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For single-element vertical antennas, pattern is omnidirectional. Hence,
180
button is
unsupported. When
BI 3/4
is pushed, the vertical become a ¾ wavelength antenna
instead of the normal ¼ wavelength on frequencies above 21 MHz where physical
dimensions of antenna hardware allow this to occur. Pressing an unsupported direction
sets controller to
NORM
and lights the LED.
The
AutoTrk
button toggles controller between Manual mode and Autotrack mode. The
on-screen button is green when enabled. In Autotrack mode, controller responds to
frequency updates sent from a transceiver or computer to the OptimizIR over the
transceiver interface. When under control of radio, antenna will be re-optimized and will
follow radio to any frequency within range of antenna. Frequency spacing during re-
optimization depends on band step size.
For proper operation of Autotrack mode, transceiver setup menu parameters must be set
to match transceiver type and baud settings. To prevent controller from updating each
time frequency is changed, Autotrack step-size can be programmed individually for each
band.
The manual tune buttons are still active in Autotrack mode, but operation depends on
selected radio, step-size and or source of frequency data.
Precautionary Note:
When used in Autotrack Mode, some radios send display frequency
via serial interface. When radio is in split-mode, frequency change displayed between
transmit and receive frequencies may cause frequent and inconvenient antenna tuning.
One remedy is to temporarily disable Autotrack mode. Another cure is to set Autotrack
step-size to be large enough to encompass transmit and frequency difference. The third
solution is to set Autotrack to Band Mode to allow automatically tuning only if band
changes. When using Autotrack Mode, it is prudent to have a transmitter lockout to make
sure there is no RF being generated while antenna is tuning. Although the radio alone
(<200 Watts) cannot damage the SteppIR antenna, driving an amplifier and transmitting
with high power levels while antenna elements are moving is very stressful and will cause
premature aging of the movable contacts in the SteppIR antenna EDU. With SteppIR
antennas, it is ALWAYS good practice at any power level to wait for tuning to stop before
transmitting.
The
RETRACT
button has two modes of operation. By default, pressing
RETRACT
button
will cause antenna elements to be homed. This action is immediately followed by an
elements home message. If Setup Options menu item “Power off Retract” is selected,
after elements are homed, controller display will switch off and controller will go to sleep.
Setup Mode
Pressing
SETUP
button opens the OptimizIR Setup Menu.
