SteppIR homebrew 6m element

The SteppIR 3-element yagi at SEØX has never worked well on 6 meters because of high SWR, more than 2:1 over the whole band. Someone suggested that adding the parasitic element might solve the problem. I had to bring the antenna down for replacement of the dipole EHU recently which provided a good opportunity to add the parasitic element.

Adding the element was the key to solving the SWR problem on 6 meter, and now SWR is close to nothing on the DX part of the band.

SteppIR 6 meter homebrew element

The parasitic element was simple to assemble and it took me about 2 hours to complete it, it was built using the measurements from the SteppIR installation manual.

The total lenght of the element is 2.867 mm and it is divided into three parts; one centre section 1.485 mm long made of 12 mm diameter aluminium tubing and two tips made of 800 mm long 10mm diameter tubes. The tips should extend exactly 691 mm from the ends of the center tube.

The element was attached to the SteppIR boom between the dipole and director, exactly 794 mm from the centre of the dipole to the centre of the parasitic element.

This has been a A simple and low cost project to make the 3-element SteppIR functional at 6 meter, now back to the operating shack!

73 de Björn, SMØMDG