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Reviews For: Alpha Delta DXLB Plus

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Alpha Delta DXLB Plus
Reviews: 27MSRP: 149.00
Description:
160 through 10 meter "trapless" dipole
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.alphadeltacom.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00274.6
VE3FDT Rating: 2009-03-18
Excellent! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Just over 3 years ago I decided to get back to Ham radio after a more than 20 years break. For the first 2 years I operated without an amplifier and with a "simple" DX-LB+ dipole. Am I happy with the results? Unequivocally: yes! I honestly believe that DX-LB+ was a major contributor to my 200+ DXCC entities in the first 6 months and 250+ DXCC entities in the first 2 years.

The DXLB+ works well on the 6 bands from 160m (very narrow on 1.8 MHz!) to 10m. Somewhat worse on the WARC bands (30, 17, 12). Total overall length is 100ft (50ft per leg). This was a major reason for my choice, since I am on a "postage stamp size" city lot.

Assembly is really straightforward. I was able to assemble the antenna in about 30 minutes. Instructions are simple and, in fact, the antenna is simple enough to put together without instructions.

I installed the DX-LB+ in a truly strange inverted V configuration. (Due to my “city lot” it is hanged active arm horizontally NNE-SSW at 25 feet, some 6 feet below my roof line, on one side of my house and grounded arm sloping down 60 degrees and 120 degrees in vertical projection toward NS just to hit the corner of my lot). Trust me, it is weird: nothing short of miracle that it works at all. I run high quality RG8X into the shack.

Performance: with just this antenna and never exceeding 100 Watts I clocked 207 worked DXCC entities in 6 months, 209 in 7, 212 in 10 months aand then started reaching saturation and decided to move on to something with directivity and gain. My "lower bands" (160 - 40 meters) antenna is still DX-LB+ exclusively and I am pretty hasppy to be at my current (after 3 years): 41 worked (all continents) on 160 meters, 95 worked on 80 and 174 worked on 40 meters. It is really narrow on 160 and I am thinking about putting in a vertical for TX on this band, also it magically tunes either on the CW or on the SSB end of the 80 meters (but never on both at the same time). Yet, it is a perfect example of a "thingy" that fits the proverbial "if you don't have what you'd like, you have to like what you have". And I like it!

With it, I am able to get on the lower bands!

With the tuner, I have had no problems tuning any portions of any band (including WARC bands), with the exception of 160 meters. I am limited to the lower 40kHz of the 160 meters, even with the tuner.
DXSHORTWAVE Rating: 2008-12-09
Excellent, even for DX Time Owned: more than 12 months.
At my set up, compared to the full size dipoles, all at about 40 ft., the DX-LB Plus is the same on 40 meters. No difference on the S-meter and reports from DX stations are the same. On 80 meters, it is less than about 1/2 of an S unit down and about the same on 160 meters. Great DX on those bands too. The DX-LB and dipoles are across about a one acre field and far enough to be de-coupled. If they were closer, and parallel, they would probably upset each other.

I don't use the monoband dipoles much anymore and they will probably come down before the leaves in springtime come back. Need to clean up the property.

The DX-LB Plus is highly recommended.
W2MV Rating: 2008-12-09
Excellent Construction, Poor Performance Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Compared to my full-sized 80 and 40 M dipoles, my reports with the DXLB+ are down one to two S units.
I'm not too surprised, especially on 80, considering the loading/short antenna. On 160, it's a real challenge to compete with other stations using a full-sized antenna. My power is 1 KW.
During the recent CQWW DX CW contest, I could not work any Pacific DX with the DXLB+ on 40M, but easily worked whatever I could hear with the full-sized dipole. The height for both is within a few feet of each other, not very high...about 30-40' up.
The construction is excellent, and I would keep it as an emergency backup, all-band antenna. It's the only 160M ant that will fit on my property, so I'm stuck with it, unless I want to go the open-wire feeder route.
I've had the antenna for 12 months+.
K2JX Rating: 2008-11-18
Well made Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.

Just put the DXLB up in the air about 40', N/S orientation here on Long Island. It works very well even on 160. I actually had two stations call "me" on 160 ! That's a big improvement over my 60' inverted "L". I used the antenna for a time at a very low 20' until the leaves came down from my oak trees and even at 20' it "heard" quite well on 20m. Build quality is excellent, well worth the price, but hey they use good stuff not cheap coils and "plated" hardware !

Should survive a normal NYC winter. I give this antenna an A ! Would I reccomend one, YES.

GL&73, K2JX
WA1GON Rating: 2008-07-15
I Love it. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I replaced a Van Gordon All bander with the DX-LB Plus. What a wonderful change. I have a A3S Tri-bander pointed to the NE (QTH is NH) and in all cases I could hear stations equal as well on the dipole as the tri-bander. I haven't compared it on transmit yet. On the Van Gorden dipole, I couldn't hear the stations when I switched to it.

The main reason I took down the Van Gordon was being a window line I was getting a little RF in the shack.

I am still getting RF in shack, but it is different and worst. It is crashing my T1 Internet line. I have put shielding CAT5 between the router and the smart jack which has helped. Next I am going to put a RF choke loop up near the feedline of the dipole. I am expecting this to cure the remaining RF in the shack.
K2FEF Rating: 2008-06-09
Best Short All Bander Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Antenna survives ! - first, Upstate New York Winters, and now, (hot) South Kentucky Summers - (with a Tuner) tunes up flat everywhere - without a tuner it's still very wideband'ed. Have had multiple setups and config's - it always performs (and holds up) better than most other wires avail. Tech Support (Cust. Svc.) is as good a review as the antenna.
K3EY Rating: 2008-01-15
Does the Job Well Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had the three band version of this antenna and it too worked great for many years. It needed maintenance from the wind on this hill and weather so I decided to replace it with this plus version.

I was happy to find the same results, great. I have it up 40 feet in an inverted vee configuration spanning 90 feet. One end is up about 15 feet the other only a couple feet above ground level.

Between this antenna and a vertical I work the world and break DX pile ups at times. I think for the price and the results realized it can't be beat for people like me who don't own towers or have lots of acreage for antenna farms.

The first one I bought had a damaged coil and a call to the factory resulted in an immediate shipment of a new replacement free of charge. I remembered that when I bought this one. Great people to deal with on top of a excellent product.

k3ey
KE0XS Rating: 2007-10-26
Outstanding Performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'm able to tune all bands including 17 meters with a Palstar AT1500DT or the built in antenna tuner in my FT-2000. SWR's are right where advertised. Had to fold back some wire for 160 meters and 10 meters. I'm resonant at 3.750.00 with an SWR of 1.36 and on 1900 1.2. This antenna replaced a Van Gordon G5RV 102 footer. Noise level is reduced and overall and signals on receive and transmit are better.

This antenna is more susceptible to tree limbs and leaf's. Also you have to move it away from your roof and gutters. It's imperative that the coax hang straight down from the center connection.

Customer service from Alphadelta is second to none. Emails and phone calls promptly answered. Don is exceptional and knows this product extremely well.

My configuration is Flat Top. You won't be sorry with this antenna!

Brad
73's
K3MD Rating: 2007-08-30
Works Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Alpha Delta definitely has the BEST service. Within 2 hours of complaining to AES and Alpha Delta, I got a phone call from the manager of Alpha Delta, who explained patiently to me that trimming only 1 foot off either end would bring the antenna into resonance. With a normal "trap" dipole, this would be 13 feet off either end.
This worked. HOW this works I do not know.
Signals are better over many paths with this at 25 feet than a 3/8 wave vertical.
My only gripe: no balun, but this can be corrected for $26.
WB2WIK Rating: 2007-08-30
Works fine Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I don't understand the K3's review, either. "Ends too short to bring it to resonance" when he said it resonates at 1.6 MHz? How can they be too short?

Anyway, I've had one up for about 2 years and it works very well down to 40m, very well over about 100 kHz on 75/80m and passably well over about 50 kHz on 160m. Very critically tuned on 160m (pretty heavily loaded, since it's less than "half sized" on this band), so an inch or two on the ends beyond the 160m loading coils influences resonance a lot. But, it's easy to figure out and I would *not* mess with the coils themselves -- no reason to.

WB2WIK/6