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| Reviews Summary for Alpha Delta DX-A |
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Reviews: 23
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Average rating: 4.4/5
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MSRP: $59.95
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Description: 160-80-40 Meter 1/4-wave Twin Sloper - A top low frequency DX antenna. Combines the tremendous DX
firepower of the 1/4-wave sloper with the wide bandwidth of the 1/2-wave dipole. One leg is 67 ft., the other 55 ft.
Installs like an Inverted-V with ground return accomplished thru tower or down-lead
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More info: http://www.alphadeltacom.com/dxa_ii.htm
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CT1HZU
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 2, 2009 07:42
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Outstanding !!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Installed this antenna primarily because I didn’t have 160 and 80 bands and also because I have very limited space available. I live on a 10 floor story building and even for this antenna I had to install it in a non-conventional way. I received the antenna on the last weekend of K5D operation and a good test specially on 160 was to contact the team. I could do it on CW with very noticeable signals. I also could do some SWL on the CQ WW 160M contest, and again could ear some US stations getting through the huge QRN.
About the installation, the metal plate of where the coaxial is being attached is @ 7meter high (23 feet) above the top of the building. The 160M leg of this antenna has 60 feet or 18 meter. The 80M leg can be totally slopped, however the 160M/40M leg had to be folded, since I had no available space for it, so about 3 meter (10 feet) had to be folded sideways. I had on both legs to decrease it’s lengths, due in fact to the proximity of “ground” (top of the building), but after done that I had an SWR of 1:3:1 on 160CW and about 1:9:1 on 160SSB. On 80M I had initially a good match on 80CW, in fact a little to good, so I had to bring the resonance a bit up, so that I could get a reasonable behaviour on 80SSB. On 40M I did notice I had a good performance on all band, but really didn’t give to much attention to it, since I have a 3 element yagi on this band.
Bottom line is, I’m delighted with this antenna and will recommend it to anyone having very limited available space.
73’s de
Pedro-CT1HZU
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NZ0T
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 2, 2008 15:46
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15 months later...
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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After 15 months of use I wanted to update my review of the DX-A. I am very happy with this antenna. It works very well for me on all three bands and 80M SWR, which had been 1.7-1 at best has now come down to about 1.2-1 at resonance after I removed my G5RV and the ladder line that ran along (spaced out 6 inches) the tower leg. Does it work as well as a full size dipole? Probably not but if you have a small lot like I do and a tower with some sort of beam to serve as "top loading" and want to get on 160M then this antenna is for you. If those conditions are met, as Alpha-Delta says in their literature/manual, then the antenna will work well. Be aware that some "fiddling" may be needed and that other antennas/feedline like my G5RV may affect the sloper. I did replace the G5RV with a coax fed 60M inverted vee that does not affect the sloper.
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K2DC
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 14, 2008 10:15
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Absolutely Love It!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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In 30 years, I had never had a workable antenna for 160M. So I took down my homebrew 40/80M inverted vee pair and replaced it with the DX-A, hanging from the tower at 58' with a down lead grounded at the base of the tower.
For DX, I see absolutely no difference between the DX-A and the inverted vees it replaced, and I have DXCC on both bands. On 160M I have 58 worked and 19 confirmed in only two months.
I realize that DX worked is not an entirely objective measure of the performance of the antenna, without comparative or measured data (I'm an Antenna Engineer by trade). But I'm having a ball.
73 All,
Don, K2DC
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N9AZZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 27, 2008 23:02
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Great small lot antenna
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have used this antenna for a number of years now. I have had good results with it on all of it's advertised bands. I have worked Africa and Europe on 160 and many other countries on 75 and 40. I have mine mounted at 35 feet under a three element beam and other VHF/UHF antennas. I need a tuner on 75, mine never got much below 2.1, but with the tuner I have I can operate across the entire band. (Palstar AT1500DT). I get about 50 kcs on 160, and about 200 kc on 40, with the tuner I can cover the entire bands on each. I can also use this antenna on 12,17 and 30 meters also with a tuner with good results, mostly better than my butternut vertical. Recently I was also able to tune it on 60 meters, but the jury is still out on that bands performance. The 160/40 meter leg has been bent to fit my city lot. I also had the legs as close as 90+ degrees, but now have them more like 180 in a true Vee fashion. I also use the antenna for domestic contacts, and have very good signals reported. Overall a very good antenna for the money for someone who doesn't have a lot of room for wires.
73
Flip
N9AZZ
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YB2TJV
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 19, 2008 07:06
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Good Antenna, Easy Set Up and Low VSWR
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Steve Hass (WB2ZHB) gave me this antenna when he was in Indonesia Juli 10 to 14, 2008, at July 16 I raised up this antenna, first I was worried about guy wires in my tower that affecting the overall performance, but after finished and connected to the tx.... wooooo that's great man... the VSWR is vy low on 40m, 80m and 160, even my old TS 440S, work nice, without antenna tuner, the first station we QSO was VK9XWW from Chrstmas Island 59+20db
that's my comment, thanks Steve Hass WB2ZHB/YB2
de DANI
YB2TJV
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K6YE
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 25, 2008 20:11
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AWESOME
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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My expectations from simple wire antennas are mixed. I purchased the DX-A at a Hamfest primarily for 160 and 80 meters (I have 2 elements on the Force-12 C4XLD for 40). It was NIB for $30 (somebody was thinning the herd). After installing my find, I was able to work my buddies in California without too much trouble.
The VP6DX expedition peeked my interest. I worked them easily on CW. I must say that I do use a Heathkit SA-2060A tuner to get the most out of my IC-775DSP or FT-1000D on the entire band(s). As Gotham Antennas used to say in their advertisements, "That antenna works!" I thought for sure the Alpha 91B or the Kenwood TL-922A would be needed but nix.
For sure there are other simple wire antennas that work as well or much better, but this baby gets a "thumbs up" for its production.
You cannot go wrong with the DX-A.
Semper Fi,
Tommy - K6YE
DX IS
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KB3Z
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Rating: 4/5
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Dec 18, 2007 09:48
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Good Antenna but needs trimming
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I have had the DX-A up for about 4 months. It wasn't until I hooked up a Winode 2 that I got a good look at the swr's for all 3 bands. 160 and 40 meters are good and I get excellent power out with my AL-811 on. 75 Meters needed quite a bit of tuning or should I say trimming. I probably cut off around 4 feet to get a good swr and power out with the amp. I usually operate from 3700.0 to 3875.0 so I had to do some trimming to get it to work just fine. Good antenna but it took some work to get it there.
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W0BKR
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 18, 2007 05:57
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Good Performer
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I recently bought a new DX-A along with a "used one". The used one is up and the new one still in the wrapper.
PROS
Antenna is pretty straightforward to install and use. Heavy gauge wire, seems relatively well made. Loads fairly easily, some adjustment is required (mine was used so not sure how trimmed perviously). Good SWR bandwidth on 160, 75 and 40. Worked G3 station on 75 with 50 watts which isn't too bad, along with an OZ station shortly afterwards with 100 watts.
CONS
Mounting adapter to tower could be more robust as could the strain relief for the wires to the bulkhead connector.
12 gauge wire a bit hard to work with for trimming due to inherent nature of solid strand 12 gauge wire.
Sensitive to surrounding objects fo tuning may be a must for one and not required for another in the same set up. The nature of the sloper.
Price is a bit more then what I consider reasonable ($100 on today's market). Should be around $50-60 and even then the profit margin is high.
Overall, if you have the desire to operate on 160 and need a reasonably good performer, it will do the job. Don't expect high performance results with a 60 FT wire for 160 but you will be able (at times) to hear DX and work it.
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KE4NU
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Rating: 2/5
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Nov 24, 2007 21:19
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Poor Performer
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I picked the DX-A up a few yrs ago and mounted it at 38 ft level below a hf beam and made sure the tower was well grounded. Poor performance on 80 meters, never could get a good match without a tuner. 40 meters was a little better. 160 was really narrow banded but worked fairly good. Stranded wire would have been a better choice over the solid wire which when stressed will come loose from the SO239. Very disappointed, I replaced it with an inverted V and my signal increase about 10 db on 75. Huge difference and didn't need a tuner. Bottom line: try loading a metal gutter or mobile antenna. Don't waste your money on this antenna.
73, Alan
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NZ0T
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Rating: 4/5
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Aug 14, 2007 07:09
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Early results very good
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I've only had the DX-A up for about a week but the early results are very good. I hung it from about the 38 foot level of my 40 foot Rohn 25 tower which has a tribander and 2 meter vertical mounted. Element ends are about 8-10 feet high. I had to actually add some wire to get to my resonant points on 80 and 40 and take some off for 160. SWR on 40 is 1.4 - 1 or less across the entire band, 80 1.7 to 1 at resonance with a 185 Khz 2-1 bandwidth and 160 1.4 - 1 with a 118 Khz bandwidth. Early reports are very good on 40 and 160 and good on 80. A group that I talk to at 1.947 reported much better signal strength than my old home brew "Cobra" doublet and a CQ on 40 CW resulted in an easy QSO with an HB9 at 100 watts.
I rated a 4 because of the rather flimsy mounting bracket which bent when I tightened the U bolt enough to hold it firmly to the tower leg and the fact that 80 meter SWR is rather high. That said, this is an excellent antenna for someone like me with a small lot and a tower/yagi setup to hang it from. I'm looking forward to winter (for good 160 conditions not cold) and having a good 160 signal!
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