Operator Report · 28' DX Vertical · Virginia
NN3W — An Unvarnished Look at the 28' DXV
Rich NN3W wrote this review independently — published publicly before the antenna was even installed. He read the eHam reviews and the 3830scores results, did his own research, made his own decision, and reported what he found. His words, unedited.
Published independently by Rich NN3W · Virginia
My call got mentioned somewhere upthread…
I've known KL2A for quite a number of years and we're pretty close. I've never had business dealings with John. He is pretty active in radio and was originally at Force 12 and was there until it was sold off to JK. He then got into the flagpole antenna business two or three years ago.
I can't speak to his customer service acumen other than to note that he mentioned that last year there were significant supply issues with 1) remote tuners, and 2) aluminum tubing. The former owing to switching suppliers and having one supplier be very lax in supply chains, and the latter owing to Section 232 duties on aluminum which caused everyone in the market to scramble for available aluminum supply.
Despite all the issues noted above, after having read some of the reviews of his product on eHam and on 3830scores.com, I opted to obtain a 28-foot flagpole for use at the QTH here. I'm working on converting my current station to a capable SO2R station and I wanted a second antenna that was simple, covered a broad range of bands, and wasn't a piece of junk. So, the 28-foot version it was.
I ordered a 28-foot version in late July and it arrived via UPS around the 8th or 10th of September. So about 40 days wait. I don't know if this is long or short. By comparison, when I was investigating a Mosley MP33, I was told about 3 months' wait time back this past summer.
About two weeks later, a kit of antenna parts arrived: RF power choke, PL-259 assembly, ladder line, shrink wrap, rope for a US flag, and some other parts.
The assembly took about an hour. I had to run to Home Depot for Noalox which was used as an anti-oxidizer and lubricant for the aluminum sections. The product itself was up and running in about 90 minutes from the time I started assembling.
For those who care, this is NOT a tribander. It is NOT a monoband yagi. It's a shortened vertical. So, do NOT expect to break the pileup first call on P51 when it comes on the air. That being said, interestingly, it does work.
The first night it was up I ran about 800 watts through it and worked:
- A G4 on 160 meters
- Eastern Europe on 80M
- TZ4 on 20 meters
- KP4, 9K, KH6, CE, LZ, and a couple of other Europeans on 40 meters
I used my MFJ shack tuner and a Drake L7 amp to serve as the antenna match and the linear, respectively.
This morning, the station was used for the CWT Wednesday morning contest (1300z). In 15 minutes, 31 contacts were made on 40 meter CW. Some signals were weak; others were quite strong.
But, again, it does work. If you want a totally unconnected opinion, read the comments of K3WA who lives in an HOA area in North Carolina. In the 2020 ARRL DX and WPX CW contests, Bill made 1,000+ QSOs in each contest using a Flagpole Antenna from Greyline.
— Rich · NN3W · Virginia · 28' DXV · Verified Owner
First Night
G4 on 160M
TZ4 on 20 · KP4, 9K, KH6, CE, LZ on 40
CWT — 15 Minutes
31 QSOs
40M CW · Next morning after install
Power
800W
Drake L7 · MFJ shack tuner
From Greyline Performance
Rich — G4 on 160, E. Europe on 80M, and TZ4 on 20 the first night it was up. We'll take that. The MFJ shack tuner and Drake L7 is exactly the kind of desktop ATU configuration roughly half our buyers run. No remote tuner required. The VDA loads on all bands with a good shack tuner and the right feedline. You've proven it again. 73 — Jon KL2A
Rich also pointed K3WA's results to readers looking for a second opinion. If you want to know what the 20' DXF does in a major contest from an HOA lot, Bill's log is the answer.
The Install Day
KL2A flew from Idaho to Virginia for a spring weekend project — hot dogs, beer, a dog who liked to run off with tools, and a 28' DXV assembled and on the air in an afternoon. Eastern Europe on 80M and Western EU on 160M that same evening.
Read the install story →The Antenna Rich Chose
28' DX Vertical. No flagpole hardware. No radials. Rooftop, deck, open yard, any surface. Ships from Sun Valley, Idaho.
See the 28' DXV → Selection Guide →Related
Ham Radio is fun again! Pass it on… 73, The Greyline Performance Team · Sun Valley, Idaho · 435-200-4902