This turns all antenna work into easy one-man jobs. It also makes storm prep easy - just drop the antenna for the storm, raise it later. It takes less than 5 minutes to go up or down. I can't imagine having an antenna without one. I'm old enough that climbing towers, trees or big ladders just isn't in the playbook any longer, so this is a life-saver for my hobby. Buy one and make your life easier and add years to your ability to work on your antenna. Five Stars!!
Thank you, Rob. “Essential” is exactly the word we hoped for. One tip from another owner: walk it down once a season on a calm day and check the hardware at chest height. Fun season ahead! 73, Jon KL2A
The tilt base makes it possible to raise and lower the antenna in minutes single-handed with complete safety. The design is simple and robust and I love the fact that it can't over-shoot when raising it. In fact, it is seriously over-built. The only help I needed to install it was lowering the antenna to add the unit. It does raise the halyard cleat but I simply removed it, left the bolts in the original holes and mounted it at a comfortable level with a stainless hose clamp, problem solved. No more worries about the antenna during storms here in Florida. Five minutes and it's on the ground out of the wind.
After 2 weeks of use I can safely say that the 9' whip is a great addition to my 20V! My rough calculations show about a 2+ db improvement overall. On the receive side the most dramatic indicator is that I am getting approximately the same signal strength without the preamp on most bands. I am also getting more reports in the + range on FT8 than previously. I have used PSK reporter to get a general picture of my RF footprint and signal strength compared to to the original 20v w/ previous reports. I have also been able to work several new countries that I could not work previously...India, Franz Joseph Land, Kahazakistan. India is certainly not rare but it has taken me three years to eliminate my "blind spot". Swr is well below 1.3/1 on all bands 80m-6m using the LDG RT-100 at the antenna. All in all could not be more pleased with the 9" whip addition!
Franz Josef Land and Kazakhstan on nine more feet — that's the report every whip page wishes it had. Thank you, Craig. Your words are on the page now. 73, Jon KL2A
I want a 6ft x 18in hole. That is what the backhoe bucket is going to dig. I will need my own base tube, and a whole lotta concrete! I bought this extender to allow a more accurate vertical alignment while dumping in the concrete.
A 6-foot hole will hold anything we build. One tip while the concrete goes in: check plumb from two directions, 90° apart, then leave it alone for 24 hours. Send us a photo when it’s up! 73, Jon KL2A
Product is good. But I need a quick instruction sheet. You remove the bottom tube and replace it with the antenna base. Then the tube you removed connects the the top of the arm and to the insulated base of the antenna. Now I can lower my 24’ antenna without help.
Thank you, Dale. You were right, so we made one: the one-page Tilt-Up Base Instructions (install, lower, raise) now sit on the product page, because of your review. Have the best season yet! 73, Jon KL2A
I added this tilt mount on my older (2.25") 28' flagpole and I couldn't be more pleased with how well it works for me. I can now drop down or raise my flagpole by myself in about 5 minutes in each direction. This mount is an engineering beast with how well it is constructed! Previously I had to wait and get another person to help lift the base out of the PVC pipe and help lower it hoping that it came down as planned. Going up was even more of a challenge getting the base into the hole and raising it back up. That's 33 feet of wiggling aluminum and not so easy to manage even with two people. With this mount I don't even give it a second thought about doing maintenance or lowering it for an impending storm. It's straight coming down and going back up with no overshoot. Or worries. This is an excellent investment in both time and money!
An engineering beast' is going on the shop wall. 33 feet of aluminum, one person, no overshoot — that's exactly what we built it to do. 73, Jon KL2A
I find that the added 4 feet makes a difference, along with the 9' whip and tilt base. Signals are stronger on receive, and my transmit reach appears to have extended based on signal reports. Still adding many DX contacts to the log! Looking forward to getting the aluminum cap for the 2" to whip transition. I believe that will help as well.
Christopher, the extension, the whip, and the tilt together are the full aperture system, and your log shows it. Thanks for taking the time to write this up. — Jon KL2A
I was already happy with my DXF24 flagpole, but adding the 4' extension made a great thing even better! My setup is the 28' flagpole with the tilt-over base, 1:1 balun at the base with 40' LMR400 to my KAT500 tuner in the shack.
My first week after adding the 4 foot extension (a super easy job with the tilt-over!), I logged RI1FJL on 15m and P29YY on 17m, and discovered I could now make QSOs on 80 meters. I hadn't made a QSO on 80 meters I moved into this HOA community 21 years ago!
If I had room for the 9' whip on top, I would add that next and probably gain 160 meters. But this current flagpole setup is giving me 80 thru 6 and tons of QSOs, all with convenient band switching from my shack. Yes, it's fun again!
Tom, 80 meters for the first time in 21 years, from an HOA lot — that's the whole case for aperture in one line. RI1FJL and P29YY in the first week didn't hurt either. Thanks for the report, and see you on 80. — Jon KL2A
I've had my 24ft flag pole for about a year and each time I wanted to do any maintenance it required another person and even then as we get older it's a task and a half. The installation of the tilt up base was to easy. As described by others, loosen the three bolts, remove the second one and up or down is a cake walk. I always had a little wobble at the ground when the wind blows so I fashioned a shim from some aluminum flashing, shaped like a shoe horn and now it remains straight up in the wind. I have some experiments planed which I will now be able to do without help from another person.
Bart, no second person, no ladder, maintenance on your own schedule — that's exactly why the tilt exists. Thanks for the shim tip too; it's gone to our shop. Enjoy the experiments. — Jon KL2A
It’s not the weight of the antenna - it’s the fulcrum. Before the tilt up base it was a two person job. Now it’s a very simple operation to raise and lower the antenna. Great addition, especially in Eastern North Carolina where severe weather is abundant.
I purchased the tilt-up base to make it easier to maintain the flagpole. I am 77 years old and I have no trouble raising and lowering the antenna by myself. My wife assists me with removing and inserting the bolt while I steady the antenna. While I had the flagpole down I put lock washers and thread locker on all of the screws. We have enough wind here that over time some of the screws would loosen- hopefully this will solve that problem. My antenna is the DXF-24 flagpole. I also added the 9' whip.
Denney W7MNE
Living in Florida, prepping for high winds and hurricanes isn't uncommon. Now that I have the tilt-up base installed for my DXF-24 flagpole, that preparation just got so much easier. Remove one bolt, loosen the other, and the antenna comes down easily and goes back up just as easy. It's now a one person job. Besides storm prep, it makes any preventative maintenance less of a chore.
Like the Greyline antenna hardware, the tilt-up base is beautiful. Added bonus; the flagpole just got a little taller! 73, N3EQF
Thomas — you described that base better than our own product page does. 'One person job' is exactly the design goal, and hearing it from Florida during hurricane season means more than any spec we could publish. Thanks. 73, Jon KL2A
I enjoy having my 24 foot flag pole antenna. It looks great and with the pivot bottom it will be easy to repair or maintain if needed. Great job.
Thank you, Don. The 24 is the height where the low bands start paying you back — try 20-30-40 after as darkness approaches. Have fun. 73, Jon KL2A
Fit and finish is top notch. First contacts once installed were Vietnam and Tuvalu (4 bands) from Eastern NC! I ordered the 20' DSV with the 9' whip. No HOA (rather I'm the HOA on my farm:). Talked to Jon K2LA about the truck between the 2" section and the whip and he told me they're developing an aluminum cap for the transition rather than using a truck. I'm looking forward to swapping for that.
I am having difficulty tuning 6m and 160m; all others work fine with my LDG AT1000Pro2 tuner. I also notice the receive is around 2 S units quieter than my OCF Dipole. Still readable but leaves me scratching my head as to why. Perhaps it's me or the conditions in my yard. I am using LMR400 and a Polyphaser. Could be the loss introduced by the added connections.
I ordered the 4 foot extension and the tilt whip. They shipped today. I'm hoping they will make an operational difference aside from the ease of putting it up and taking it down.
Busy company. You need a little patience when communicating with them. Automated answering service picks up when you call. Best to send a clean e-mail from their "contact us" link on the web site.
Edited my review (5 stars) after Jon K2LA's very thorough explanation.
Christopher, Vietnam and Tuvalu on four bands from Eastern North Carolina --
those are serious Pacific paths, and they answer most questions about this
antenna before I type a word. Thank you for the detailed report. Let me take
your three puzzles in order, because the next reader will have them too.
The quiet receive is the one to reframe: quieter is not deafer. Your OCF
dipole is a horizontal wire using its coax as part of the antenna -- which
means it hears your house, your neighbors' switching supplies, and every
bit of common-mode trash along the feedline. The vertical, choked at the
feedpoint, hears less of all that. The honest test is never the S-meter --
it is signal-to-noise. Same station, both antennas: if he is as readable or
better on the Greyline while the meter reads lower, your noise floor
dropped, and that is the feature, not the fault. You already wrote the
evidence yourself: 'still readable.' Watch FT8 SNR numbers side by side
for a week and the meter mystery usually solves itself.
Six and 160 are the two ends of the rope. First check that your tuner
covers 54 MHz at its rated range -- not every desktop auto does, and 6
meters is outside several of them. On 160, a 29-foot radiator is working
hard; dress the ladder line straight and clear -- no coiled slack, off the
ground, off metal -- because coiled balanced line is exactly what pushes a
marginal 160 match out of a tuner's reach. Your 4-foot extension, shipped
today, helps the low end honestly but modestly.
The aluminum transition cap: you are on the list, as promised.
And the fair hit on patience: guilty, with an explanation. Every antenna is
hand-built to order by a small shop, and the same hands that answer the
phone are on the bench. Your instinct is right -- a clean email through the
contact page gets the fastest, most complete answer we can give.
Enjoy the tilt base -- and when the extension goes on, I want the Tuvalu
rematch report. Bands are up and down this month as Cycle 25 slides
down the other side of it's world class peak. The pleasure is ours, Christopher.
Ham Radio is fun again!
73, Jon KL2A -- Greyline Performance
435-200-4902
The only thing you could change is the length of the threaded stud to incorporate flag pole lights. It is not long enough.
Patrick, fair engineering note -- but that stud is prime real estate, and
the penthouse only sleeps one: whip, lights, or gold ball, pick your
tenant. We give the spot to the whip because it is the only one of the
three that pays rent in decibels.
The smart trade is whip up top, lights down low: a pair of solar spots
staked at the base washes the whole flag evenly all night -- which is
exactly what the Flag Code asks for -- and keeps the aluminum overhead
doing its one job, which is Tuvalu after dinner on 20M for you!
Four stars for a part doing double duty as your DX aperture and your
flag truck? We will take that trade too.
Ham Radio is fun again!
73, Jon KL2A -- Greyline Performance
435-200-4902
Upon receiving the 24’ vertical, I was impressed with the overall quality of the antenna. All parts are made with the finest material and the fit and finish of the antenna is exceptional
I did not get the installation done until the 30th of July and I am having some difficulty tuning until I removed the 1:1 balun I had purchase for it. It appears to load nicely on all bands except 6 meters and 80 meters. This may be an issue with my MFJ 998 tuner. (More to follow on that)
I did notice the latter line to coax black plastic box does not like direct Alabama Sun in late July! It got hot enough to show deformation from the heat!
Update from Charlie WB4MFF: resolved with a tuner reset — now loading the full 160–6! Great work. Ham radio is fun again!
I was I little disappointed with the length of time to receive my order, however the product delivered was very high quality and very easy to assemble. Great DX right from the start. Strong signals into Europe on 100 watts.
Even broke in on a contest station in Kuwait with my first transmission. Definitely need the whip for 160 and 80 meters, but great performance 40-6 meters.
John was a great help with my technical questions.
Thanks for a gre
Mark, this is the first week we build for — strong signals into Europe on 100 watts and breaking into a Kuwait contest station on your very first transmission. That's the antenna doing its job for an operator who knows how to drive it.
Fair hit on the lead time, and we'll own it: every antenna is hand-built to order in small batches, and the wait is the honest cost of that. Current build status is always posted on our Order Status page so it's never a mystery — but we hear you, and shortening it without cutting corners is the part of the artisan model we work at hardest.
You're right about the low bands: the 9-foot DX Whip is exactly the 160/80 aperture the 24 is asking for, and it threads on in minutes.
And your review cut off mid-sentence at 'Thanks for a gre—' — we'll take the liberty of assuming it ended well.
73, Jon KL2A
I was very pleased with the purchase of my 16ft Flagpole Antenna. The assembly went very well. I had questions about setting everything up but was helped by staff and am up & running.
We are very pleased with our 20' flagpole with the 9' whip. We are able to FT8 all over the world with it. I love that we didn't have to put in radials. I haven't done a lot of voice contacting but have been able to reach over 1300 miles into Oklahoma, NW Montana, and Washington state from Arizona. I'm sure I will be able to reach farther than that with a little more time doing it.
Thank you for the report — and congratulations on the contacts. Arizona to Oklahoma, Montana, and Washington on the 20' DXF with the 9' whip is exactly the kind of all-band performance the system is built for, and FT8 worldwide is the proof of concept. The no-radials part isn't a shortcut — it's the design choice that lets the antenna work where most verticals can't. More time on the bands and you'll see the DX windows open up. Welcome to the Greyline community.
73,
Jon KL2A
Greyline Performance
First I would start by thanking Greyline for excellent communication and support. Any questions I had were promptly answered and addressed.
The antenna assembly went quick and was pretty easy to follow. I can tune <1.5:1 for 10m to 40m. 80m is hit or miss but is probably due to my older antenna tuner as it tunes 80m some of the time. WSPR tests show good propagation with some contacts in Australia and South America from California (QTH). Made some FT8 contacts with East Coast US. Ran some high power SSB tests and all good. Overall very happy with the antenna. It is well manufactured.
Hi Phillip, thank you for sharing your detailed experience! We're thrilled to hear you're happy with the antenna's performance and our support. Enjoy your amateur radio adventures! Thank you — and that's a strong report. California to Australia and South America on WSPR is the kind of low-power-out, real-propagation evidence that tells you the system is working as designed. East Coast on FT8 and clean high-power SSB rounds out the picture. On 80M: you're right to suspect the tuner. The DXF is non-resonant by design and asks more of the ATU on the lowest bands; a tuner with a wider impedance range will close that gap. Worth a conversation if you want to chase it. Welcome to the Greyline community. Ham Radio is fun again!
73,
Jon KL2A
Greyline
I'm very happy with this antenna. It looks great as a flagpole. Easy to setup and get on the air. Works and performs very well.
I am not your normal Flagpole user. I was running an Icom 7610 when I bought it, 24' + 4' extension with LDG tuner, and it was the best vertical I have used. I then went digital and upgraded to a Flex 8600 with an Antenna Genius and a Tuner Genius. I was having a lot of trouble getting the LDG to work consistently with the 8600 system. In desperation I removed the LDG from the equation and installed a Balun Design 4115T 4:1 Balun to the ladder wire from the Flagpole. I was amazed that I could tune most bands to less than 1.5 to 1, but I could not tune 160m, 12m, and 10m. I then added the extension. I took the kit apart and used galvonic grease on all of the connections. I then set the length to 138 7/16 inches and use shrink wrap on all of the connectors. I had to rent a lift truck to get the extension on the Flagpole and used galvonic grease on the connection. The extension made the Flagpole not tune on 6m, but everything else was great. I do not believe in a perfect world so having a 160m to 6m antenna that did not do well on all bands in-between was not a surprise. When I cranked up the new system with the Flagpole feeding the 8600 I was stunned. I know that you might think that that is just marketing talk, but it is true. I run WSJT-X and JTAlert. Yesterday, a Thursday, I started a session around 3:00 Pensacola, FL time. I started on 30m with the Tuner Genius giving me a 1.19 to 1. I was able to get a QSO from every contact In my JTAlert list. Anyone I could see I could receive. I then tuned to 20m. For whatever reason the pattern was full. I started making contacts and was able to make 20 straight QSO's in a row, all from outside of the USA. The average distance from Pensacola to the QSO's was around 4,000 miles. They spanned from South Africa to Australia to Finland. That is a coverage area of around 18,000 thousand miles. Do atmospheric conditions work that way? If they do I have never experienced it before. You should be the judge on just how good this Antenna - Radio combination is.
73
Bill - NO4ON
Easy installation and work even better than expected. WX4DX
I finally got around to install the Antenna... Err... Flagpole!
It's great! If the signal is around, the flagpole can capture it. I also tested it with my small 200mw WSPR transmitter on many bands, and I could reach as far south as Antarctica, Australia, and more. Awesome.
OH! And I also got compliments on the overall aspect of the flag and flagpole.
I am very happy, and I highly recommend it
I thought I was getting great reception from my end feed wire.
I installed the 24' vertical with the remote tuner and connected it to my Icom 7300. What a night and day difference! My radio came alive. I've already connected with Australia, Japan, and all over the states.
NOW I'm being teased with a 9' additional whip new to Greyline. I may pull the trigger for it in a couple of months.
Overall you can't go wrong with this antenna.