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CrankIR Portable Antenna System

Assembly & Instruction Manual

SteppIR Antennas



2112 116th Ave NE #1-5, Bellevue, WA 98004



Tel: 425.453.1910



www.steppir.com

This assembly manual is intended to be
printed in full

. If the manual is

printed in

black and white

, many im-

portant details could be lost.

Rev 2.1b

20161121

Summary of Contents for CrankIR

Page 1: ...anual SteppIR Antennas 2112 116th Ave NE 1 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Tel 425 453 1910 www steppir com This assembly manual is intended to be printed in full COLOR If the manual is printed in black and white many im portant details could be lost Rev 2 1b 20161121 ...

Page 2: ...910 www steppir com Page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 CrankIR Introduction 6 2 Operation Controls 8 3 Getting Started 16 4 Radial Set Up 25 5 Tuning the CrankIR 32 6 Pole Extension Kit 34 7 Taking Down the Antenna 38 8 Troubleshooting 40 9 Operation Tips 44 10 Specifications 46 ...

Page 3: ...AN CAUSE LETHAL VOLTAGES IN THE ANTENNA FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES FOR ANTENNA INSTALLATIONS RECOMMENDED BY THE U S CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION EXTREME CARE MUST BE USED FOR YOUR SAFETY YOU MUST INSURE THAT WHILE THE CRANKIR IS IN OPERATION NEITHER PEOPLE NOR PETS CAN COME IN CONTACT WITH ANY PORTION OF THE ANTENNA INCLUDING THE RADIALS DEADLY VOLTAGES AND CURRENTS MAY EXIST ALSO SINCE THE EFFEC...

Page 4: ... For easy attachment to existing radial field or user supplied cut length radial OPTIONS Tunable Radial Unit Provides simple Turn the Crank Tuning of the radial utilizing the same tuning system as the CrankIR Antenna The antenna can be tuned to any band by simply setting the radial and vertical radiator to the matching color coded band marks No additional tuning is normally required 40m 2m version...

Page 5: ...425 453 1910 www steppir com Page 5 OPTIONS continued Pole Extension Kit Strongly recommended for 80m improves 40m and 30m as well Extends 16 pole to 22 Couplers and 3 pole sections fit into 24 travel bag 6 ft Tripod 9ft 6in Tripod recommended for 80m operations ...

Page 6: ...cators see pg 13 to select a band simply run the wire in or out until the appropriate marker appears just above the Wire Guide Block High efficiency is achieved by design there are no coils only capacity hat type resonating is used There are no matching networks matching is accomplished by very low loss off center feeding When the vertical radiator is shorter than 1 4 wavelength WL the impedance d...

Page 7: ...SteppIR Antennas 2112 116th Ave NE 1 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Tel 425 453 1910 www steppir com Page 7 Bob Fuller W7KWS on the air with a CrankIR prototype QTH Kauai HI ...

Page 8: ...SteppIR Antennas 2112 116th Ave NE 1 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Tel 425 453 1910 www steppir com Page 8 2 OPERATION CONTROLS 6 1 2 4 4 4 4 5 5 3 7 ...

Page 9: ...top is reached It also helps prevent the cord from coming off of the reel and tangling POLE CLAMPING WINGNUTS Eight hand operated wingnuts that clamp the antenna unit to the tripod or other mounting pole four knobs clamp the mount pole and four clamp the vertical fiberglass pole CLAMP SADDLES These two saddles form the outer half of the clamps that hold the vertical telescoping pole and the tripod...

Page 10: ...SteppIR Antennas 2112 116th Ave NE 1 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Tel 425 453 1910 www steppir com Page 10 9 10 11 8 2 OPERATION CONTROLS continued ...

Page 11: ...radial in the desired direction and lock it It also allows you to remove the Radial Reel or the Ground Lug by backing the knob out far enough to disengage from the groove in the shaft allowing the shaft to be pulled out Make sure the Radial Release Knob is tight during operation to ensure radial electrical connection WIRE REEL LOCK DRAG Locks the vertical radiator reel shaft this will keep the Wir...

Page 12: ...SteppIR Antennas 2112 116th Ave NE 1 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Tel 425 453 1910 www steppir com Page 12 Pole Tip Tensioner Assembly Main box left side view Main box right side view Return Arm Radial Lug ...

Page 13: ...olor coded indicators are also included with the optional Radial Unit but are not permanently set to the wire to allow fine tuning or radial lengths by the customer Typical radial lengths will be the same as for the vertical radiator but will vary based upon location BLACK 10m 99 inches RED 12m 112 75 inches ORANGE 15m 133 inches YELLOW 17m 155 75 inches GREEN 20m 199 inches BLUE 30m 279 25 inches...

Page 14: ...structions where the radial s will be deployed Be aware of possible hazards The exposed wire is highly conductive if there is potential for lightning the antenna should not be deployed Although the antenna has a small wind load it can easily be blown over by a moderate gust Guying the antenna is the safest most reliable way to ensure it does not fall over Using weights or stakes can be a convenien...

Page 15: ... Ave NE 1 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Tel 425 453 1910 www steppir com Page 15 Do You Have Everything Make sure you have everything you need before you begin to set up the antenna Lay everything out at the setup location just to be sure ...

Page 16: ... pole 1 2 Attach the CrankIR to the tripod 2a or other suitable mounting pole 1 825 max OD and tighten the four wing nuts on the saddle clamps 2b Make sure the tripod pole is only inserted to the top of the lower clamp so it doesn t block the telescoping pole from being inserted into the top clamp 2b 1 5 4 Antenna Set Up The following procedures are not the only way to deploy this antenna It is in...

Page 17: ...6th Ave NE 1 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Tel 425 453 1910 www steppir com Page 17 Next Insert the Return Support Rod into the Return Support Rod Mounting Block turn it clockwise until the stop is reached 2c 2d 2a 2b 2c 2d 5 4 4 3 3 3 ...

Page 18: ...escoping pole 3c Push both white plastic blocks down into the channel so they bottom out and tighten the hand screws 3d Next extend the first two or three tip sections of the pole and pull them tight enough to lock them in place during use 3f We recommend securing the pole joints with electrical tape to prevent inadvertent collapsing of the pole Taping must be done if guy ropes are attached to the...

Page 19: ...a suitable amount of drag to prevent freewheeling as the Wire Cord is deployed by extending each pole section If the wire reel is allowed to freewheel the wire will come off the reel and tangle Now unlock the cord reel by turning the Cord Reel Lock Drag Knob and turn the Cord Reel to take tension off the cord and unhook the cord from the Cord Reel Hook 4b 4c The cord should already be routed throu...

Page 20: ...coping pole tip with the butt end resting on the ground Now thread the cord through the Return Support Rod and Return Support Rod Cord Guide Block 5d Temporarily hook the cord loop around the Radial Release Knob 5e While holding the pole upright extend each section and lock it in place as you do this the cord will be fed off the Wire Reel Do this smoothly to prevent the cord coming off the reel an...

Page 21: ...ole joints a must if the pole is wet place the butt of the pole into the top saddle clamp of the CrankIR unit 6a Rotate the pole so the Pole Tip Tensioner is in the same orientation as the Return Support Rod 6b and then tighten all four hand screws equally It is okay if the telescoping pole rests on the tripod pole 6c 6c 6b 6a Mike K7IR deploying the fully extended pole 4 4 ...

Page 22: ... Cord Reel Lock Drag Knob is still untightened this will pull the Wire Cord off the Wire Reel Continue cranking until the Wire Cord junction is all the way to the top of the pole halfway between the two pulleys 7 Remove the cord loop from the Radial Release Knob 7a and attach the loop to the Cord Hook on the Cord Reel 7b 7c 7b 7a 7c 9 11 10 9 11 11 1 10 ...

Page 23: ...necessary because there is only a short period when the reels have equal amounts of Wire Cord At any other time one reel is taking up less Wire Cord than the other This creates slack or tension on the Wire Cord The tension isn t critical all you need is enough tension on the Wire Cord to make sure it stays on the reel After setting the tension use the Cord Reel Lock Drag to lock the reels together...

Page 24: ...ll work fine for 80m and up This height is high enough off the ground to keep losses very low Putting the mounting point higher doesn t hurt and can actually help on 80m 40m if you are having trouble getting a good match Raising the anten na higher allows you more room to lower the ends of the radial s to assist in obtaining a low SWR in difficult situations 9 4ft ...

Page 25: ...f one or more cut length radials or to an existing radial field An optional Tunable Radial Unit PN 06401 is available for easy deployment of a variable length tunable elevated ra dial This provides all the radial lengths from 40m 6m 80m 2m with 80m version on one reel eliminating the need to carry multiple individ ual radials A single 1 4 WL radial a longer radial is required if the verti cal radi...

Page 26: ...cut 1 4 WL long for the desired band to the ground lug and tighten the hand screw 10a 10b Route the radial in the most desired direction and attach it to a support at least 3 if possible off the ground The signal strength will be 4dB stronger in the direction of the single radial Radials for each band can be attached to the ground lug but they must be separated by about 6 or more to avoid destruct...

Page 27: ...simply insert the Tunable Radial Unit shaft into the Radial Reel Ground Lug Mounting Hole 11b 11c and push it in until it bottoms out Now tighten the Radial Release Knob 11d to hold the assembly in place By loosening the knob slightly you can rotate the Radial Unit to align the radials for the best performance in the desired direction of operation Re tighten the Radial Release Knob to lock the rad...

Page 28: ...ck and turn the crank such that the radial wire is fed out to the desired length Loosen the Cord Reel Drag knob and adjust the tension until the Wire Cord is well off the ground but not so tight that it puts undue force on the tripod and pulls it over If you plan to use the antenna on only a couple bands the tension on the bungee is not critical If you want to cover 40m 6m crank the radial out to ...

Page 29: ...e to any frequency Two pulleys and bungee cords are provided to allow either a straight 1 4 WL ra dial 13a or allow the radial path to bend back on itself when space is tight 13b When folded the radial can be shortened by up to 40 with very little loss so don t hesitate to use the fold back technique If you have room for a straight run of 1 4 WL you only need one support and one pulley 13b 13a 16 ...

Page 30: ...dial wire are set to the desired band usually no additional tuning is necessary to get a very low SWR If the SWR is high greater than 1 5 1 adjust the radial length to see if it improves If it doesn t try adjusting the vertical radiator Low SWR can be obtained with many different combinations of vertical radiator and radial length Always keep the vertical radiator at least 1 4 WL long if possible ...

Page 31: ...SteppIR Antennas 2112 116th Ave NE 1 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Tel 425 453 1910 www steppir com Page 31 ...

Page 32: ...acting the radiating wire so that the desired color coded band indicator is lined up just above the Wire Guide Block If you are using the optional Tunable Radial Unit adjust the wire length until the desired color coded band indicator is just beyond the Radial Wire Guide Block the color coded heatshrink markers come from the factory loose on the radial wire and the user must determine the position...

Page 33: ...ally do the trick Don t shorten the vertical radiator any more than necessary because it reduces radiated power TUNING USING AN SWR METER Apply 5W to 10W from your radio and tune the antenna as described above for lowest SWR using either the SWR meter built into the radio or an external SWR meter Be careful not to touch the wires because even at these low power levels you can still feel some heat ...

Page 34: ... Turn Key Clamps Assembly Set Up Begin by gathering the contents of the Pole Extension Kit Locate one of the two aluminum couplers with the single cut along the full length of the coupler and place one of the Turn Key Clamps at its middle Attach the coupler to the end of one of the fiberglass tubes being sure to only put the tube halfway into the coupler 15a Repeat with a second fiberglass tube an...

Page 35: ...ces together being sure to orient the coupler so the half slit is away from the tube Attach this assembled unit to the coupler on the previously assembled two poles and tighten the band clamp 15c The fully pre extended and assembled 16ft pole and tensioner standard vertical pole should now be inserted butt end first into the last coupler with the extra half slit Tighten the Turn Key Clamps 15d Abo...

Page 36: ... support mast ensure the Wire Cord is already properly routed through the Pole Tip Tensioner Pulleys and Return Arm Pulley Refer to section 5 of Antenna Set up Carefully lift the entire 22 assembled pole and insert the butt section into the pole Saddle Clamp of the CrankIR main unit Tighten the Saddle Clamp wing nuts 5 ...

Page 37: ...SteppIR Antennas 2112 116th Ave NE 1 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Tel 425 453 1910 www steppir com Page 37 ...

Page 38: ...k 4b and loosen the Cord Lock Drag Knob 4a Turn the Reel Crank Handle clockwise until the cord is taut and lock the Cord Lock Drag Knob Stowing the Wire Cord on both the CrankIR Unit and Tunable Radial Unit so it will not come off the reels will save you a lot of grief from tangles Remove the vertical telescoping pole take the Tip Tensioner off and place them in the bag If you aren t putting it in...

Page 39: ...pIR Antennas 2112 116th Ave NE 1 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Tel 425 453 1910 www steppir com Page 39 held up against the Wire Cord Guide Block Next lock the Cord Lock Drag Knob to hold the Wire Cord in place 20 15 ...

Page 40: ...ient when it is longer If this doesn t work the location may be the problem Look for things that could be de tuning the antenna and move the antenna or the radial away from it When the antenna is very shortened lowering the ends of the radial s can help in getting the SWR low Make sure all of your connections are tight especially the Radial Release knob If you have the Tunable Radial Unit check th...

Page 41: ...y on the Tun able radial because the C clip is exposed and easy to access A small screw driver or suitable tool can be used The clip will tend to fly off so be careful to contain it as it is removed Do not lose the white spacer washer between the Wire Reel and the chassis on both the CrankIR Unit and the Tunable Radial Unit Removing the Wire Reel necessitates removal of the back cover to access th...

Page 42: ... SHAFT YOU MUST PUSH THE BRUSH DOWN WITH A SMALL SCREWDRIVER OR OTHER TOOL SO THE BRUSH WILL NOT BECOME DAMAGED AS THE SHAFT IS INSERTED WIRE CORD CAN T BE MOVED WITH CRANK Wire Cord has gotten wrapped around the pulleys at the Pole Tip Tensioner Lay antenna down and untangle the Wire Cord Make sure you threaded it through as shown in the manual The same applies to the Tunable Radial Unit pulley s...

Page 43: ...SteppIR Antennas 2112 116th Ave NE 1 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Tel 425 453 1910 www steppir com Page 43 ...

Page 44: ...is case a low dipole might be a good choice The CrankIR can be configured as a dipole on 20m and higher if you add the dipole kit 06410 A vertical will have a takeoff angle of about 25 degrees A dipole must be mounted about 0 3 WL above ground to achieve the same 25 degree angle On 20m that equates to about 20 feet and on 40m about 40 feet Even 20ft can be a challenge when operating portable Low m...

Page 45: ...Approximate 80m 2 0 1 120kHz 40m 2 0 1 300kHz 30m 1 0 1 Entire Band 20m 1 5 1 400kHz 18m 1 0 1 Entire Band 15m 1 5 1 550 kHz 12m 1 0 1 Entire Band 10m 1 5 1 900 kHz 6m 1 0 1 Entire Band The following table lists the approximate bandwidth for the CankIR in the normal vertical configuration with a single elevated radial ...

Page 46: ...3 wires 36 gauge 0 049 1 24 mm OD tinned copper Vertical wire marked at 1 4 WL for each amateur band Brushes Copper beryllium 0 008 203 mm thick Reel Shafts Brass 0 437 11 01mm diameter conducts the RF via brush contact Balun Current choke type Standard 1 4 35 56 mm OD toroid NiZn nickel zinc ferrite RG 58U coax High Power Opt 2 4 60 96 mm OD toroid NiZn ferrite RG 303 Teflon coax CrankIR Specific...

Page 47: ... 45 lb 152 x 178 x 325 mm weight 2 02 kg Pole Tip Tensioner Collapsed 22 inches 55 9 cm Extended 45 inches 114 3 cm Pole clam range 0 375 0 780 inches 9 5 mm 19 8 mm Return Support Rod 22 5 inches 3 0 oz 57 2 cm weight 86g Wire Cord Reels Capacity 150 ft 45 7m of Wire Cord Material polycarbonate ABS blend 4 5 inches 11 4 cm diameter Telescoping Pole Extended 16 feet 4 88 mm Collapsed 23 5 inches 5...

Page 48: ... 1ea 1 75 in 44 45 mm OD Total Weight Basic Antenna 5 5 lb 2 50 kg Basic Antenna with Optional Radial CrankIR Specifications PREAMBLE DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHTS CONTINUED ENVIRONMENTAL Water Resistance Designed to operate in wet environments in cluding rain dew etc Brief water immersion will not cause damage If immersed in salt wa ter please rinse in fresh water to prevent corro sion Operating Tempera...

Page 49: ...ty is automatically void if the following occurs improper installa tion unauthorized modification and physical abuse or damage from severe weather that is beyond the product design specifications SteppIR Antenna s responsibility is strictly limited to repair or replacement of defective components at SteppIR Antennas discretion SteppIR Anten nas will not be held responsible for any installation or ...

Page 50: ...s requiring technical or product support services support steppir com Information and questions about our products sales steppir com Phone Fax Phone 425 453 1910 9 30am to 4 30pm Pacific Standard Time Fax 425 462 4415 Tech Support 425 891 6134 10 00am to 5 00pm Eastern Standard Time Address Fluidmotion Inc SteppIR Antennas 2112 116th Ave NE Suite 1 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Contact Information ...

Page 51: ...SteppIR Antennas 2112 116th Ave NE 1 5 Bellevue WA 98004 Tel 425 453 1910 www steppir com Page 51 ...

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