Introducing Greyline Performance Antennas | An early letter to you
Welcome, Fellow Radio Operators,
At Greyline Performance, this is really fun for us. We are hams just like you and it is a real treat to play a small role with so many of you getting on the air again, and with real DX Confidence!
We offer the Greyline DX Flagpole Antenna and HF Vertical Dipole Antenna - both the same antenna. One is stealth and a real Federally recognized, Flagpole. Did we mention these vertical antennas are indeed routinely called elegant and widely approved by the ladies owing to the aesthetics? Yep, clean lines and patriotic look make these antennas approved for installation, in the garden and front yard! How many ham radio antennas get that report? None that I've ever heard of, until now.
Within these web pages, you'll find feedback from folks (and pictures too) using the antennas or hearing them in action on the air. Maybe this is what brought you here today?
How's this for feedback... recently, a Ham Radio Store owner in Europe was tuning 75M and passively listening to a QSO only to be amazed at the signal differences between an Inverted Vee at 70-feet and a 20' DX Flagpole Antenna, coming from across the pond, in the USA.
Or, here's another... maybe you called Bill who was working DX on 40M with his morning coffee and you couldn't believe his signal was from a Flagpole Antenna in an HOA and working that kind of DX? This is not uncommon, folks inquiring directly from the bands.
We share stories from several of our new friends like Steve, a fellow contester and DXer living in an HOA. He compared the DX Flagpole Antenna to his 84' wire Zepp antenna in the trees only to find the DX Flagpole Antenna outgunned the Zepp to DX lands in A/B testing! To be fair, the Zepp is a great antenna and it just needs to be higher to beat a VDA, vertical dipole antenna. You guessed it, the DX Flagpole Antenna scored another point for the low-angle antenna!
Maybe you saw us on YouTube or a mention of our radio antennas on the hit show, Ham Nation, or Ham Radio Crash Course? See our Ad in QST or ARRL publications? How about the security camera footage of the Greyline DX Flagpole blowing in a tropical storm, or hurricane? Regardless of where you came from, we are so glad you are here.
Please take a moment to consider our perspectives on these antennas, the power in our design, the strength of our engineering, and the application of elegance. When you truly understand our focus on the benefits you'll begin to develop that DX Confidence you likely know or have heard so much about. This is not a Yagi antenna at 80 feet, but a versatile, all-band HF antenna, highly efficient, high performance, low loss, and low angle; a vertical dipole antenna we call the DX Flagpole Antenna, aka HF Vertical Antenna.
We look forward to hearing from you.
73 Greyline Performance
See All Antennas Here
Want to learn even more? Keep reading...
THE BENEFITS
- HOA Approved Nationwide
- XYL Approved owing to elegance & security. Compliments are common from fussy neighbors & discerning family too
- No Radials needed to achieve high-performance
- No Guy-wires needed, Freestanding by design.
- Quieter than Verticals it's a Vertical Dipole: Every dB counts, right?
- If you can hear it, you can work it: RX + TX efficiency is maximized. Learn more about the system design in the FAQs
- Coax Fed for ease of use. Ladder line (that adapts to a PL-259 coax connector) is used for lowest possible loss and highest possible efficiency for some areas of the feedline. Every dB counts, right?
- Premium-only materials. Custom made in Idaho, USA. Supplies sourced from ham-owned small businesses
- Designed Strong, Smart, & Elegant! XYL's & partners allow Greyline antennas in their gardens for a reason. No unsightly elements, stubs, traps, coils, etc. You're welcome
- All frequencies from 160-6M including all WARC, MARS, FEMA, Disaster & Emergency Communications Services, Citizen Band, and other useful service frequency segments are covered
- NVIS Pattern: A bonus regional pattern important for passing welfare traffic during times of emergency is included in the RF design
- 160M operation with our 16'-20'-24'-28' vertical antennas. See our reviews for "in their words"
- High-Power is Standard (3500W) - it will take a lot more than that too
- Smart RF Design, Strong Rugged Materials & Engineering for 90-155 MPH wind rating, & Elegant aesthetics with No Radials
- Best in Class antennas are as good or better than any legacy brands you'll find on the market today
- ARRL Antenna Award Winning Designer(s) published in QST and other industry publications design our antennas
- >90% efficiency and better across all bands
- Very Low Losses owing to the feed system encouraging the power out of the antenna where you want it. Helps for both NVIS and DX efficiency
- Lower Angles than ground-mounted verticals without laying 100+ ground radials. Helps both NVIS and DX take-off angles
- Low Noise too. See the many reviewer's notes. Add a 2nd Choke at the radio or amp to remove stray noise (QRN) along the coax at the shack. Every dB counts, right?
- Available sizes 12', 16', 20', 24' and 28' foot DX Flagpole Antennas & HF Vertical Antennas
- Easy Install: Dig a post hole, build antenna (15-minutes), drop-in (15-35 lbs), plug-in, play radio
- Free Shipping in the USA + Deep discounts Worldwide. Europe ~$100
- Shipping time: See our Order-Status Page for updates
- 100% Money-Back Guarantee We want a quality experience for you
- Industry-Leading 7-year Warranty
- COVID Promo: Free Shipping, Feed + Flag Kit + RF Choke included in the Antenna purchase price
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15-30 minutes to build the antenna out of the box! Yes, really. We've designed it for a simple assembly out of the box. The same real strong ratings, smart, elegant design (see our Assembly Documents section for more details)
XYL's, Partners & fussy neighbors approve too. Why? Imagine this: there are No ugly stubs, traps, coils, or unsightly elements to mess with. One Clean, Shiny, Stealthy Vertical Radio Antenna. "They" see an aesthetically pleasing low footprint self-supporting pole and you see your multiband ticket to the world of radio! You're welcome.
"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR HOA AND CC&R RESTRICTED HAM RADIO QTHs."
Could these be wild claims? You be the judge. We offer you a wealth of transparent performance data from within the marketplace as comparisons so you can discover firsthand why our Greyline antennas offer a more useful service to you and our peers. Find more information and further discussions in our FAQ and RF Blog.
Presenting to our peers an HOA, nationwide-approved, Stealth DX Flagpole (DXFP) and the DX Vertical Dipole (DXV) line of HF radio antennas that do NOT require radials.
We believe you'll love this useful service in the form of a smart, multi-band, or all band ham radio antenna system that again, does NOT require radials! Choose from 12, 16, 20, 24, and 28-foot vertical-dipoles, stealth (DXFP) or non-stealth (DXV). They all get out very well from 160-6M. Here's one customer's excitement:
"GOT INDONESIA (YB) THIS MORNING ON 40M SSB WITH 100 WATTS. JUST OVER 9,000 MILES!"
That’s right, DX confidence is once again restored with one vertical antenna that operates across all bands with high efficiency, using the highest quality materials, note that high-power is standard, producing lower angles than comparable and taller verticals requiring radials, proudly offering you very low losses throughout the antenna system and again, requires no radials. We've done the hard work so you simply plug in your coax and get on the air!
"SMART, EFFICIENTLY DESIGNED, AND RUGGEDLY ENGINEERED RADIO ANTENNA SYSTEM!"
We want to earn your trust by offering something more useful to our peers. Before you buy look closely at our performance measures and the various research writings on the science, our products, "their" products, all captured within our RF Blog and FAQ pages for your consideration of the validity of our seemingly bold claims.
"HOLDS ITS OWN VS. TALLER COMPETITORS WITH NO RADIALS & IS ALSO STEALTH!"
Throughout the website, we showcase clearly for you the many reasons why the “OCF” off-center-fed antenna design operates at greater than > 90% efficiently across the bands and is perfect for your situation. You could always buy a tower and put a yagi up there... or you could put up this pole and work the world with a clear DX confidence.
To be polite, it simply meets and beats most verticals with radials you'll find on the market today, even the taller antennas.
"EQUAL OR BETTER PERFORMANCE THAN TALLER VERTICALS REQUIRING RADIALS!"
Again, these are not just wild claims. We have done the hard math and exhaustive research (head-scratching) and present you with a wealth of data to consider. We are asking you to challenge us and ultimately, help shape our story while we endeavor to bring you, our peers, a more useful service.
"HIGH POWER (1500W+) ANTENNA AND FEED SYSTEM ARE NOW STANDARD!"
Introducing to you, our peers, the old meets new, Greyline Performance line of vertical antennas brought to you by Greyline Performance. We think you and yours will be quite pleased with your new antenna.
RF BLOG
Understand why our feed and antenna system must "float"
Understanding the claim of greater than >90% efficiency on the ham radio bands!
See the RF BLOG drop-down menu for more...
RF RESEARCH
Let's look at the various comparison data to several antennas on the market today in line with our Greyline Performance Antenna Systems. A little Q&A is always fun, right?
Q. How do the HF Vertical and DX Flagpole Antennas compare to other well-known antennas?
A. Let's compare our 20 and 28' versions with the Hy-gain AV-680 and Cushcraft R9:
The Red inner rings are 80M, blue 40M, green 20M, and orange 10M. You get the idea.
Look at the low angle and that extra punch. Yep, no radials needed! No guy wires either. Sure, you can use radials, of course, but they are not required for this performance!
Q. I hear 43-foot verticals with radials is a "sweet spot" but you guys promote a 20 and 28'er, what's the difference?
A. Bigger is not necessarily better! In this case, our HF Vertical Antenna is less than half that height and does NOT need radials where the 43-foot vertical with radials option does. Also, our antennas enjoy a lower angle of radiation on many bands. (see graphic)
Now, look at the low bands! The Greyline HF Vertical Antenna really shines compared to the radial dependent antennas, and yes, even the 43-foot vertical has the same limitations.
On the high bands, the radiation pattern really breaks up with that ground-mounted radial required 43-footer. You won't see that break up with a properly installed Greyline DX Flagpole.
How would you like to get back on the air with real DX confidence? Now you can have lower loss, lower angles, and higher performance on all the bands with a DX Flagpole Antenna and/or the Greyline DX Vertical Antenna. Let's get you on the air and have some fun. You'll sound amazing.
Q. What's the difference between a 12' 16' 20' and 28' DXVs | Flagpoles?
A. We are surprised to find and report very little loss when dropping to the 16 and 12' foot designs. Those in those more restricted and height-challenged locations can now enjoy a little more DX confidence on the bands!
Look at the low band performance (40/80M) on the 12' version!
THE UPDATES 2018/19
- Design Reviewed, November 2018
- Head to Toe component upgrades
- Re-engineered for DX performance, found more dBs & lower angles
- Lowered system losses, again. It's in the details.
- Easy Install: "1-2 hours unboxed to on the air."
- Rugged: Rated for 80-90-100 MPH
- High Power Feed System now standard, Quality materials and engineering throughout.
- Selection: 12', 16', 20', 24', and 28’ foot Greyline Performance vertical dipole antennas.
- Free Domestic Shipping | Ship Worldwide | Made in USA
THE QUALITY SUMMARY
- 12-28-foot tall aircraft grade aluminum antenna
- PVC in-ground "Drop In" sleeve (tilt-mounts are great too!)
- Off-Center Fed Vertical Dipole design means no radials, >90% efficient or better across 80m to 10m.
- Internally routed and expertly placed custom feed point and feed system for the lowest loss possible
- Simple installation with just a shovel, no concrete needed in most installations (some do, some don't, either is okay)
- Heavy-duty fiberglass center, base insulators, and stainless steel hardware
- Custom common mode choke, 1:1 current balun terminated to Amphenol PL-259. Just plug in your feedline from the shack
- Available with an American flag (or DX Flag) and flag accessories for stealth operation
- Powder Coat options (purchase at checkout, declare a color in notes)
- A versatile, smart option for FT8 and SDR mode operations
FURTHER DESCRIPTION
Before you buy
Learn about why our design proves high performance vs. many other comparable and taller antennas on the market today. We dig deeper to find the information we believe you will find useful in making a wise choice of antenna for our needs. Our RF Blog is a great place to gain further insight on topics.
Compared to other antennas:
These HF radio antennas confidently outperform even the much taller, lossy, ground fed verticals that require radials and in most cases, unfortunately, come with the “birdcage” of unsightly matching stubs, traps, cross-bars, top-hats, coils, and the other stuff your neighbors and significant others do not appreciate. It matters, right?
Aesthetically pleasing and high performance:
Our off-center-fed vertical antennas display a clean aesthetically pleasing design that offers far more efficiency (QRP ops love this) as multi-band antennas, on all 10 bands than some monoband poles fed with coax! We share with you why this claim is even possible. It’s worth understanding. We offer a powder coating service too. Pick a color, add it to your cart. Now you’re making everyone happy!
Lower Loss, Lower Angle, High Efficiency:
These antennas offer you lower angles, lower loss, higher performance, further reach and a real DX confidence to make ham radio fun again on all bands! The larger 43’ vertical with radials has a hard time competing with even our smaller antennas. (You must see the data.)
Not your average antenna:
Please see our performance charts here and within the FAQs to learn why this is not your average HF Vertical antenna. To be clear, the Greyline DX designs are a higher performance option in a shorter vertical owing to the design and feed system. Let’s make radio fun again and get you and your friends back on the air.
Who Buys this type of antenna?
We develop solutions for several organizations not limited to Ham Radio. Groups such as MARS, CAP, FEMA, and various Military and Government Agencies too. It's fun to have smart friends with strong antenna design and engineering traits.
The Greyline vertical-dipole design is recommended to anyone with HOA restrictions, suburban and space restricted locations, and those simply wanting a highly efficient 10-band ham radio antenna on one easy to install vertical pole! Also, a smart solution for commercial ALE, MARS installations, and the Ham Radio SDR folks who need agile access to the entire radio spectrum. We've found this antenna to be desired for remote radio operations, a natural for quick mult-hunting or simply easy access to 2nd and 3rd radio intel. The WSJT-X and FT8 digital modes operators enjoy the same agility and premium (over-kill) feed system that can take full power and of course always attractive for those operators among us that simply desire a night of good old-fashioned, low-angle, all band DXing from the comfort of your home (permanent install) or favorite beach (portable versions)!
Let’s have some fun and get you back on the air with DX confidence. You’ll be glad you did. Your family and friends will appreciate the aesthetically pleasing demeanor as well.
Flagpole | Greyline DX Vertical Dipole Backstory:
Many hams have asked for optimized antennas for multiple band operation, so we challenged antenna designer, QST author, and an inhabitant of a neighborhood where towers and Yagis would not go down well, John Portune, W6NBC, to come up with a compact vertical dipole which would be ATU "friendly" delivering good-to-excellent VSWR matches on all bands 80m through 6m with popular autotuners, in particular, the new breed of outdoor rated units. John delivered, in spades. John opted for an OCF design which makes it easier in most cases for ATUs to find a good match across a wide range of frequencies.
We didn't cut any corners! All components are intended to be "over the top" in design and engineering. We don't want the weakest link to come back to our camp. Our choice of tubing is a premium alloy, aircraft grade 6000 series aluminum, 2-inch OD top to bottom (28' is 2.25" OD at the bottom), thick fiberglass insulators at the feed and base that are designed to handle the load, stainless hardware, Amphenol PL-259 connectors for the pigtail, and a custom built common mode choke 1:1 current balun.
We have tested the Greyline Performance Antenna Line with several ATUs and all worked excellent on all bands 80m through 6M. For similar results we urge the use of the Greyline DXF and DXV antennas with an outdoor ATU located at or near the base of the antenna to keep feedline losses to a minimum, however, this antenna will work with many indoor ATUs and even some rig ATUs (we have tested with the Flex-6700 ATU).
ATU Mounting Disclaimer: Again, we urge the position of the ATU at the base of the Greyline antennas for best results. We can't guarantee performance across all bands when the antenna is used with indoor ATUs as the feedline between the ATU in the shack and the antenna is an impedance transformer itself which could cause a very high mismatch on one or more bands, plus many built-in rig ATUs have limited adjustment range. Again, we urge that the ATU must be mounted at the base for respectable performance results.
Below is a typical SWR chart from the field. Results vary with coax length and tuner position, of course. Expect a match and efficient radiation patterns.
Placing the ATU at the base of the antenna will maximize performance. There are many outstanding outdoor-rated ATUs that can be powered over coax. If you are looking for a tuner, we offer many models that are tried and true here. Bundle and save today.
We recommend you are aware of the Federal radiation exposure regulations if your Antenna is near your residence or where people may gather. QRP operators love this antenna for its very high efficiency and yes, of course, you may choose to run full legal limit as the antenna system is designed to handle that and more.
Power Limitation: Please be aware the power limitation is based on your choice of feedline and Tuners power rating. We provide you with a balun that will take the full legal limit of 1500W+ as standard.
Installation couldn't be easier. Three feet of PVC tubing (supplied) buried in "compacted" soil will be enough in most locations to support the antenna, just "drop it in." Of course, you're welcome to install in concrete, on your rooftop or deck or other locations.
Wind Rating: Greyline Antenna Systems are engineered to withstand 90-155 MPH (28'-16') wind gusts, according to “Guide Specifications for Design of Metal Flagpoles,” ANSI/NAAMM FP 1001-07. This was used rather than ANSI/TIA-222-G (regulating antennas and towers) as this standard will be the one needed by building committees for structural analysis.
12-16' up to 155 MPH
20-foot up to 100 MPH
24-28' up to 90 MPH
As always, when expecting up to 40 MPH winds, please lower the Flag.
Built Rugged as you have read here yet easy handling with quick-deploy and portable sensibilities in mind. The DX Flagpole and DXV's are a solid option as an easy install for FT8, SDR, MARS, Emcomm, DXpedition, IOTA, Field Day, new hams, and those of us downsizing to HOA and so on; a wonderful all band antenna solution on one (1) pole!
Custom: We are developing more application-specific options so watch for those. If you're interested in taking your Vertical Dipole Antenna far from home or into the field please contact us about the possibilities.
Question: What do I get with my order?
- The antenna of your choice (12, 16, 20, 24, 28')
- Feed Line "pigtail" from the Antenna to your ATU.
- Coax Stub between your Tuner and the included Balun
- 1:1 current balun (legal limit rated)
- Flag and all accessories if DX Flagpole selected
- Plug in your coax from the radio and play radio
How to Order your DX Flagpole or DX Vertical Antenna?
This antenna is intended to be a high-performance, low-loss antenna system. We provide the necessary information on our products, Blog, and FAQ pages.
- Select your antenna, either 12, 16, 20 24, or 28'
- We provide you with a custom balun and feed system that will take the full legal limit of 1500W+ as standard
- Determine what Tuner and feedline you will use.
- Dig a hole and drop in your new antenna.*
*Some use concrete, others pack rock or sand.
*Easy one-man install or take down for weather events.
73 AND HAVE A NICE DAY!
