On Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:03:40 -0700, Richard Clark wrote:

We could all pitch in innumerable suggestions to a variety of "won't
works" from you, and will it move you an inch away from the SteppIR?

Of course. I don't know what makes you think I'm set on the SteppIR. I
only just started considering it two days ago. And a thousand bucks
really is a lot of money to me... might not be to some people.

Clearly you have made a choice and this is more about validation,

Nope, far from it.

If you cannot adjust the distance between elements - what more is to be
said? It sucks?

If it sucks, then yea, that's what needs to be said.

"Probably works better than a dipole" isn't good enough to spend a big one
on. As for being resonant and rotatable, that's not worth a thousand
bucks (to me) either.

To this point, you have through various threads identified you need to
be frequency agile and quick. Myself, I haven't seen many choices you
have lead yourself toward that really qualify in that regard - so I am
suspicious of those qualifiers. The SteppIR certainly doesn't even come
close to the span of frequency you've identified (2 MHz to 20MHz), and
you are beginning to accumulate quite an antenna farm as it is.

That would be true if I had actually put any of them up. So far I have
two inverted vees, one dual-band NVIS dipole, and a 144/220/440 vertical.

I have more than one need. The general need is to be able to operate on a
list of CAP and MARS frequencies from 2 to 24 MHz. That one doesn't need
any gain or directivity, or any specific level of power (I routinely
participate in CAP and MARS nets with my inverted vee and 5 watts out of
my FT-817). I'm considering the T2FD only because then I can load all the
needed frequencies into the radio and put it on scan, and if someone I
need to talk to shows up on one of the channels I can pick up the mic and
hope for the best. But I'm not about to spend $300 for one (sorry if that
sounds like I'm "hedging away"... whatever that means...).

The more specialized need requires higher power and a rotatable,
directional antenna, in the frequency range from something below 20 meters
up to 24 MHz, in order to be able to offer a specific MARS service. If
you're in MARS you know which service I'm referring to, and if you're not,
for some obscure and relatively bizarre reason I'm not allowed to say, but
it's an easy guess. In any case, I have been informed that I probably
won't be able to participate with a wire antenna and 150 watts, so since
it appears that's their story and they're stickin' to it, I'm looking for
some alternatives that don't involve buying a whole separate antenna just
for MARS.

It would seem you have to come to terms with space restrictions

Not sure where that impression came from, either. Actually I am quite
fortunate regarding space, with two acres of land arranged in a square 300
ft on a side, and lots of tall pine trees. I could put up a pair of the
biggest SteppIRs, stacked, on a 150-foot tower but there will never (ever)
be money available to do stuff like that, so I have to settle for what I
already have, or can afford... and what I have is several random sections
of Rohn 25G so that's what I put up.

You want to try again?

Thanks, but I guess not. I'm doing my best already, to gather information
and make a decision I can afford and will work reasonably efficiently for
me. I'm sorry if you find my questions unclear or "hedging" or whatever
but think I've been pretty clear on my questions up to now, and I've
learned a lot from reading you guys.

The fact is I have more than one question (surprise!), each of which has
been formulated meticulously enough, and each of which serves a different
though related need. This latest one is the simple and
meticulously-crafted question that says, simply, "Can a 2-element beam
work efficiently with only 0.07 wl spacing between elements?". The
related question, which I think is equally clear, was "Any of you guys
have the SteppIR 2-element and if so, what do you think of it?".

I can't think of a way to meticulously craft either of those questions
that will yield a self-contained answer on its own.