Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Alpha Delta DX-B

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Alpha Delta DX-B
Reviews: 37MSRP: 69.95
Description:
160/80/40/30 Multiband Quarter Wave Sloper
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.alphadeltacom.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00373.9
NT9E Rating: 2024-06-10
This antenna just works! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have had this antenna installed for at least 10 years. Since my 3el SteppIR was not working I have been using this antenna for 160-6m for the last few years with great success! If you have a wide range tuner like my Elecraft KTA500 you will be able to work 160-6m with this antenna. This weekend was the ARRL VHF Contest and I used the DX-B on 6m all weekend I had 102 6m Q's and 47 multipliers. Hows that for success!
ON5GM Rating: 2023-06-02
worthless Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It doesn't work at all. Too bad the money wasted (164 €) This piece of wire is totally not worth its money.
K4LD Rating: 2022-06-29
Good antenna - poor customer support Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I'm currently on my second Alpha Delta DX-B. Antenna wise - it's solid. The antenna will put some DX in the book. I WOULD recommend a tuner with this antenna... especially if you'd like to run 80M & 160M.

I am DISAPPOINTED with the customer service regarding this antenna. About a year and a half into owning this antenna, I experienced a failure at the SO-239 connector. The connector requires a special part (proprietary?) which connects it to the antenna wire. I have emailed Alpha Delta support no less than six times asking for assistance and have never received a response. I was forced to purchase a brand new antenna.

I still hope to hear back from Alpha Delta. Hopefully this isn't the norm.
W2OSR Rating: 2022-05-12
OK antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It works well for me on 40 and 30 meters. It did require tuning. Can't get below a 4.7:1 SWR on 80 meters. When tuning the antenna I found 80 and 160 interact with each other. Narrow band widths on both 80 and 160 meters. Haven't tried it on 160 meters yet
VE3TMT Rating: 2021-04-07
Nice antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Update - April 7th, 2021

The DX-B still continues to perform well after 12 years and has allowed me to works lots of interesting DX on 30m. For such a short stub of wire, it plays very nice on this band. I never get on 80m, but use it occasionally on 160 with acceptable results. SWR is still flat across most of 40m and I've even managed to work some DX on 17m with it. One of my best purchases in amateur radio!


Put up my first tower in the spring of 2009. I had to wait for good weather (anything above -10) to put the beam together so I mounted the DX-B at 32' sloping eastward to an old clothesline pole in the back corner of my yard. Everything after the 160 coil is vertical down the pole at about 10 feet above ground. SWR on 160 was 1:1 at 1.910 and 1.2:1 on 3875, very nice. I was a happy camper.

After the beam A3S went up in the spring, I lost all resonance on 75m. Can't get lower than 3.5:1 anywhere in the band. All other bands okay. Had tried different configurations and spacings on the tower, obviously the change is due to the interaction with the beam.

My external tuner solves this problem nicely and I have worked all sorts of DX on 80, 40 and 30. Haven't spent much time on 160.

All in all a very nice antenna.
W0RDX Rating: 2020-11-03
Great Antenna! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
DX-A twin Sloper (160-80-40).
Lost my sloper during a tornado along with the tower and all antennas. Put back up the DX-A, no issues. Takes some folding of wire back or trimming but easily get around 75 khz on 160 below 2:1. Cannot ask for anything better then that. A tuner to hit the higher SWR in the band where I don't operate will be easy on the tuner and shack. It takes some time to hit the sweet spot. For 160M, it is in inches on the tail end not feet to add or remove. Good luck!

I have the 160-80-40-30, twin sloper. I get like 80khz on 160 very easily. Not resonant on 75 meters, about 75 khz in the middle of 75/80 meters, and on the ends, goes up to 2,2.5:1 and on 40 about 100khz. Well, I could cut, trim, measure, but with SWR below the 3:1 level, I just stick the tuner in line.

Works well working DX on 160 and 75 but you kinda need a receive antenna as any vertically polarized antenna will be receive noisy.

One issue, if you want to run another low band antenna hanging on the same support/tower, be prepared for pattern skewing, interaction.

I can't complain about the antenna. It does what it is suppose to. More of a DX antenna less so stateside/nvis.

VE7KKQ Rating: 2017-04-17
Works for me. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a compromise antenna, if you expect to get low SWR from band edge to band edge, you best reread your antenna theory. It is narrow banded, pick a segment, tune it to that freq., be happy. Overall, it works well for what it is.
WB9AZA Rating: 2016-05-11
Excellent Wire Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Excellent antenna but installation is critical as with any high Q antenna. Follow Alpha-Delta’s instructions.
My DX-B is mounted 10 feet under a six element Yagi at 60 feet. End is 15 feet above ground.
Band with is narrow on 75 meters but my Palstar antenna fooler helps. Do not exceed the 1kw power limit and have a good RF choke as described in line with the feed line. You can do some trimming at the 160 meter end if you need to. This will affect both the 160 and 75 meter swr.
It is an excellent DX antenna on 30 through 160 meters. If you cant read instructions or have little understanding of this type of antenna you probably will have problems. Its not an antenna problem.
WA6LJR Rating: 2016-03-09
Poor SWR Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Just use a long wire, no traps. Scraped it for the wire.
M0VMT Rating: 2014-10-27
Enjoy the RFI Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
The build quality is good and the instructions are easy to follow. Mine was fitted under the beam as per instructions and the tower is earthed so no problem their, this wire is narrow on 160 80 and 30 but I could get it to tune on most of 40.
VSWR was all over the place I had to cut and chop it till I ended up putting a new section on the 160 wire, this antenna drove me mad getting it right.
Anything more than 50 watts resulted in the house alarm going off and the internet modem resetting and I have never had rfi issues with any of my wires even my other end feds. Ferrite's made a difference but still on 400 watts on 80 the alarm went crazy.
The ultimate was when a neighbour in the other street came round saying I was blasting through her stereo and in 20 years I have never had issues with my station.
So I did get it to radiate quite well even in the next street!! but this end fed is not for me and tests against a simple home made dipole confirmed that this is DX-B is more trouble than it's worth!
It now lives wrapped up in the shed and I shall butcher it for the traps good bye DX-B.