pipe in cement and custom adapted a DX engineering tilt mount to isolate the antenna from the pole using the fiberglass parts. I opted for the new reinforcement kit and this made the custom bracket I made easy to fabricate. After a few weeks of studying the system, I got a really nice mount. I used 60 33' radials with the DX engineering plate. It plays very well. If I hear the station, it is workable. Some of my accomplishments are VK, ZL without a linear on 40m CW and have heard and worked stations 20m long path into the Pacific. Barefoot, I can break pilups at time as long as the station has about an S9 signal. I have operated mostly 40m but stations are workable on the higher bands. I do note the bands are progressively quiet as the frequency goes up. All in all, it took me about a month of planning and assembly to get it working. I ordered in August, received the package in October and had it on the air by Thanksgiving. No neighbor has questioned the pole yet. I do not have any special rig interfaces, so always have to manually change frequencies. My only concern with antenna is met with the vertical. I do not trust this technology on the top of a tower, but in the back yard there is no problem if the motor or tape need repair. You will not be disappointed in the performance provided the radial system is adequate. Only disappointment I see is with the price. |
|
| KE4D |
Rating:      |
2011-10-01 | |
| BigIR with 80m coil, fantastic! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have had the BigIR with 80m coil for almost three years. This is by far the best vertical I have ever owned. I have had multiple towers, beams, quads and a plethora of verticals. I live in a height restricted ex Cavalry fort in west Texas. No place for a tower and beam/quad, so I went shopping for the best vertical I could put up. 80-6m, resonant on all bands except 160 and capable of full power loading, the BigIr was my choice. I have about 40, 40 foot radials with a DX Engineering radial plate at the base of the BigIr. The antenna itself sprouts from a fake fiberglass rock for aesthetic reasons and also to protect the stepper motor and 80m coil from the elements, not that we get that much rain here!
Just as a testament to the effectiveness of this antenna, I took first place in the 2009 single op, mixed mode, high power South Texas Section of the ARRL 10 meter contest. When was the last time you though you would be competitive from the lower 48 in a contest with a vertical. The last two SS contest have brought me 74 sections, not a clean sweep but darn close! I am very impressed with the performance and with the follow up service from Fluid Motion. A great company and a great antenna.
John KE4D
Brackettville, TX |
|
| W8JN |
Rating:      |
2011-09-14 | |
| The Best |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have a Steppir Big IR with 80 meter coil. The antenna is spectacular, and the customer service is even better. I have had 3, 1 in a million odd problems and they fixed them instantly. First problem was a flaw in the copper ribbon that caused it to "strip" and the antenna failed to work. Steppir fixed it under warranty, no questions asked. Turn around time was 10 days. Second issue, lightning strike smoked my controller. This was non warranty (of course), however they had a replacement out to me in 3 days (coast to coast) at half price (close out of the old style controller). Third issue was a failed steppir motor. Jim (tech support) spent hours on the phone with me after closing time trying to find the issue. We found the problem (one in a million flaw) and Bart replaced the motor under warranty. A great bunch of guys and a terrific product.
----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by W8JN on 2009-05-08
I have the big ir mark3 with the 80 metet coil. Rather than put you to sleep with ten pages of blahhh blahhh blahhh, here are three items that have made me a lifelong customer. 1) We had 90 mph sustained winds from hurricaine Gustov. The big IR turned into the letter C for 6 hours. Absolutely no damage whatsoever (guyed). 2) The copper line stripped out on the bottom (my fault) and of course the big ir would not extend the copper ribbon. 3) Marty repaired it under warranty, no questions asked. Marty is the best and steppir has earned my loyalty.
73 Paul w8jn
|
|
| KH6DC |
Rating:      |
2011-05-24 | |
| Last Vertical I Need To Buy |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Well, after 12 weeks of waiting from time to order to time I received it, I waited another 6 months to get it installed due to moving QTH several times. Well I finally got it up with the 80m coil. SWR was >12:1 on all bands. The good folks on the SteppIR Yahoo group posted some solutions and it turned out it was the 80m coil. I bypassed the coil and got SWR 2.4:1 or less, 1:1 on 40m and 2.4:1 on 20m. I have 36 radials 36' long but due to the yard morphology, they are not in a perfect 360 degrees pattern plus the antenna is about 2 feet from a chain link fence. I used to get 3.6:1 on 20m so this is an vast improvement. Signals seem louder and I worked a East Kiribati station receiving a 59 report at just 20 watts out. Now will be working on getting the 80m coil back online, have to figure out the antenna length and coil tap number but all in all this is a work of engineering marvel. I will buy another BigIR or even a Dream Beam in the future. 73, Delwyn KH6DC |
|
| KB1SIC |
Rating:      |
2011-03-23 | |
| wonderful antenna |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Had to wait months for delivery but now its here and on the air.2 hours to assemble and another 1& 1/2 hours to erect and install my preassembled radial kit.(DX enginnering plate with 60 radials totaling 1600')It is all I had hoped for.Great reports on all bands.Money well spent... |
|