SteppIR BigIR MK III Manual de usuario

80m Coil Kit for the BigIR

Instruction Manual

(Patented)

Yagi



Dipole



Vertical

Revision 2/22/08

SteppIR BigIR MK III Test Installation W/80m Coil

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

Table of Contents

Topic Page

Table of Contents 2

Parts List 3

The SteppIR 80m Loading Coil 4

Things to Know when Using Your 80m Loading Coil 4

BigIR MK III Procedure to add 80m Coil 6

Modifications Needed to Operate the BigIR MK II at 1500 watts 7

Disassembling the Antenna 7

Bypassing the SO-239 on the Element Control Unit 8

BigIR MK I (original model) & MK II Modification Procedure 8

Mounting the Coil Housing 10

Removing the Small Screw in the CPVC Liner Coupler 10

Reassembling the Antenna 11

Installing the New Firmware Chip (retrofit kit only) 12

Powering up and Enabling the Coil 15

Wiring Diagram 16

SteppIR Warranty 17

SteppIR Antennas - 80m Loading Coil Kit 2

80m Coil Kit PARTS LIST

ITEM QTY PART # DESCRIPTION

BOX 1 1 80M Loading Coil

Hardware Kit for Shipping Coil Alone

4 60-1004-01 1/2” Nylon Spacer

4 60-0072-01 10-32x1-1/2 SS Screws

10 60-0061 10-32x7/8” SS Screws

14 60-0019 10-32 Nylok Nuts

1 10-1029-01 Connector Protector

1 20-6020-01 Single Terminal Block

1 Firmware Chip

1 Chip Extractor

Hardware Kit for Shipping Coil With BigIR MK III

1 10-1029-01 Connector Protector

SteppIR Antennas - 80m Loading Coil Kit 3

The SteppIR 80m Loading Coil:

The SteppIR 80m coil is designed to mount on the base of the SteppIR BigIR vertical an-

tenna. It will give the BigIR the capability to continuously tune from 3.4 MHz to 60 MHz.

It does this by adding a multi-tapped, high Q, base loading coil and a rotary selector switch

that is controlled by the SteppIR controller.

The SteppIR coil has 4 taps on the 80m band and one tap on the 60m band plus one position

that switches the coil out of the circuit. The SteppIR controller automatically selects the

proper tap and antenna length for the selected frequency to give the best performance. When

the frequency is greater than 6.9 MHz the coil is switched out and the BigIR operates as be-

fore.

Things to Know when Using Your 80m Loading Coil:

•Always - Always -unplug the control box and / or disconnect the 25 pin control cable

from the control box before doing any work on the electrical system of the antenna. Any

short or crossed wires may permanently damage the controller circuit board

•There are high RF voltages present at the coil output, they can burn you but not shock

you.

•There are modifications required on the original BigIR and the BigIR MK II to operate

the coil at its full power limit.

•The original BigIR (and the BigIR MK II) are limited to 500 watts (key down) when they

are set to a frequency below 6.9 MHz. The BigIR MK II modifications are listed in these

instructions. The original BigIR can be modified for the higher power limit at the fac-

tory. Call the factory for more information. The BigIR MK III operates with the coil at

1500 watts (key down) with no modifications.

•The power for the coil (below 6.9 MHz) is limited to 1500 watts (key down) .

•The loading coil, by design, adds extra length to the antenna electrically. As a result you

may find that the BigIR and the BigIR MK II will not tune to the high end of the 10m

band. This is not a problem on the MK III because the copper beryllium tape retracts

completely into the element housing unit (motor box). For this reason and the following

two, we recommend using the 3/4 wave mode on 15m and 6m.

1. The SWR is higher on these bands when using the 80m coil because of the added

electrical length that the coil introduces. The match is affected because this added

length is not a straight vertical path.

SteppIR Antennas - 80m Loading Coil Kit 4

3/4 wave

1/4 wave

Gain of 3/4 over 1/4 Vertical

Over real, average ground with 12 one wavelength radials

2. Modeling shows that 3/4 wave can provide greater gain than a 1/4 wave vertical at all

angles above about 27 deg. The increase is 3 db to 4 db from about 27 deg to 45 deg

elevation. Above 45 deg elevation take-off angle the gain is even greater, up to 8 db

which can be good for closer in contacts. The only downside is you could potentially

hear more close-in man made noise from high angles, but reports from the field indi-

cate this hasn't been a problem.

The 3/4 wave vertical will also show gains at angles below 27 deg down to 8 deg of be-

tween 1 db to 3 db when ground quality is less than average and fewer than 25 radials are

used. The length of the radials also affects this phenomenon. Twenty five one wave-

length radials (which is what a 1/8 wave radial is on 80m) when used on 10m, makes the

3/4 wave and 1/4 wave vertical very close to equal at the low elevation angles and the 3/4

wave always has the advantage above 27 deg. With shorter and fewer radials the 3/4

wave vertical begins to have gain over the 1/4 wave vertical at low angles.

•The operating frequency ranges and power limits before modification are:

•3.4 - 6.8 MHz @ 500 watts

•6.9 - 27 MHz @ 3000 watts

SteppIR Antennas - 80m Loading Coil Kit 5

SteppIR Antennas - 80m Loading Coil Kit 6

BigIR MK III Procedure to add 80m Coil:

•If you have purchased the MK III and the coil together at the same time,

skip the *steps.

•* Mount coil housing to the element unit using 4 (10-32x1-3/4) screws

(Figure 9 & Figure 11).

•*Disconnect the coax feed line from the MK III element housing unit

(Figure 33).

•*Disconnect the radials from the MK III element housing unit (Figure

33).

•Connect the output lead of the coil to the coax connector on the MK III

element housing unit.

•Connect the coax line from the transmitter to the coax connector on the

80m coil housing (Figure 33).

•Connect the radial system to the ground lug on the 80m coil housing

(Figure 33). ::: Note :::

•Use ONLY the ground lug on the coil

housing for ground and radial connec-

tions.

•Connect NOTHING to the ground lug

on the element housing. The coax con-

nector and the ground lug on the ele-

ment housing are now “RF HOT”

•It’s a good idea to cover them with

tape or RTV silicone or something

similar to protect pets and children.

•Connect the four terminal lugs from the control cable to the appropriate

four terminals on the coil housing (Figure 33). Apply tape or silicone to

weatherproof the connections.

•*The coil is now ready for use after you install the new controller firm-

ware.

SteppIR Antennas - 80m Loading Coil Kit 7

The Following Modifications Need to be Made to the BigIR MK II to Op-

erate the Coil at 1500 watts.

•The coax connector must be bypassed internally on the element housing unit.

•The small screw in the inner element liner CPVC coupler must be removed.

Disassembling the Antenna:

•Retract the copper element to the home position.

○

Press 'Mode' button until you see 'Setup Mode' (Setup light will also come on)

○

Press 'Select' button (within 4 seconds)

○

Press 'Up' or 'Dn' button to scroll to 'Retract Elements'

○

Press 'Select' button and 'Home Now ?' will display

○

Press 'Up' or 'Dn' button to select 'Yes' (flashing)

○

Press 'Select' button and the elements will retract (wait until the '*' stops flashing)

•Turn off the controller and unplug the power cord.

•Disconnect the 25 pin control cable connector from the back of the controller.

•Disconnect the 4 pin control cable connector from the antenna element housing unit.

•Disconnect the coax and radials from the antenna element housing unit.

•Disconnect the guy wires (if used)

•Remove the antenna from its mast and lay it on the ground.

•Remove the 25 foot telescoping fiberglass element support tube (pole) and set it aside.

•Remove the 4 foot fiberglass extension section of the fiberglass element support tube and

set it aside.

•The base assembly can now be modified (Figure 1).

Figure 1

BigIR MK II

- NEW -

BigIR MK III

Housing

Note: The BigIR MK I - The original BigIR vertical antenna, can only handle 500w

with the coil

The BigIR MK II - Identical to the MK I except:

•Longer copper tape guide inside the fiberglass pole

•It can safely run 1500 watts output using the SteppIR 80m coil

The BigIR MK III - Internal and structural modifications

•Moved the coax connector to a more convenient location

•Unlike the MK II no internal jumpers are required to use the 80m coil

•Easier to take portable and/or ship

•Improved wind survivability - Un-Guyed 70 mph

- One Set of Guys 90 mph

- Two Set of Guys 110 mph

- High Wind Guy Set 125 mph

Bypassing the Coax Connector on the Element Control Unit:

This procedure bypasses the coax connector on your BigIR MK II allowing you to use the

ground stud on your BigIR MK II to connect your high voltage line from your 80m loading

coil so it can handle 1500 watts. The coax connector no longer serves any function after this

modification. !!!!!!!!! CAUTION !!!!!!!!!

UNPLUGALLWIRESAND COAX LINES FROM THE BIGIR

BEFORE DOINGANY MODIFICATIONS.

BigIR MK I (original model) & MK II Modification Procedure:

•Remove the 10 (10x32) screws that hold the lid to the BigIR element housing unit.

•Remove the lid and the housing gasket. We have supplied you with new hardware and a

new gasket for reassembly at the end of the 80m rewiring upgrade.

•Locate the coax connector from the inside of the housing. You will notice two green

wires that are connected to the connector. One, the center line, that is connected to the

brush assembly on the platen. Two, the ground wire, that is connecting the ground stud

to the coax connector (Figure 3).

•Cut both wires at the connector then trim them each to about 3” long. Strip 1/4” of insu-

lation off of each end of the two wires (Figure 5).

•The wire connected to the brush must be moved on top of the platen so that it will reach

the other wire connected to the ground terminal. The splice will be located above the reel

and sprocket as it sits inside the housing. Also make sure that the wires are not touching

the sprocket or reel inside the housing (Figure 5).

SteppIR Antennas - 80m Loading Coil Kit 8

SteppIR Antennas - 80m Loading Coil Kit 9

Figure 5

Platen

Figure 3

Coax Connector

Cut Here

Sprocket

Reel

Figure 7

Terminal Block

•These two wires will be connected using the provided single wire terminal block. Be sure

that the wires fit snug inside the block then tighten the screws firmly. If you decide to

solder these wires together, be sure to insulate the joint adequately (such as heat shrink).

Also, make sure if you use tape for insulation, it does not touch the reel or sprocket after

the lid has been placed back on the unit (Figure 7).

•Do not remove the old coax connector. It must stay in the unit to seal the hole.

•Locate the new housing gasket and stainless steel hardware we have provided to secure

the lid back onto the element housing. Simply align the holes of the gasket to the holes

on the housing and drop the screws through. When the screws are properly tightened the

gasket will be flat. Do be careful not to over tighten the screws for it can cause the

housing to crack. The 80m coil will have the mounting hardware for attaching your

BigIR.

SteppIR Antennas - 80m Loading Coil Kit 10

Mounting the Coil Housing:

•Mount the coil housing to the element housing unit using (4) 10-32x1-1/4 in. screws and

(4) 1/2 in. standoffs with the terminals at the bottom (Figure 9 &Figure 11).

Note: For the BigIR MK III it is recommended that you insert the (4) 10-32x1-1/4 in. screws

from the coil side (opposite of Figure 9 &Figure 11) to allow clearance for the nuts.

•Connect the output lead of the coil to the ground lug on the bottom of the element hous-

ing unit.

•Use plenty of silicone to protect the high voltage RF connection (ground lug) on the bot-

tom of the element housing unit.

•Reconnect the coax feed line along with the 1:1 balun (if used).

Removing the Small Screw in the CPVC Element Liner Coupler.

•At the end of the first section of 3/4” CPVC liner there is a coupling held in place with a

small screw (Figure 13). Remove this screw, it could potentially react to the high volt-

age RF present when using the coil.

•Carefully remove the coupling, apply PVC glue (supplied) and reinstall the coupling

making sure that it is seated firmly (Figure 15).

Figure 9 Figure 11

BigIR

Tabla de contenidos

Otros manuales de Antena de SteppIR

SteppIR

SteppIR DB11 Yagi Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR 2 Element Yagi Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR YAGI URBAN BEAM Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR 3 Element Yagi Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR Dream Beam 36 Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR 2E-3E High Wind Kit Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR BigIR - MK IV Vertical Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR 2 Element Yagi Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR Dream Beam 42 Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR DB18E Yagi Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR 3 Element Yagi Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR 4 Element Yagi Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR MonstIR Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR DB42 MonstIR PRO Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR Dream Beam 11 Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR 2 Element Yagi Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR 3 Element Yagi Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR UrbanBeam Yagi Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR 80m Dipole Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR 4 Element Yagi Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR DB36 Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR DB18 Yagi Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR BigIR Manual de usuario

SteppIR

SteppIR 2 Element Yagi Manual de usuario

Manuales populares de Antena de otras marcas

Alfa Network

Alfa Network APA-L01 Manual de usuario

Naval

Naval PR-422CA Manual de usuario

Feig Electronic

Feig Electronic ID ISC.ANTH200/200 Series Manual de usuario

TERK Technologies

TERK Technologies TV44 Manual de usuario

Directive Systems & Engineering

Directive Systems & Engineering DSE2324LYRMK Manual de usuario

HP J8999A Manual de usuario

MobilSat

MobilSat MSP-S Manual de usuario

Steren

Steren ANT-UHF 13 Manual de usuario

Novatel

Novatel 600-G Manual de operación

Radio Shack

Radio Shack Amplified VHF/UHF/FM Indoor Antenna Manual de usuario

TRENDnet

TRENDnet TEW-AO12O Manual de usuario

Radio Shack

Radio Shack 15-1837 Manual de usuario

CommScope

CommScope CMAX-OMFX-43M-I53 Manual de usuario

Ramsey Electronics

Ramsey Electronics DAP25 Manual de usuario

COBHAM

COBHAM SAILOR 800 VSAT Manual de uso y cuidado

Trango Systems

Trango Systems AD900-9 Manual de usuario

Steren

Steren ANT-100 Manual de usuario

Proxim

Proxim 5054-PA-23 Manual de usuario