10 years almost to the day with my SteppIR DB-18 atop a Tash LM354 tiltover.
Upgraded to an SDA-2000 which had problems, but SteppIR support was excellent
and replaced it quickly. Antenna inspected every year, the sweeps needed
painting about 3 years ago. Just replaced the control cable this year as the
Southern California sun was slowly “baking it to a delicate crunch”. Been a
happy camper the whole time. Love not having to climb.
-Paul, W2PIR
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2025 13:55:37 -0700
> From: "jim.thom jim.thom@telus.net" <jim.thom@telus.net>
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] STEPPir ANTENNAs
> Message-ID:
> <CAB4ZMgsHe_Fg7yY4S8hse2ht11dUuj4JdWf=_MnoyQr5EooZDA@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>
> From: Joe Locascio <pvjoe@yahoo.com>
> To: "towertalk@contesting.com" <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Subject: [TowerTalk] STEPPir ANTENNAs
>
>
>> In THE PAST, i HAVE BEEN? A happy & PROUD OF the DB-36 AND DB42 largely
> due to >Mike, K7IR -previous OWNER & DEVELOPER of the TECHNOLOGY.? MIKE
> sold the >business TO his brother JOHN,who is PREOCCUPIED with the
> BOTTOM-line MUCH >MORE THAN RETAINING (happy) CUSTOMERS.? I HAVE SPENT a
> LOT of $$ trying to >get the highiy complex DB-42 working again - no more
> as long as JOHN is associated with >SteppIR? ? ? ?I am switching to JK
> Antennas & hope for similer perfomance. with bigger >antennas.? NO ONE
> MAKES an ANTENNA that comes even close to the DB - 42;; but,as l>ong as
> JOHN is associated with SteppIR, I WIll NO longer be connected with THEM
> in?>any?way!!!! I AM THROUGH with SteppIR !!! and ANY of THEIR PRODUCTS..?
> ?I hope >JOHN is happy!! I AM NOT!!
>> ?$
>> Joe
>
> Too bad, that DB-42 is a lotta $$. $13.5K, plus shipping, all in with
> various options.
>
> One fellow emailed me, who has 3 of the smaller steppir yagi's stacked.
> 2 of em are DOA, and the 3rd is hanging on by a thread. He was not a
> happy camper.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2025 14:05:34 -0700
> From: Richard Solomon <dickw1ksz@gmail.com>
> To: "jim.thom jim.thom@telus.net" <jim.thom@telus.net>
> Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] STEPPir ANTENNAs
> Message-ID:
> <CAC5FBO_MmU7_e68MJz7p-jfocZD=ACHVj-2uam2U1p-yen1tDQ@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>
> The more you complicate the plumbing, the easier it is to clog the toilet.
>
> 73, Dick, W1KSZ
>
>> On Sat, Apr 5, 2025, 1:57?PM jim.thom jim.thom@telus.net <jim.thom@telus.net>
>> wrote:
>> From: Joe Locascio <pvjoe@yahoo.com>
>> To: "towertalk@contesting.com" <towertalk@contesting.com>
>> Subject: [TowerTalk] STEPPir ANTENNAs
>>> In THE PAST, i HAVE BEEN? A happy & PROUD OF the DB-36 AND DB42 largely
>> due to >Mike, K7IR -previous OWNER & DEVELOPER of the TECHNOLOGY.? MIKE
>> sold the >business TO his brother JOHN,who is PREOCCUPIED with the
>> BOTTOM-line MUCH >MORE THAN RETAINING (happy) CUSTOMERS.? I HAVE SPENT a
>> LOT of $$ trying to >get the highiy complex DB-42 working again - no more
>> as long as JOHN is associated with >SteppIR? ? ? ?I am switching to JK
>> Antennas & hope for similer perfomance. with bigger >antennas.? NO ONE
>> MAKES an ANTENNA that comes even close to the DB - 42;; but,as l>ong as
>> JOHN is associated with SteppIR, I WIll NO longer be connected with THEM
>> in?>any?way!!!! I AM THROUGH with SteppIR !!! and ANY of THEIR PRODUCTS..?
>> ?I hope >JOHN is happy!! I AM NOT!!
>>> ?$
>>> Joe
>> Too bad, that DB-42 is a lotta $$. $13.5K, plus shipping, all in with
>> various options.
>> One fellow emailed me, who has 3 of the smaller steppir yagi's stacked.
>> 2 of em are DOA, and the 3rd is hanging on by a thread. He was not a
>> happy camper.
>> _______________________________________________
>> _______________________________________________
>> TowerTalk mailing list
>> TowerTalk@contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2025 15:32:44 -0700
> From: Jim Brown <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com>
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] STEPPir ANTENNAs
> Message-ID:
> <cd1e24a6-9a00-447b-883c-649bd1a9ce02@audiosystemsgroup.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
>
>> On 4/5/2025 2:05 PM, Richard Solomon wrote:
>> The more you complicate the plumbing, the easier it is to clog the toilet.
>
> Exactly right, especially about the big SteppIRs. I've had the straight
> 3-el up since 2009, with no issues I can blame on the antenna. It's a
> mature design mechanically. My neighbor, W6GJB, himself an ME,
> experienced infant mortality with his brand new 3-trombone SteppIR (I'd
> guess this was maybe 2012-14), and sent each motor back to the factory
> for repair. Each time, he waited a couple of months without hearing
> anything, so called, and each time he was told that it was ready to be
> shipped. It was clearly not yet a mature design mechanically. Luckily
> for him, it's on a crank-up.
>
> After those repairs, it's worked fine for him. I've heard similar
> stories from other users of the big trombone Yagis.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2025 15:50:28 -0700
> From: Steve Harrison <k0xp@k0xp.com>
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] STEPPir ANTENNAs
> Message-ID: <28ee0e79-5ce1-472e-8cc9-56493d392648@k0xp.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
>
>> On 4/5/2025 3:32 PM, Jim Brown wrote:
>>> On 4/5/2025 2:05 PM, Richard Solomon wrote:
>>> The more you complicate the plumbing, the easier it is to clog the
>>> toilet.
>> Exactly right, especially about the big SteppIRs.
>
> If they are now providing those things to our military or embassies, I
> would be VERY concerned. If they are merely going to other fed agencies,
> not so much.
>
> Steve, K0XP
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2025 22:23:24 -0400
> From: <john@kk9a.com>
> To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] STEPPir ANTENNAs
> Message-ID: <000901dba69a$e0761110$a1623330$@kk9a.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Imagine this maintenance headache:
> https://www.kkn.net/dayton2006/K9LTN.pdf
>
> John KK9A
>
>
> Jim VE7RF wrote:
>
> Too bad, that DB-42 is a lotta $$. $13.5K, plus shipping, all in with
> various options.
>
> One fellow emailed me, who has 3 of the smaller steppir yagi's stacked.
> 2 of em are DOA, and the 3rd is hanging on by a thread. He was not a
> happy camper.
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2025 19:45:17 -0700
> From: David Gilbert <ab7echo@gmail.com>
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] STEPPir ANTENNAs
> Message-ID: <3b30b767-1391-4fc5-99ae-3406ac4c8d5d@gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
>
>
>
> I wonder what happened to it.? K9LTN is an expired callsign.
>
> Dave?? AB7E
>
>
>
>> On 4/5/2025 7:23 PM, john@kk9a.com wrote:
>> Imagine this maintenance headache:
>> https://www.kkn.net/dayton2006/K9LTN.pdf
>> John KK9A
>> Jim VE7RF wrote:
>> Too bad, that DB-42 is a lotta $$. $13.5K, plus shipping, all in with
>> various options.
>> One fellow emailed me, who has 3 of the smaller steppir yagi's stacked.
>> 2 of em are DOA, and the 3rd is hanging on by a thread. He was not a
>> happy camper.
>> _______________________________________________
>> _______________________________________________
>> TowerTalk mailing list
>> TowerTalk@contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2025 03:38:44 +0000 (UTC)
> From: Wes Stewart <n7ws@yahoo.com>
> To: "towertalk@contesting.com" <towertalk@contesting.com>,
> "john@kk9a.com" <john@kk9a.com>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] STEPPir ANTENNAs
> Message-ID: <2128425434.1248183.1743910724986@mail.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> I helped a friend install a DB-42.? One of the EHUs was DOA out of the box.?
> Fortunately he tested them before building the antenna.? My situation is such
> that I couldn't install one anyway.? But if I could, I wouldn't.
> Wes? N7WS
> On Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 07:24:50 PM MST, john@kk9a.com
> <john@kk9a.com> wrote:
>
> Imagine this maintenance headache:
> https://www.kkn.net/dayton2006/K9LTN.pdf
>
> John KK9A
>
>
> Jim VE7RF wrote:
>
> Too bad, that DB-42 is a lotta? $$.? $13.5K, plus shipping, all in with
> various options.
>
> One fellow emailed me, who has? 3 of the? smaller steppir yagi's stacked.
> 2 of em are DOA, and the 3rd is hanging on by a thread.? He was not a
> happy camper.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2025 21:15:18 -0700
> From: David Gilbert <ab7echo@gmail.com>
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] STEPPir ANTENNAs
> Message-ID: <3adcb8bb-3413-4b49-8794-4b9937e34c03@gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
>
>
> It would be interesting to know what the failure rate of Steppir yagis
> is over a ten year period.? Everyone I know of that has one has had one
> or more failures, but then again we probably don't hear from many of the
> people who haven't.
>
> Dave ? AB7E
>
>
>
>> On 4/5/2025 8:38 PM, Wes Stewart via TowerTalk wrote:
>> I helped a friend install a DB-42.? One of the EHUs was DOA out of the box.?
>> Fortunately he tested them before building the antenna.? My situation is
>> such that I couldn't install one anyway.? But if I could, I wouldn't.
>> Wes? N7WS
>> On Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 07:24:50 PM MST, john@kk9a.com
>> <john@kk9a.com> wrote:
>> Imagine this maintenance headache:
>> https://www.kkn.net/dayton2006/K9LTN.pdf
>> John KK9A
>> Jim VE7RF wrote:
>> Too bad, that DB-42 is a lotta? $$.? $13.5K, plus shipping, all in with
>> various options.
>> One fellow emailed me, who has? 3 of the? smaller steppir yagi's stacked.
>> 2 of em are DOA, and the 3rd is hanging on by a thread.? He was not a
>> happy camper.
>> _______________________________________________
>> _______________________________________________
>> TowerTalk mailing list
>> TowerTalk@contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>> _______________________________________________
>> _______________________________________________
>> TowerTalk mailing list
>> TowerTalk@contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2025 21:16:24 -0700
> From: David Gilbert <ab7echo@gmail.com>
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] STEPPir ANTENNAs
> Message-ID: <13390312-a55f-40ce-989e-ecb4718e3ceb@gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
>
>
> Somebody with more cents than sense.
>
>
>> On 4/5/2025 7:23 PM, john@kk9a.com wrote:
>> Imagine this maintenance headache:
>> https://www.kkn.net/dayton2006/K9LTN.pdf
>> John KK9A
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 10
> Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2025 21:26:46 -0700
> From: "Steve Jones" <n6sj@earthlink.net>
> To: "'David Gilbert'" <ab7echo@gmail.com>, <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] STEPPir ANTENNAs
> Message-ID: <001001dba6ac$1cc5ea80$5651bf80$@earthlink.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> I wonder how it made it through the recent tornadoes...
> Can't imagine excavating a big hole, forming up the concrete, and
> back-filling it! My foundation was poured into undisturbed soil.
> Like the wood-burning stove in the shop!
> 73,
> Steve
> N6SJ
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk <towertalk-bounces@contesting.com> On Behalf Of David
> Gilbert
> Sent: Saturday, April 5, 2025 9:16 PM
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] STEPPir ANTENNAs
>
>
> Somebody with more cents than sense.
>
>
>> On 4/5/2025 7:23 PM, john@kk9a.com wrote:
>> Imagine this maintenance headache:
>> https://www.kkn.net/dayton2006/K9LTN.pdf
>> John KK9A
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Subject: Digest Footer
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of TowerTalk Digest, Vol 268, Issue 4
> *****************************************
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