Latest SteppIR Issue

[N1API]

The rain last week, the cold the past few days and a couple of appointments have put me behind in the antenna project. But a couple of nice days ahead this week and even some good WX upcoming next week should get me back on task.

We got the dipole tuned. I've got it mounted on the tower. Had a problem with the balun. The balun had flimsy wires on it and one was disconnected from the inside so I had to obtain a new balun. I got one of better quality. Though it said 1.8 to 30 MHz it did not choke off at 50 MHz we were able to tune the 6 meter stub.

The balun is mount on the tower and so is the dipole. I just have to hook the wires and then concentrate on the SteppIR. On the dipole I've got to position is in the same direction as the beam's elements so it will be "kitty corner to the mast until I start to lift the tower.

Next up test the ECU motors on the bench and I hope to get that done today. The covers are on the motors and the wires are attached. Once they test out then I can mount them on the boom. I expect to start doing this tomorrow to this weekend and then it's put the elements on and then lift the tower. Putting the elements on is where I'm going to have to get help since I did this a little differently this time. I only collapsed one section on the elements facing down so I'm going to have to put them on from a ladder. I'll need to entice a brother to hold the element while I push it into the boot. Hopefully start to happen this weekend then "up we go". Hope to be stood up by maybe Monday. Even at 21 feet, (the tower in he nested position) I can test from inside the house, (and with the tree gone even rotate the tower!). The lifting will be a slow process over a couple of hours a couple of to 10 turns at a time. I want to be fully up and running by WAE RTTY the second weekend in November. I've probably just caught the tale end of "antenna erecting season".

Gees it's going to take me a week to rearrange all my tools and put things away!

Al