Ski Bag Portable, Parks, Camps, Beach Ham Radio with Greyline DX Vertical Antenna #POTA #SOTA

by Greyline Performance مايو 04, 2019

Hear real DX audio from summer Quick-deploy, Ski Bag, and Beach house DXpeditions with the Greyline DX Vertical Antenna

Hello Radio Friends,

We receive requests to share more pictures and stories of the Greyline Vertical Antennas, we created some for you and it was a lot of fun too.

It's our hope that you appreciate the audio of the below, Live "on the air" action with RBN (signal report data) and some commentary too.

Updated: WPX CW AUDIO added

KL2A (Member of Team USA WRTC 2014) returned to rural W7 using the callsign of KQ7W for the weekend to test the 20' OCF vertical dipole from a beachfront QTH.

The ham bands weren’t great but you can hear a fun opening very-late evening on 20-40M from near Seattle. The background DX in the audio files is worth noticing!

Jon (KL2A) writes, "please excuse the LID'ery, it was freezing at night. I was wrapped in a sleeping bag, just the fingers out for the CW paddle, with only the light from the laptop, radio, and the stars! A real good time."

G5W 20M
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h8n3OJnw40WgjK7cCPdzfAPoeGmBxXqN/view?usp=sharing

KH7M 20M
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1klf4BeupwPWfxOxsfRymFNPbHBPdu2at/view?usp=sharing

W6/7 mini-regional ”run”
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kgcubu8gS373byn3Vid4ChnWZIcfQj7x/view?usp=sharing

Other noteworthy highlights are the DX RBNs that reported hearing us all over the world. Remember, this is 50W to a 20' VDA vertical antenna.

What highlights and adventures did you find? Email us to share your highlights. 73

7th Call Area QSO Party

7QP Ski Bag to Beach House Portable: Puget Sound, Washington State
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Jf7XPzEyFTaErDkB9

How-To: Schoolkids Build a DX Flagpole Antenna in 90-minutes!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/VSNpeMSCYg1ckKGJ8

[AUDIO] Recorded Live using 20' DX Flagpole and 50W during 7QP 7th Call Area QSO Party
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d6uY57zOo6BWkTxWlYJsXZ7vFCxP_O82/view

*portability is a bonus (antenna weighs only 20 lbs total)

**Note: This recording was captured mid-day on 20M from North of Seattle, Washington. In this short segment, we work into Florida, California, Alaska, New England, and the mid-west too.

Learn more about our VDA Vertical Dipole Antennas by studying our data and graphs on performance, losses, and comparisons with the market offerings. We discuss in more detail within the RF Blog including several other stories and customer pictures. Also, our FAQs answer so many questions we've received on the DX Flagpole antenna. You'll be pleased with the design and performance.

As always, please send any questions or comments our way. We'd like to share them with our peers. Consider passing this on to a friend that really could enjoy getting back on all bands with DX confidence.

Let us know if you have any questions or comments.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK THE WORLD FROM HOME OR IN YOUR RV OR CAMPSITE WITHIN JUST A FEW MINUTES OF PARKING? YOU CAN...

HAM RADIO IS FUN AGAIN. PASS IT ON.

Greyling Performance Antennas logo

IMPRESSIVE IMPROVEMENT

This is an antenna I wish I would have purchased sooner. We live in an HOA with a small lot and some restrictions on antenna placement and height. We had a small vertical antenna mounted to our fence, but had limited places to install grounds and could only put two in place along the fence line. We could only receive 40M, sometimes 20M, and both had to be tuned and adjusted at the antenna. This year, those bands began generating high SWR. I was able to determine the wiring and connections were all good but the antenna was failing and we would miss out on the new solar cycle. We ordered a 20' Greyline, without the flag mount options, along with an LDG 100W external tuner. Due to a backlog in supplies, it took many months to process my order, and when I paid with a credit card it was cancelled the following month because they could not ship it within 30 days to process my credit card. I called and they no longer had any 20' antenna packages to ship at that time, but they agreed to ship me a 24' for the same price without further delay. That was still not going to be visible from the street above my home which is an HOA requirement, so I agreed. After receiving the equipment and installing it, I was amazed. 40M, 20M, 12M, and 10M bands were all below 1.5 SWR. 30M was an impressive 1.1 SWR. Unfortunately, I could not tune 80M, 17M, or 15M due to high SWR. Quite possibly this is an issue with the LDG tuner. We have reached far away with this antenna, and my wife began using FT8 and collected QSOs with 29 countries on multiple bands within a week. I was able to reach Australia, which showed a distance of 10,000 miles. The antenna is in my back yard, close to my house and neighbors say they don't notice it. While I could have installed it in the front as a flagpole, I would have to re-rout all of my wiring to the front of the house. This is an impressive antenna. If I were to do this again, I would like to have purchased an already assembled ladder-line to PL-259 adaptor as assembling the provided kit proved somewhat challenging without a drill press which I no longer have after downsizing a few years ago, and having to modify the clamshell case so that it would fit over the PL-259 component. The RF-choke required weather proofing so I ended up purchasing 1-1/2" waterproofed shrink tube that seemed expensive for the length needed. In the end, it all worked well when connected. I fully recommend this antenna.

Wow! So great to hear that you and the XYL both are enjoying the bands together. Let's get those other bands working. Likely a ground issue we can resolve. *We've already called him for a few testing exercises to get things dialed in. Ham Radio is fun again! Pass it on... 73 Greyline Performance

Proudly displaying "Old Glory" and working the world!

At the age of 79 was able to install the 20ft flagpole antenna without help, which surprised me. I installed solar lights above and below the flag and it's a beautiful sight at night. I attached the ladder line directly to the ground and long wire terminals on the MFJ tuner and it works perfectly. Very low SWR on all bands. In spite of poor band conditions I have been having a blast. Frankly, it tickles me to have my antenna sticking up in my front yard in plain site. My neighbors love it and the HOA is clueless. 73's, Kelly K4SLE

Latest review

Band conditions have been tough running barefoot, but I have been working DX on 20 meters! DL, SM, YU, RU, ZS, TI all in a single morning with only 70 watts. In fact i have had so much fun being back on the air i have made the decision to replace my aging 30+ year old Kenwood with a new radio. I been pleased with the antenna and my neighbors have been pleased with the look of the flagpole.

A Worthy Investment

I purchased two chokes, the coax to ladder line choke from the tuner output to the antenna ladder line and the coax to coax choke that I have installed at the radio. These work very nicely to tame noise. It's a worthwhile investment. The mini choke works better than the MFJ one that I originally was using.

My new DX 28 flagpole vertical antenna

The weather finally allowed me to complete the installation of my new DX-28. During the many storms, I was able to build and piece the antenna into three separate sections, preparing it for final installation once the ground dried out. After several weeks of poor weather, I was able to finish the installation which only took an hour. The machining quality and materials of this antenna is impressive. I used the LDG RT-100 ATU, ladder line to PL259 500 watt line isolator, with LMR400 coax. Within the first hour of operating, I made 15 contacts with 5-9-9 signal reports. I gave this 4 stars only because there was a few missing parts which greyline resolved quickly with a phone call.
WB8UIN

Ski Bag Portable, Parks, Camps, Beach Ham Radio with Greyline DX Vertical Antenna #POTA #SOTA

Hear real DX audio from summer Quick-deploy, Ski Bag, and Beach house DXpeditions with the Greyline DX Vertical Antenna

7th Call Area QSO Party

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