Opinions Needed - Replacement Antenna For 432 Beam - 2 To 40 Dipole

[W1DQ]

Well today I got thinking. Sometime that is a good thing, sometime not.

But maybe this time it is. I was thinking that I could put a 40 meter dipole on the tower if it was not much longer than the boom on the SteppIR.

Then as I was looking over antennas I came across the MFJ-1775. It is a 2 meter to 40 meter rotateable dipole. The beauty of this thing is it is not much bigger than a two meter antenna only 14 feet long. I would sit about 6 feet higher than the SteppIR so about 65 feet. Would also give me an "emergency" HF antenna, if, (but I hope NEVER!), have an issue with the SteppIR. It is 2 through 40 meters with no WARC bands and no 30 meters but who cares in an "emergency" or short term use? And since there are no traps perhaps the antenna tuner in the radio would mach to 30 and WARC bands. Thinking, gee if they made it a few feet longer could have added 75 meters too.

So what's the opinion of the antenna experts here? Or maybe you know someone who has experience with this antenna? Would like to hear about it.

Including the PDF so you all can look at it. Maybe even something some else may be interested in now that I've "found" it. Or, perhaps you know of something better?

Looking for all opinions I would need to move on this, this week.

Thanks

· Interesting antenna. I have a HyGain AV640 that is similar but a vertical. Many stubs, no coils. All individually adjustable. It replaced a Cushcraft R7000 that kept blowing traps as it was not individual band adjustable, hence compromising adjustment. Cushcraft took it off the market.
· Somewhat narrow SWR bandwidth on certain bands; hence high power might fry it if tried with tuner outside that narrow band. Which end of band to choose, Phone/CW…..
· Might be touchy to initially tune and accommodate adjustment near ground to full height differences. I set up vertical and checked SWR then dropped it, made adjustments, and again checked them when vertical. Had to do that many times,
· Costly for an emergency antenna; I would look to look to simple wire antenna and tuner. If not horizontal, perhaps a sloper or vertical wire from tower.