SteppIR UrbanBeam and SDA 2000 full review (HF antenna)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 พ.ย. 2018
- This is a full review of the SteppIR UrbanBeam (multiband HF antenna) with the SDA 2000 controller (OptimizIR). It’s part 3 of a video series. See part 1 for the unboxing and part checklists and part 2 for the full assembly. Hope you enjoy, please share and subscribe!
73 Pascal VA2PV - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
All these steppIR antennas are a dream. I wish I had the deep pockets.
After a second viewing of the series and our short email conversation I put the order in 2 weeks ago. Covid supply chain issues means its currently an 8 week wait. More time to watch and read. Your video was key to my decsion to upgrade as opposed to just replacing the small yagi. Merci!
Thanks so much for the very helpful video series -- I just got mine up on the tower and it's working great. Wanted to share a few things I did differently and/or discovered along the way: 1) I purchased the connection box option, and the plate covers the boom bracket set-screw on one side when installed, so I drilled a 3/8" hole in its mounting plate to provide access to the screw for tightening later. 2) Used heat shrink tube rather than electrical tape to insulate the shield on the control cables in the EHUs and connector box. 3) I used Messi & Paoloni UHF 10.5mm Evolution connectors -- they are watertight and very solid and helped with making a stable connection to the side mounted SO-239 connector. 4) After getting the beam up at full height (53' for my tower), I found that the SWR was offset on each band a little, and the easiest way I found to correct for it was to attach an antenna analyzer (I have a MFJ-269), and use the create/modify, band correction parameter, and adjust it while watching the analyzer -- you can see it step up/down as the adjustment is changed, and it's easy to find the dip and point of optimum resistance & swr and low reactance by rocking the K1 knob. I checked the bands at the edges and center, and made the adjustment at the point in the band that was at the average correction. Most bands were flat, but offset, except for 20m, where the offset increased slightly across the first half of the band. I was able to adjust all bands close to 1.0/1 except for 30m, which the best was 2.2:1.
Excellent breakdown of this antenna and what to look forward to,ty for your time and effort 👍📡🍺73
Thanks for watching, 73 Pascal VA2PV
Wow. This is my next antenna. Just reviewed their website. Thanks for sharing this.
YOur video made building and installing the Urban Beam a breeze. Thanks for the great reference. W4PGM Knoxville, TN
Beautifully done, Pascal. All three video segments - simply excellent! 73 - John HK3C
Thanks John, now we need to have a QSO, hihi. 73 Pascal VA2PV
Outstanding video, and awesome ham shack.
Pascal - you continue to be the very best. Great shack and great antenna. Best 73, rich - W2FKN
Thanks for all your great videos! You mention power.... that is the reason my hexbeam will be replaced with an Urbanbeam just as soon as winter is over.... Regardless of which hexbeam you buy.....IF you stay key down for very long... it will burn the spacer cords in two..guaranteed! Then your done! Great antenna , terrible application...... If your hexbeam is on a tower like mine....that's a mess to repair!!!! Come on spring 2020!
Awesome! Thank you great job. I was looking for a type of beam antenna, but something not too big. Looks like I found it! I was considering a hex beam but now it will definitely be a urban beam
Nice video and explanation of the beam. I have the small IR vertical and have ordered the Big IR. I need to clear some woods to acquire the urban beam. Incidentally, you could use an end fed half wave for 160 by wrapping the 240-250 foot line around the lot. The tower could give you one of the points to hang the wire. I use one myself and run 1.5 Kw into it.
Very nice demonstration! Thanks, 73, bill
Thanks for watching! 73 Pascal VA2PV
Thank you for the video 73's
Great job, in your other videos, I guess I was dense... which some times happens... hehe, but I didn't realize that the elements were actually in the two rolls on both sides and that it pushed them out into the fiber glass tubes, I didn't understand that this was happening. Now this video explained that, and WOW just that little knowledge made all the difference, in understanding what was happening. Thanks I love this set up. Make so much sense. Cheers and God bless
Hi William, I couldn't extract the element further than what the motor test allowed, because this could damage the antenna when the fiberglass tubes are not installed. Hope this clears it out. 73 Pascal VA2PV
Thanks for the videos. Curious on the f/b and forward gain figures displayed. They seem excessive when taking into consideration the urban beam specifications. Just interested in how those figures are calculated.
well, your wife's comment made all the difference :) thanks for this great review! 73s
it would be nice to see you do a video, featuring working multiband dx on ft8,with the sda 2000 benefits over the sda 100, this is the setup i have apart from the sda 2000
Thanks for a great review!
I like ur vidoes & I like ur shack. U won'r find me climbing a tower like u do. But I have all dipoles & verticals on my lot & this STEPPIR antenna looks great! Unfortunately I won't be able to have one becz of the size & nature of my city lot here in LA. But it looks like a great antenna & I'll bet u've worked the world w/ it! I like the concept too, configuring w/ a control unit from the ground. 73s!
Great video! How tall is the tower? What kind of feedline are you using?
Great video. I’m on a small block and space for a big antenna is just not going to happen. I will look int this option.
Hi there. Very nice review on the Urban beam. Good job!73, Harry PA1H
Bravo Pascal - super review as always. Is there any indication from the manufacturers on the expected fatigue life of the elements? Obviously depends on the usage but there must be some sort of expectations on the cycles expected.
Hi Fraser, merci. There is no indication on this. Like any other antenna, it's probably a good idea to inspect it every few years to see if it needs maintenance. Two of my ham friends convinced me to have a SteppIR after they had it a few years. It survived are Canadian winters without problems. The fiberglass poles are very flexible and it can bend without braking (example, ice storm), if you retract the element the antenna should be safe. 73 Pascal VA2PV
Cool video! Good work!
Wow, thank you Josh, I'm a fan and one of your subscriber. 73 Pascal VA2PV
The cost of a broken control box is just ludicrous.i have had a two element system for many years and found that they can become very difficult to keep it in good service . The replacement parts . I priced the price of a new control box and told over £1000.00 .
I have found a way to operate the antenna without the £1000.00 control box using two SMC02 from e bay for the total price of £30.00 connecting each to the director and the driven element and tune the elements with a SWR meter. Very easy to setup and it works
Great Video and Thank you- Quick question- When it operates in 40 meter as a folded dipole - the director retract, does the driven element met at the other end and connects to each other? Thank you 73!
Thanks. Only the driven element is used on 30 and 40 meters, the other is full retract. 73
Great job. Seems complicated to me. But really interesting. Is the manual available in different languages and metric system?
Enjoy !
What other equipment are you using in your shack besides the SteppIR equipment?
Well done Pascal. Is there a recommended height above ground for the antenna? Also, the forward gain displayed on the 2000 controller is much higher than what SteppIR posts on the website for each band. Any idea why? Thx.
73
Carl
NX5T
Hi Carl, usually it's at least a 1/4 wave is best, so used the longest band, 40m. That's all depends of your sourounding, try to be the highest point around... I will have to check it out for the gain. 73 Pascal VA2PV
Great video series. I am in the middle of this major Steppir Urban Beam construction project. For over $2500.00 US, Steppir did not make this a simple antenna to put together. For the amount of money this kit cost, you would think they would have prepped the elements and the sweeps so it would be turnkey assembly and not introduce so many different project related modification product risks. The amount of modification to the elements alone is enough to examine other manufacturers and antenna options in the market. I am praying this thing actually works when done. The sweep design alone makes me quiver with fear. Few commercial enterprises would accept such a kit that is requires this much custom work on OEM parts. I just bought a backup Mosley Pro antenna just in case this antenna craters in 6 months.
Hi Keith, I have mine for more than a year and it works like new, it endured high wind and a major icestorm last winter, without any issue. I know it's a lot of work, but there's nothing like this in the market and it really worth the effort. You can also watch my assembly video, it may be helpful, see the link below. 73 Pascal VA2PV
th-cam.com/video/HKLnPsXhUYE/w-d-xo.html
I have watched your video 20 times for assembly without it I would be screwed. Thanks! We have to bend the sweeps more than you can bend them with your foot and sock technique. We are on that step now. Hope that once I get this done the issues with assembly will be a distant memory.
I have watched your video 20 times for assembly without it I would be screwed. Thanks! We have to bend the sweeps more than you can bend them with your foot and sock technique. We are on that step now. Hope that once I get this done the issues with assembly will be a distant memory.
@@keithheimbold7532 I remember that the sweep tube was the hardest part, you will be surprised at the end to find that the antenna is very solid. I'm glad my video helps. 73 Pascal VA2PV
When they are working they are ok but after a few years the become very troublesome with wiring faults and springs in the antenna boxes braking also the conductor has chip faults and have to be replaced after a few years , then the conductor box starts to give trouble and the cost is approximately ridicules , they get damp inside the plastic tubes from the cold and heat and it’s not possible to get a good SWR . With hindsight I am sorry I got one .
Congrats with you ne antenna Steepair review. I also have similar location to yours. It might to be exelent option as well..
Thanks Mike, this was the best option for me. 73 Pascal VA2PV
what is the maximum forward gain you can get on 6 meters?
Great review - and setup videos - thx 73 de HB9GNK
Thanks for watching, 73 Pascal VA2PV. FYI, there is a French version of this video...th-cam.com/video/ipjgsbFwGTU/w-d-xo.html
lots of questions... 1) I am not sure I got this but could you connect your radio and "share" the frequency of the radio directly to the antenna controller ?
2) at your house it seems an ok size antenna but really, this is still a large antenna, what is the turning radius ?
3) aside from being a directional antenna, how does it compare to the cobwebb found in your previous videos ? I mean the cobwebb also covers all the same bands...
4) when you were in "omni" mode, why is it still showing a narrow beam width of 74°, shouldn't it be like 280° or 300° degrees (as I understand it is not a fully omni antenna). ?
5) Lastly, what is the sdr software you are using ? is it tied to your kenwood radio ?
Hi Aleziss, here's your answers.
1) Yes, you can synchronize the radio frequency with the controller for automatic adjustment, cool, eh?
2) The turning radius is 15.5 ft. See my website for the full specifications.
www.va2pv.com/steppir-urbanbeam-sda-2000-optimizir-en
3) The Cobweb is a good antenna, it’s small, light and low cost. But it has no gain, it’s a folded dipole on all band and it’s not flat of SWR on all the frequencies. I just can’t compare the two as it does not serve different customer needs. The UrbanBeam is way better, but also more expensive. FYI, I was never able to try the Cobweb on top of the tower since it doesn’t allow you to put something over it, like my VHF/UHF antenna, it’s just the way it’s built.
4) Correct, a completely horizontal dipole is not perfectly omnidirectional. The same thing applies to the beam, but in this position, it does a better job with the reduce front to back attenuation. It’s way more flexible than any other beam.
5) No, it’s my Expert Electronics MB1 SDR standalone radio, since it runs Windows 10, I can do screen capture directly into the radio. See my review via the link below. th-cam.com/video/yVGXVrP8trM/w-d-xo.html
Hope this help. 73 Pascal VA2PV and thanks for watching.
Awesome looking an performing antenna system. I have lots of space here at my shack. So no need to down size. But for small areas such as yours. This is awesome. Now. Is that a sun sdr MB1 rig in your shack. Would love to see a video for that radio. Unless you have already done one an I missed it. Thanks. AA1US
I guess you've found it, hihi. 73
I need one of these KG6VVO
Hi Pascal thanks for sharing this video about the Urban beam. I have some questions, first why is the forward gain expressed in dBi instead of dB? or is it changeable? I think dB is more reliable. Second question is what is the maxium front to back and how much forward gain left over and vice versa. Looks like a great beam to me because I have a very small back garden.Thanks in advance for your anwers and have a lot of fun with your new beam .73 and happy holidays ,de Dirk PA1BD
Hi Dirk, Just check and I can't change the forward gain to be in dB instead of dBi. For the second question I'm not sure I understand, but the gain varies depending on the band. On 20M it says fwd 10.4 dBi with a FTB of 16.0 dB, this is at 66 degree beam width, at 66 degree the fwd is 10.6 and the FTB is 16.4. For me it works very well, as shown in the video. Hope it answers the questions. Happy Holidays as well. 73 Pascal VA2PV
@@Laboenligne Thanks Pascal for your fast response. 73 Dirk PA1BD
very good breakdown on the beam and controller. You do good stuff... Hey, have you ever compared the 990 rx and the M 3 rx at the same frequency switching your antenna from one rx to the 2nd rx receiving the same station? It would be very interesting doing that during a contest. ( like 20 or 40 or both) video of course.. Thanks 73 jim
Thanks James. My setup doesn't allow me to use both rig at the same time, it's not impossible but some wiring would be necessary. 73 Pascal VA2PV
Great video but I am confused.
According to steppir website the 40 m gain is about 1.6dbi which is less than a dipole 2.2 dbi . Your performance on 40 m should have been less. Perhaps your dipole was not well done? Or perhaps the dipole was not pointed at the source but your urbanbeam was? Also your controller on 20 m shows 10.4 dbi but steppir website shows 6.5 dBi why so different?
Great video. I’d like to do a segment on my show about “building your ham shack the right way.“ of course the antenna is the main component here. I’d like to use the segment where are you show how the urban beam is working. I have one of these antennas myself but my physical limitations have limited me getting it up yet.
Your video is very good and I believe I can help teach many incoming ham radio operators. I will be sure to credit your channel in the description of the video with a link to it as well.
Larry
de K7HN
Hi Larry, no problem as long as it's just small parts, just send me the link when done. Thanks for asking. 73 Pascal VA2PV
Excellent review and just what I need for an HOA. I would like to find one on a MA55 tubular tower to show the HOA Directors.. Thanks for the review.. Larry K1UO
Thanks for wathching Larry. 73 Pascal VA2PV
You made your bed so now you get to sleep in it as well.You signed on for the rules & now are not happy. LOL
Watched all 3 videos. Very well done. I'm curious where it shows the bearing of the antenna. I don't think I saw that on the controller screen. Thanks for the videos es 73, Gary AE4GS
Thanks Gary. The SDA 2000 controller only controle the antenna step motors, the Yaesu rotator is control via my MDS RC-1. 73 Pascal VA2PV
Thank you. Very well put together! 73 de WA5ZVE
Tnx, very very good !
Why are the steps in 5KHz steps when my SDA100 gives 1KHz steps?
Very nice. Please let us know if you have any issues with it. Seems like a very smart bit of technology. 73 de w8tam
Thanks Thomas, it already have survived a 90km wind, heavy snow, etc. No problem for now. 73 Pascal VA2PV
could you put this in an attic?
Very Cool
Interesting concept and execution. I bet its prohibitably expensive, unless its made in China (lol). How will it work in winter at -20F temps coated in ice?
Hi Sam, well a few of my friends had this antenna for years and this is not an issue, and we are in Canada! 73 Pascal VA2PV
Steve KE6DOA here.. i had/have a 4ele steppIR up at 60ft. that i only used for about 6 months and then fell out of the hobby for 7or8 years then went to use it again and found it dead and already work with steppIR to try and resolve it.. not going to happen, but i was looking at maybe replacing it with the DB18 but not the E model. how have you liked your urban beam ? Might consider it as well , any issue's ? 73's
Hi Steve, no issues so far, check out my latest video about my antenna. 73 th-cam.com/video/tQ5HMBLf_gQ/w-d-xo.html
@@Laboenligne OK
@@Laboenligne just thought i would let ya know , just ordered the DB18 ;-) but wont ship for 4-6 weeks
thanks again for your input
Hi Guys, I am thinking of replacing my SDA-1000 with the newer SDA-2000 however I can't seem to find the dimensions of the new box. Does anyone know the dimensions for the SDA-2000? Thanks. John - AA6JA
Just measured the SDA 2000, it's 7.25" wide, 4.25" high and about 6" deep with buttons, but that doesn't include the DB-25 connector sticking out of the back. 73 Pascal VA2PV
Thanks so much. The SDA-2000 will fit into my radio rack. Off to the SteppIR store.
What's it look like with three hundred birds perched on it? 😂
Outstanding antenna, but beyond the means of many average hams.
It’s indeed outstanding. I waited 27 years before having something like this... but it worth the wait. 73
When I saw "Urban" I thought it would be small. That would require a building permit where I am.
There's nothing really small in HF ;-) 73 Pascal VA2PV
Are you comparing a vertical omnidirectional antenna with a two element horizontal beam? How much difference in cost is that SteppIR beam? Not impressed at all. Much cheaper to do a multiband Hex-bean and fewer things to go wrong.
My neighbours would freak out if I put a tower up with one of those on top. OMG.
Hi John, and my setup is considered as a small footprint for HF! 73 Pascal VA2PV
@@Laboenligne I know! :) We are planning to move house, I'll make sure we have fewer neighbours so I don't have to put up with the drama! I love your Urban Beam - such a beautiful antenna with amazing design. Thanks :)
@@Laboenligne Hello Pascal - just an update four years later! I obtained planning permission, installed a 15m mast and a Steppir DB11. Images on my QRZ. 73, John 2E0SVB
Meet Mr. Rube Goldberg......... right this way........................
Nice presentation but all these ads, man, unwatchable for me mate. Too many advertisements
Steppir antennas have priced themselves out of the market . The boxes after a few years get brittle and crack. The antennas are over priced . My advice is not get one they are very trundlesom