[TowerTalk] DX eng

[Jim Thomson]

Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:09:19 -0400
From: Pete Smith <n4zr at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] DX eng


I have been told that DX Engineering is a ham radio offshoot of Summit 
Racing Equipment, a huge Internet retailer of street and strip 
aftermarket car stuff.  As such, they obviously understand how to handle 
Internet sales.  Summit has a beat-a-price guarantee -- I wish DX 
Engineering did, too, but most of what they sell is proprietary and 
pretty pricey, IMO.

73, Pete N4ZR

##  I have not been able to locate another source for those SS saddle clamps,
and solid AL saddles.    The dx eng version has same length of threads as a regular 
muffler clamp... BUT the shank's are a lot longer...so the overall length is quite  a bit
longer that the muffler clamps  from F-12 etc. 

##  and nobody makes the eq of the dx eng..'super mast clamp'.    I have seen some
hb versions... but they were all super smooth on both the insides of the saddles  [ where it 
bears on the mast/boom].    The dx eng saddles on both their super mast clamp.. [and their
al saddles  that mate with their U bolts]  have this textured finish. 

##  Just about every U-bolt on all my F-12 yagi's  is rusted.. sometimes the u bolt threads... and
sometimes just the nuts.. and sometimes one/both halves.   You got any idea what is involved
in taking rusted hardware apart?    Every thing from power hack saws to zip wheels, to air/electric
impact guns, breaker bars, torque wrench's, wd-40, etc. 

##  after  38 yrs of ham radio.... that's  it for me.... if it's not SS,  It's not going up there.   I'm not talking abt
tower leg bolt's either... just ant hardware in general.   Evert tried getting a yagi down... then find out you have a 
bunch of rusted out U-bolts up there ??      Having said that... dx eng uses  what appears to be  cold galvanized
 G-8  bolts  for their super mast clamps.    You can't get G-8 anything in hot dipped galvanized..due to heat treating. 
Reg G-8 bolts have that gold finish on em.  I suspect they cold galvanized on top of the gold finish ?     I slopped
loads of  never seize on the threads... and hopefully, they will work out. 

##  and replacing loads of rusted U-bolts  with more plane jane U bolts  is fubar imo... a waste of time.... unless
I want a repeat performance.   You save absolutely nothing with plane jane U bolts.   I have seen the hot dipped
galvanized U bolts  from trylon.. [typ  7/16 + 1/2"]  and they are well made.... but come with No saddles.   It drives me
nuts as is... with f-12's idea of using U bolts.. and NO saddles.   At least with those super  wide textured AL saddles
that come with the dx eng saddle clamps... you barely have to tighten em up... they have loads of surface area. 

## I also tried a test  with several of their 2" super mast clamps.    I can   put em on a 2"  mast.. [abt 7' above the lawn]
and with NO backing plate, No bolts, nuts or anything else... squeeze both halves  of the clamp assy, with my bare
hands.. and lift my feet right off the grnd!     I use one of em for each of my hb  mast steps.... using 2"  x 2"  x  1/4"  thick
Al angle.  I use non skid ahdesive backed strips on the tops and sides of the angle.   And also used a  1/4-20  SS bolt
+ ss nylock  at each end, sticking up 1"... to tell my feet, where the edge is.   

##  sure dx eng is not cheap,  but their products are all on one site, and  service is 2nd to none.  If you want to see
expensive... check out opti-beam's  prices.  Opti beam still hasn't figured out how to make a real  boom to mast
plate set up.  Single plates went out the window almost 20 yrs ago. 

later... Jim   VE7RF