I currently have a Alpha-Delta DX-EE up. This is the 40-10m wire (shortened on 40m). It’s still only up an average of 20′. It performs fine [for a low dipole] on 20m through 10m. On 40m, being that it is low and very short, is mediocre. It is mediocre on 80m as well. However, it does tune them both with no problem.

I also have a 100′ wire up in inverted-V configuration with the apex at 38′. It’s fed with 450-ohm ladderline. It performs great on 80/40m. It won’t tune up on 160m. It works fine on 30-10m as well. On 30-10m it is sometimes better than the DX-EE, and at other times the DX-EE is better. This doublet is oriented 180 degrees from the DX-EE. The DX-EE is not on this support.

I also bought an Alpha Delta DX-LB+ , which I want to eventually put up to handle 160m-10m. But there is a lot of “tuning” involved by trimming wires and such, and my heart isn’t into it right now. It’s a 160-10m parallel dipole (a big brother to the DX-EE).

The support I’m using is a Max Gain Systems MK-6-HD . Max Gain’s website is http://www.mgs4u.com . The push-up fiberglass masts from Max Gain are absolutely wonderful. I routinely lower the mast and swap out antennas. In the wintertime, when I do not do much with amateur radio, I put up a scanner antenna. I can lower the mast and swap antennas in 10 minutes or less. It takes about 1 minute [if I'm quick] to lower it from 38′ down to 6′. Takes a little longer to put it up. I can’t say enough good things about Max Gain. Allen’s a great guy to talk to as well. He was very helpful in recommending to me what would work best in my scenario.

Thanks,

Howard

Of course there is the issue of tuning it for what I prefer. I prefer areas within the first 100 khz of the bands (to cover CW and digital modes) and would just use a tuner to go up into the SSB portions.

I know that once I have the DX-CC, it will definitely be an inverted V oriented N/S (broadside E/W). But I’m undecided about how the DX-EE will be oriented. As it turns out, I think the location I had in mind won’t allow me to stretch out a flattop 40 foot long antenna. If that turns out to be the case, I may orient the DX-EE E/W (broadside N/S) as an inverted V as well. This would mean both dipoles would be supported by the fiberglass mast, with the DX-CC at the top and the DX-EE beneath it in the opposite direction.

One benefit to having both dipoles on the mast is that I’d use the dipoles themselves as rudimentary guy wires. This mast is 35 feet long pushed all the way up, but it’s light. Having it guyed at two levels using the dipoles as guys plus two additional dacron rope guys at each level should do the trick. Coaxes would run down the ouside of the mast and secured to the mast at intervals with wire ties most likely.

The tax data (including GIS info) for this plot say it is 100 feet wide and that the house is 70 feet wide. But it sure doesn’t look like it to my necked eye. I hope what I”m reading tells the truth, because I will need a minimum of 59 feet of ground distance for the DX-CC and a minimum of 28 feet of ground distance for the DX-EE. And I’ll need the full height of the mast to support the DX-CC high enough that the legs are adequately off the ground to be out of the way of people / animals.

My calculations show the following for the DX-CC
length: 82 feet (each leg 41 feet)
apex: minimum 29 feet from top to bottom assuming 90 degree inverted V
ground distance: minimum 59 feet

My calculations show the following for the DX-EE
length: 40 feet (each leg 20 feet)
apex: minimum 14 feet from top to bottom assuming 90 degree inverted V
ground distance: minimum 28 feet

So the plan is for the apex of the DX-CC to be at 35 feet and the apex of the DX-EE to be at least five feet lower. And regardless of where the apex of the DX-EE ends up, the second guying point for the dacron rope guys will be at 21 feet.