Antenna: DX Engineer 43 ft vertical, DXE-MBVE-5A
Antenna upgrade kit added 2022-DEC: DXE-MBVE-5UGRT8
BALUN: 1:1 current balun ferrite core (2022-DEC: Removed)
Radials: 20 at 40 ft each, stapled to the ground (I plant new radials every couple of springs).
Tuner: LDG RTC-600. (2022-DEC: Replaced with MFJ-998RT)
Feeder: 65 ft Wire Man CQ RG213/U and 35 ft Wire Man CQ Super 8 (LMR-400 flex).
Lightning Arrrestor: ICE Model 303.Radio: IC-7610 or IC-9100, no amp.
2022 Dec Update: I am now working on 5BDXCC and need 80M.. and with the RTC-600 setup I was encountering some odd problems that only became worse. Therefore I upgraded to the DXE-MBVE-5UGRT8 which included the MFJ-998RT remote tuner that is directly connected to the DXE-MBVE-5A. I was planning to assemble a remote controlled tapped coil to add some L to the antenna for 80M but my project went sideways when trying to find outdoor connectors that didn’t cost $50.. Anyway, now with this upgrade everything works, except 1.8 MHz.. I still cannot get that low – the impedance is out of range even for this tuner.
Why did I buy such a large tuner – it has the greatest impedance range I could find and at the far edge of it’s capability I don’t have to worry about harming it if i’m driving at 100 watts since it’s built fo 1,500 watt. I was hopeful I could get 20 or 30 watts into it for 1.8 MHz but it apparently needs more (maybe needs more radials or maybe it needs a 4:1 transformer). I’m not really concerned about it right now since the LUF does not get that low at this point in the solar cycle.
In these two photos you can see how the new tuner mounts and you can see the replacement section of the lower tube. This tuner, mounting bracket and lower tube make it heavier to lift but it’s not a problem. You can also see my green #10 earth ground wires.
DX Engineering sells vinyl caps for these PL259 and SO239 connectors.
Lightning arrestor is really for static discharge. In Oooooooklahoma where the wind is always sweeping through the plains, blowing dust and pollin and other things builds charges! Also, I lay down the vertical when it’s not in use or during wind advisories.
About radials, these are really easy to do for a ground mounted antenna. Lay out 20 of them before the green grass appears and use the flowerbed fabric staplers every 6 feet or so to hold them down. When the green grass begins to appear the runner grow over them and they aren’t moving. After you’ve mowed the lawn the second time you loose sight of them because they get burried in the clippings and the clippings decompose into soil and poof, in 2 months they are buried, never to be seen again.
I need to update these photos – these were from the original install. It’s changed a bit and I’m about to add a coil to make it usable on 3.5 and 1.8 MHz.
