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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
W7CSD Rating: 2007-08-30
Great Antenna!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned DX-LB+ for quite a few years now and I have never had any problems with it. Currently, the apex is at 25' on a tower with the ends at 15' (One being 4' over the top of the house). Initially I did have a problem with resonance, but it's tuned from the factory for the bottom of the band (it's easier to remove wire than add it) and I was mainly using it for voice. Simple enough to remove a little wire from the various sections to bring it right into where I wanted it.

If I had to flaw the antenna it would be the material used for the wire. It's basically THHN 12ga copper house wire. The problem is that is sheds the plastic coating like a snake. Doesn't effect the performance, just looks bad.

So, if I were asked if I would buy another one, I would answer YES.
N3EAQ Rating: 2007-02-10
Good, and Easy Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I had a B&W folded dipole that I replaced with a DX-CC, BOY! what a step up!

But recently put up the DX-LB+ to add 160. I'm very happy! It's set up as a flat top, and is only about 30' off the ground. Easy to assemble, easy to tune! Solid construction, and quality parts.

I sent A-D an email on a Sat. afternoon asking for the optimal way to tune the 75/80 part of the antenna. I got a quick and friendly answer back in an HOUR! (this pushes the antenna to a 5 in my book! Too many companies have lousy cust. support. I like to do business with folks who appreciate my business!)

It tunes up great on all bands, eats my legal limit signal with no problems, and does a good job on recieve. I'm very happy!
W0SWR Rating: 2005-12-21
Beefy materials and works Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought this antenna because of Alpha Delta's reputation for quality products. This antenna is built to last and is heavy for a wire antenna so think about this before you decide to use a pulley to put/hold it up. The wire is solid and and can be a problem if it gets kinks in it, so straighten it before putting it in the air. I am in the desert and no obstructions to make problems so making it work was not difficult but it was a bit tricky to trim to use on 160 and 75 mtrs. I was able to trim it for 1.900 and 3.905 which are the primary operating freqs I use on these two bands. 40 is wide enough to use without any trimming. 20-15 and 10 work as good as any wire I have used in the past.I have the apex at 43 feet and the legs at 20 feet (inverted vee). I usually use around 500 watts on 75 and 160 and get good reports. I did change out the center connector with a 1500 watt 1:1 balun and grounded the tower well. I have no rfi at 500-1000 watts on any band due in large to the balun. Because of the short length of the antenna remember to cut it for the freq. you want to use on 75 and 160 as it is 2:1 at 10 kc up or down from resonent point on 160 and about 15 kc on 75. This antenna plays well for a short wire and seems to do well for the height it is at. All in all it is a good antenna for anyone who wants a wire that will fit in a small lot and doesn't mind a bit of trimming to get a good res. point on the two top bands. Also if you look around on the web you will find prices differ as much as 30.00 for this antenna. I rated this a 4 because I would not consider it a great wire antenna, but I do think it is a very good antenna given the length and it is made from top notch materials.
K4SJA Rating: 2002-03-12
A First Class Antenna. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned the Alpha Delta DX-LB+ for over 2 years now. I wanted an antenna that (1) Would let me listen to all the HF Bands,(2)Would allow me to Transmit on the HF Bands once I upgraded to General Class,(3)A Well made Antenna,Quality Hardware,an Lastly(4) An Antenna that wouldn't cost an arm or leg.
I upgraded to General Class in Mid July of 2001 and started working DX every chance I got. I have a Rohn 113 Ft. Tower, located about 1000 Feet from my Station. I have the DX-LB+ mounted in a Inverted V Configuration, with the Apex of the Antenna at the 105 Foot Mark.I have 1 inch 75 Ohm Hardline ran to the Antenna. I operate a Icom 746, MFJ-989c Tuner, and a Heathkit Amp. at around 500 Watts Max. The Following are my Statistics from Mid July 2001 to the Present Date.
I'll let the Statistics Speak for the performance of the DX-LB+. All the Below were made on Phone SSB;The Statistics below are Accurate as of March 12, 2002.
(1) 159 DXCC Enities worked on 20 Meters with 125 confirmed.
(2) 50 U.S. States Worked on 20 Meters with 48 confirmed.
(3) 97 I.O.T.A.s worked on 20 Meters with 80 Confirmed.
(4) 38 out of 40 CQ Zones worked on 20 Meters with 37 Confirmed.
(5) 288 WPX's worked on 20 Meters with 211 Confirmed.

As you can see I enjoy DX work and to accomplish this with a 150 Dollar, well Made Antenna says it all.
You will not be disappointed with this antenna.
You can view the Tower and Antenna Configuration on my Website at: www.qsl.net/k4sja if your interested.
Thanks Alpha Delta for a well Made Product.
N7YJ Rating: 2001-11-22
Confined Space Champ Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The other reviewers did a good job describing the antenna. I'm lot and tree (forest) constrained so my installation is in inverted-vee configuration with the legs asymetrical to give the greatest clearance between trees. The peak is attached to the top of my 2-story chimney. I picked the DX-LB Plus for it's 160M capability. Given my installation conditions are not optimal, I consider two things a must. 1) An antenna tuner is essential if you want somthing other than a 5khz bandwith on 160. 2) I recommend adjusting the end lengths for minimal VSWR to the desired center frequency on 160. It won't affect 40/80 noticeably. The antena tuner is helpful in keeping SWR below 1.5/1 which is more important for my solid state rig. Operation has been flawless with great performance in all weather. It doesn't perform as well at the 221' wires on 160 given all the coil length but is the best "non-vertical" solution in a CCR sensitive neighborhood. If you want/need 160 and space is a problem, check this one out. 73s, Kevin
K8ML Rating: 2001-03-04
Great Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I used the LB/PLUS for about 3 years,after the loss of an A4S and a A3WS to lightening.It has heavy duty construction,and the ISO-RES coils are first class all the way. It was installed at 55 ft as an inverted v with the ends at about 14 feet.It is an excellent performer on the bands.I have worked tons of DX with 4 watts,all over the world.I have worked Europe many times at 50 milliwatts.Also 40 states at 100 milliwatts,22 states at 5 milliwatts,and a handfull of contacts at 1 and 2 milliwatts.Even one contact at 400 microwatts!I was also working 160 at 100 milliwatts[believe it or not]! This antenna was retired due to change of QTH,what a pity as I was getting into it [HI HI ].So,if you are looking for a great wire antenna,stop looking and go get yourself a DX LB/PLUS.I wish I still had mine. Thanks ALPHA-DELTA for all the fun!
KC8HYI Rating: 2000-08-29
Excellent Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After a miserable experience with a vertical, I decided to get the Alpha Delta. I initially was going to buy the DX-CC, but saw the DX-LB+ covered more bands, so I went with it.

Description:

The DXLB+ covers 160 through 10 except the WARC bands (30, 17, 12). It contains two set of "ISO RES Coils" (some may argue that they are traps). A large set of coils for 160M and a set of coils for 80M. There is a wire for 40/15 meters which also makes up the 80 and 160 portion. There is also wires for 20 and 10 meters that are installed below the 15/40/80/160 wire and are separated by stand-offs. Total overall length is 100ft (50ft per leg).

Assembly:

Assembly is pretty straight forward. I was able to assemble the antenna in about 30 minutes. Instructions are simple and straight forward. The antenna is simple enough to put together without instructions.


Installation:

I installed the DXLB+ in an inverted V configuration at about 120 to 130 degree angle. The feedpoint is about 40 feet high with one leg about 7ft off of the ground and the other about 15 feet off of the ground. I run hi quality RG8X into the shack.

Performance:

The antennas that I have had to compare to is the GAP Eagle DX and the G5RV Jr. I was not able to do classic A/B comparisons, but I can use my practical experience with the antennas in my comparison. The DXLB+ out performs the GAP by a long shot (please see my review about the Eagle DX for more information) and outperformed the G5RV as well. The performance difference I feel is because of the installation of the DXLB+ compared to the G5RV. I also feel that the DXLB+ is more efficient on the 40M and above bands than the G5RV as the DXLB+ is more resonant on those bands. Being that the antenna is so low to the ground for 80 and 160 (and conditions being what they are in the summer) I did not expect a whole lot. However, I am now finally able to get on the lower bands!!!

I started at 160 and started my way up. As expected, the bandwidth on 160 is a narrow 20khz (due to 2 RES COILs on each leg). 80 about 40khz, 40 about the whole band. 20 and 10 was resonant with 15 a little high in the CW portion. I did not tune the antenna for any particular portion of the bands as I intend to use a wide range antenna tuner.

With the tuner, I had no problems tuning any portions of any band (including WARC bands).

On the air performance is quite good. The night I got it wired into the shack I worked a guy from Wales on SSB on 20 meters. He seemed to be giving semi honest signal reports from other stations. It seemed he was constantly asking for repeats from stations in the pileups. When I called, he came straight back to me with a 59.

On the lower bands, 160, 80, 40, I have not had much experience yet. However, I was able to make contact on 160 to a couple of guys in KY (I am in OH). Due to band conditions, I was not able to complete the contact.

Conclusions:

The DXLB+ is a little expensive compared to other dipoles (and what you can make). However, the antenna is of great quality and if you want to get on the lower bands, and get great performance on the upper bands, this antenna is for you. When you compare the space requirements for a 1/2 wave 160M antenna, the 100 ft fits very well in most lots. I am looking forward to the 160 meter contest this year as this will be my first. I will submit another review after the wonderful fall contest season.

Kudos to Alpha Delta for a fine product. I am quite pleased with my purchase.

If you have questions, please feel free to email me.

73 de KC8HYI