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| Reviews Summary for Alpha Delta DX-EE |
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Reviews: 42
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Average rating: 4.7/5
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MSRP: $100
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Description: Multi-band dipole, 10-40 meters, shortened for 40 meters.
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More info: http://www.alphadeltacom.com/
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You can
write your own review of the Alpha Delta DX-EE.
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VA7CPC
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Rating: 4/5
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Nov 24, 2008 17:57
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Very nice above 40m, and good for an attic
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I got this antenna when I was starting out with HF, and had it about 20' off the ground over my garage in 2003.
It gave me my first taste of DX work on 20m. 40m performance was not very good, and I never really tried it on higher bands.
A few months ago I moved into a townhouse with severe CC&R restrictions -- but I have an attic. So it's up there now, with household wiring, metal rain gutters, and alarm wiring. It's in a "Z" -- the only way it fits. My household (and my neighbors) is as electrically noisy as any other.
I have an LDG Z-100 Pro autotuner in the attic, with a 10' coax run to the feedpoint. Another 50' of coax goes from the tuner to my rig.
In spite of all the clutter and RFI, the DX-EE gets out OK on 20m and 15m with 100 watts (50 watts with PSK31). Not as well as it did when in the clear, but well enough for me to work contests and get some DX, both on phone and RTTY.
It's weak on 40m -- stations coming in at less than S7 find it hard to hear me on phone. But it's only 40' long _when it's straight_, so it's working as well as I can expect.
It got from Vancouver BC to Venezuela, on 15m SSB last weekend. And I worked 40 sections in a few hours, all over North America, in the ARRL SSB Sweepstakes. It's doing its job well.
I might give it a "5" if I had it 50' high, in the clear. But I'll rate it as I actually see it work, in my severely compromised environment.
Charles
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DXSHORTWAVE
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 24, 2008 10:41
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Great DX, easy to tune
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have worked well over 100 countries with my DX-EE at only 30 ft. It is an inverted-V and nothing is around it. Easy to tune on all bands. Sounds like the previous reviewer doesn't know how to trim a dipole. If it's too low on 40 meters, just shorten the ends a few inches at a time and re-check the SWR. Sounds like the other bands are affected by all his other antennas around it. The DX-EE is a great DX performer and very efficient. No problem at all if you understand dipoles and the requirements for HF antennas.
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K8JHR
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Rating: 3/5
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Nov 24, 2008 00:23
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Extremely AVerage
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I have had this antenna for about one year, and am somewhat under-whelmed by it. I use it mostly on 40 and 20 Meters SSB, and it is difficult to tune using my Palstar AT2K (actually I figure it should not require tuning...) and has high SWR on all bands. MFJ antenna analyzer bears this out, also. It is relatively OK on 20 meters, but on 40, it tunes too low, and has a 2.0:1 SWR bandwidth of only .050 MHz. That is just way too low for real work, and it will not play well outside that range without a big tuner.
Even though this is a "compromise" shortened antenna, it does not work as advertised on 40 meters.
On 15 Meters, best SWR is at 21.750 MHz - well higher than the SSB portion of the band. SWR at the center of the 15 SSB portion of the band is 3.2:1 SWR. On 10 Meters, best SWR is 1.2:1 but at 28,490 MHz - lower than the CW portion of that band, and at 29.600 MHz it reads 3.2:1 SWR.
I know this can be helped with a substantial outboard tuner, and even with my Omni VII ATU (which tunes a range of approx. 10:1 and not like typical 3:1 other ATUs do...) but, still, I figured it should be pretty close to resonant, with best SWR SOMEWHERE WITHIN EACH BAND IT WORKS. This thing is sometimes set for higher than, and at other times lower than, each band of intended operation.
Moreover, it is QUIET. Real QUIET on receive. I must adjust the RF Gain substantially compared to other antennas, including a 43 foot monopole vertical, a 40 M half wave homemade dipole hanging much lower, actually, and even a 20 meter ham stick dipole at a lower height.
I make contacts on it, for sure, but I just do not feel it performs as well as it should given its cost, and advertised claimed level of performance. And I know SWR is not the only thing to consider, nor do I regard SWR of 2:1 all that troublesome, but if you are using a solid state amp, it will not like this antenna without an outboard tuner... and it should not require one. It should be inherently within that 2:1 tolerance right out of the box - even though one might tweak it a bit to favor either the CW or the phone portion of the band. It should be set right for at least ONE of those areas of each band already. OR IT SHOULD BE ADJUSTABLE TO SAME... but not so in practice under the conditions that prevail at my QTH.
Just MY take, anyway ... perhaps your mileage will be better.
73 and good DX to all. --- /// James - K8JHR /// ---
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W2ZEY
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Rating: 5/5
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May 13, 2008 10:52
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durable
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Alpha Delta uses very good materials for the DX-EE. It is incredibly durable - survived a windstorm this past winter that clocked just over 65 mph. Assembly was straightforward. It took two of us a couple of hours to set up the antenna. Most of the time was spent straightening the elements. I used heavier nylon line to support it - a flat configuration spanning 2 trees. Because nylon tends to stretch, I think this helped its wind survival. The DX-EE works well, especially 20 meters and up. Technical support is excellent - email is answered promptly. Accompanying documentation was helpful.
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N8DV
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Rating: 4/5
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Apr 22, 2008 08:14
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Excellent shortned antenna
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I just installed the antenna and it plays as Alpha-Delta states. If you follow the instructions, there is no problem with the antenna. My FT 950's ATU has no problem with tuning, except for 40 meters. Just as the instructions indicated, use an outboard tuner. Presto! 1:1. Materials and construction are excellent. I would purchase another of Alpha-Delta antenna.
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KE7RDO
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 3, 2008 09:45
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Great Attic Antenna!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Again as others have said, make sure you lay the antenna out before going into the attic. Then gently roll it up and place it in a bucket (as suggested by another reviewer). After about 3 to 4 hours of tramping around in the attic, it was hung (up high, near the peak) and time to try it out. The first time using it with my LDG AT-7000 tuner, I had contacts with Hawaii and Japan! This little antenna works amazingly well in my attic. Even the cheaper end insulators didn't stop this baby from performing like a champ!
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KG4UFG
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 17, 2007 14:04
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Works as advertised
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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put this up in the inverted vee at 30 feet in about two hours with one helper. with no tuner to my ic-718 it covers all advertised bands 1.5:1 or better. 20 and 10 are as perfect as it gets. mine needs a tuner to work phone on 40 but they tell you this in the instructions(anything lower that 7.060 is a good match).
worked Europe, the West Indies, Alaska at 30w from Virginia.
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N8LY
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 30, 2007 08:26
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Great Attic Antenna = Great DX
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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If you are looking for an attic antenna and you are interested in working DX, you'll want to take a look at the Alpha Delta DX-EE.
The antenna was easy to install....no tuning or adjustments...and the results are amazing !!!!
Although I don't have a lot of time to devote to the hobby, I've already logged over 200 QSO's in 27 countries using less than 100 watts.
It's hard to believe that I can string up a DX-EE antenna in my attic in Southeast Michigan and have a QSO with someone in Russia or Poland.
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KF6IHL
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 6, 2007 16:07
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It just works
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Every year since 1999 I have done a field day party at my ranch. The first year we used the Alpha Delta DX-EE. Since then, we have put up and tried a number of other wire antennas. We always seem to come back to, and work the most stations on the DX-EE.
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N8DDW
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Rating: 4/5
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Jul 30, 2007 12:50
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Deed Restricted? Not too bad in the attic!
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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Like many California hams I live in an antenna restricted (more like excluded) community. I read the reviews here on eHam and decided there was enough good things to say about this antenna that I'd give it a shot. Upon arival I was pleasently surprised at how simple it was to roll this out along my 2nd story hallway and loft area. It's shortened, so it fits nicely in my attic. Like others, I recommend getting things set up on the ground outside the attic! I even used my handy MFJ ant. analyzer to adjust length before going up in the attic. Once ready, I carried it up the ladder, earned my gold medal for ability to walk on the joists rather than putting my foot through the drywall ceiling below. It did not take long to get this thing set up. It took longer to run the coax in the wall than put up this baby. Now, I didn't expect much of anything, I have a concrete tile roof, I have a furnace in the attic about 3 feet from the antenna and I have ducts everywhere along with all the pipes and cables that go with a typical CA home. I have an Orion II on my desk (like having a Ferrari but only dirt roads to drive it on) and with 100W out I was pleasently surprised to find that I had a good signal in Mexico, Central and South America along with a good signal to the North. (you guessed it, dipole is an East / West configuration giving me better coverage North and South. Now, if only I could rotate my house! I toyed with trying a rotatable dipole in the attic, glad I saved several hundred and went with this baby. It's not my old 4 element at 70' (like my good old days in the mid-west) but it does let me enjoy the hobby and still work a fair amount of DX.
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