So we moved a lot in 2017.
3 times! Three times we packed our
goodies and moved to a new location. Yes,
we purged along the way. Got rid of lots
of junk. We went through a lot of junk
too. The good kind, the kind of junk
that builds character, strengthens families and deepens ones reliance on our
Lord. The other junk, the stuff we got
rid of, built dust, mildew and opportunities to trip.
I picked up a Hustler 4BTV and installed it at our former QTH.
The pics are in a previous post. We
remained at that QTH for several years and it was within 2016-2017 that we made
three moves in a 12 month period.. The
4BTV was packed away along with the rest of the shack. Since we were condo bound for a while, I
acquired a FT-817D for portable use at a nearby park. It worked ok, I had a few QSO’s but it was
not as much fun being my only rig. After
our third move landed us at the current and final QTH, we spent a year
readjusting. It takes time. I bought the Icom IC-7100 shack in a box and I
put up a few dipoles and a G5RV, setting up the shack in the garage. Since we moved into this QTH January the 17th
of last year, it has been almost a year to get the 4BTV in the ground. I followed the DX Engineering installation
instructions. I acquired the radial
plate and tilt base. I cleaned off all
the corrosion on the antenna, replaced the screws and properly attached the coax
to the antenna. It was a lengthy but
rewarding installation. Here are a few pointers to consider when installing
an xBTV vertical following the DX Engineering instructions.
1.
Plan out each step you are going to take.
2.
Install the SO239 Bulk Head connector onto the radial
plate before installing it. Easier doing it on the bench!
3.
Install the SO239 onto the SO-239 Direct Coax
Feed Add-On Kit prior to mounting on the Antenna
4.
Install your radial wires last. After erecting the antenna
The Process and Plan
1.
Prepare
the ground radials. I used #14 Twisted
THHN coated wire. I got it at Home Depot
for around 36.00/500 feet. Radials on
the ground do not need to be tuned.
2.
I
acquired 16-14
Gauge High Temp Ring Terminal with a 1/4:” Stud (Hole) from by Morris by Amazon
to make the terminals that go onto the ¼” Stainless Steel bolts from DX. Crimp and Solder, flows nice. This is a dissimilar metal to the Stainless
so you will need the Anti-Seize of your choice.
3.
Dig
your Trench for the burying of the Coax.
The Coax should be underground by 8” or more to keep from possible interaction
with the radials.
4.
Plant
the PVC pipes that your coax will run
through. I had to use both Sched 40 and
Electrical bent PVC to do the job. You
will want to come out of the ground with a candy-cane curve to the top of your
pipe at both ends.
5.
Run
the Coax through the pipe.
6.
Plant
your 1 ¾” Galvanized Pipe into the ground with concrete. Don’t use an aluminum pipe.
7.
Attach
the SO-239 Bulk Head Connector to the Radial Plate
8.
Mount
the Radial Plate. Have the Coax side
opposite the side that you will be mounting the Tilt Base on. Look at the pictures supplied by DXE. The antenna will tilt to the right if you are
facing the plate.
9.
Install
the Spider on the 4BTV.
10.
Construct
the Antenna. Put the bottom tube on the Tilt
Base so that you can easily install and control the antenna during
construction.
11.
Lay
down your Radial wires and connect to the antenna Radial Plate. I used biodegradable
garden spikes from Amazon to hold the wires down long enough for the grass
to do its work.
12.
Attach
the Coax cables.
13.
Now tweak
the antenna. I found that using the
suggested measurements worked fine.
14.
Work
DX.
I find this antenna
noisier than my tuned dipole but that is to be expected. It does work great and for limited space multiband
you can’t go wrong. With the Tilt Base, it
is a one-man job. Full time to install
was around 15 hours, including bumps along the way.
Ingredients used
Stainless Steel Saddle
Clamp (I looked around and this is the best deal)
Good DX
 |
| The Trench. About a foot deep. |
 |
| Messy concrete job but support will make keep the pipe straight and level. |
 |
| Pipe planted, PVC buried and Coax run. |
 |
| Radials, Radial Plate, Tilt Base and Anti-Seize on connectors. |
Tilt Base Front view. Smudges are aluminum anti-seize to be cleaned off.
 by my neighbor sometime this year. I lose a dipole mast but gain a bit more room for the antenna.  |
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