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Reviews For: Alpha Delta DX-A

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Alpha Delta DX-A
Reviews: 28MSRP: 59.95
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
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.alphadeltacom.com/dxa_ii.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00284.2
W8KX Rating: 2005-04-11
Not so great Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased the DX-A a couple years ago in order to get on the bands it covers quickly after a move. To be honest I was somewhat reluctant with the notion of purchasing a commercial wire antenna, having built legions of them over the years.
The DX-A uses standard techniques to provide 3 band operation with a 1/4 wave sloping antenna. It works reasonably well on 160, 80 and 40 (30m operation is a joke) but getting a reasonable match took quite a bit of effort. I expected this as the electrical charecteristics of this design is very installation dependent. I could have easily built this antenna with the time required to tune it.
I have significant gripes with the overall quality of the antenna. The 40/160 meter leg is simply soldered into the center pin of an SO-239 and this has repeatedly failed, requiring a trip up the tower for repairs each time. The mechanical connection for this needs to be improved.
Secondly, the wire is hard drawn solid copper and is very brittle. It kinks readily and is hard to work with generally. This is an issue as considerable experimentation will have to be done with leg lengths.
Finally the 40 meter trap is wound with simple magnet wire on a PVC form. Weather and sun deteriorates the varnish on the wire and the turns will eventually short out. New installations should probably use electrical tape to cover the wire. Also PVC is an inferior dielectric for RF applications.
Overall the antenna works reasonably well. However, to have spent $60 on something that could have been easily duplicated for about $5 to a higher standard of quality is a personal embarassment. W8KX
N5PHT2 Rating: 2004-10-29
Good Results Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought the DX-A with the hopes of improved performance on 80 and 40 meters and 160 would be a bonus.
Well, I am quite happy with the antenna. The apex is at 40 feet on a homebrew tower. My old dipoles were
up about 25 feet at the apex and that is my reference point. I am very pleased so far. I have added some
totals on 40 and 80 meters. I have even worked 16 DXCC on 160 mtrs (in 3 weeks) and that is more than
I expected. The antenna was fairly easy to install. I did run a ground return (very large guage wire) down
the tower to a ground rod. I didn't want to depend on the tower to make a good ground. Word of caution:
I had trouble on 40 meters with the SWR being erratic. I finally discovered it was my A4S beam. The
instructions with the DX-A speaks about such interference. With my beam (10, 15 and 20 mtrs) turned
to dissect the sloper I have no problems but lots when running parallel. I would buy the DX-A again for
a similiar situation. On 160 it will not be a DX hog but I have already worked Europe once and Africa once
and 21 US States and that is not bad for anything on 160 that is 40 feet up and 67 feet long or so. I use
the antenna successfully on 12, 17, 30 and 60 meters with a tuner. Actually I use a tuner on all bands
because my rig really likes a 1-1 SWR. Email me for any questions or for a sked on 160 mtrs!!
K9WIT Rating: 2004-10-14
Limited Space? This is for you. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I live on a 60'x 120' city lot with no space to have wire antennas on 80 and 160. I bought this antenna 5 years ago and have been using ever since with great results. Follow the instructions and you can work all bands with a tuner.
W0AV Rating: 2004-04-09
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used the DX-A for well over 10 years and have worked most of what there is to work. The DX-A works all bands 160-10 meters with the internal tuner of the TS2K and the K2.
I have worked DX on all bands (including 160M) with the K2, CW and SSB. What else can I say?
W0AV (Hamming since 1935)
N4JA Rating: 2004-04-09
Puts out a teeny-weenie signal Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this antenna in order to work 160 meters. It does work okay there., but my signal, when compaired to locals using other antennas. is 10db down from their signals. I have a full sized 80 meter coax-fed inverted vee antenna on another tower and the dx-a antenna is 20 db down from the other antenna. 40 meters is also 10 db down from other antennas on my property. My dx-a is installed at the 48 foot level of a 64 foot self-supporting tower and the legs are 180 degree apart. I have compared the dx-a (a full-sized 1/4 wave sloper) to the 80 meter inverted vee on European signals and the "high angle" inverted vee is stronger. If you want to be heard with a strong signal, this antenna needs help. But if you don't mind being 10-20db down from your neighbors, then spend $60 for it. If you are willing to give up 160 meters, you would be better off to put up a 120 foot long center-fed wire, fed with ladder-line and a tuner and a balun, and you will be 10-20 db louder, and this antenna can be put up in the same space and you can work all bands.
K7RX Rating: 2004-01-16
Excellent Results Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have had this antenna up almost a year now. It is installed on a 50 foot Rohn 25G tower with a Cushcraft A3, a 3 element 6 meter beam and a vhf/uhf colinear on the top. The DX-A is installed at about the 45 foot level and slopes to approximately eight feet off the ground at either end. Resonance was easily achieved on all bands. This antenna is an excellent performer. I have worked all parts of the world on 40, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America on 80 and the Caribbean and the Pacific on 160 from my QTH in the Seattle metro area. I do not seem to be able to hear long path signals from Europe such as some of the big guns in this area do, but if I can hear them, I can usually work them with my fairly modest station. While it may not compare with full size verticals on 160 or 80, it certainly works it's share of DX with good signal reports and is the ideal answer for someone with limited room for low band antennas.
W8OB Rating: 2002-11-13
excellant Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I picked one up off of ebay for $35, thinking I would use it with my dx-cc model which has been up in the air several years. This twin sloper is easy to install and tune. The only band I have to use the rigs tuner or wide range tuner on is 160m and this is due to the fact of the way I had to install this side of the sloper (had to make a 90 degree turn around the house for the wire to fit)
performance is excellant and using it for 40 and 80 meter dx work it pretty much keeps up with my verticals.. A real bonus is 30 and 17m without a tuner off of this thing. When you install this make sure you have a good ground return or like any sloper you will have a devil of a time tuning it.
NT9E Rating: 2002-03-11
Super performer! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I am on my 3rd (the elements do take their toll after a few years) Alpha Delta DX/A antenna. It works great on 160-40 in addition to MARS freqs and 30 and 17 WARC freqs. Painless installation using minimum of tools and test gear. Slight directional advantage in the direction the antenna is sloping toward.