Every longtime Ham operator has a “tall” tale to tell about the difficulties of working with an antenna tower. There are enough stories of mast slippage during maintenance and hard-to-install accessory shelving to fill a coffee table book called, “That $@*!% Tower!”

Enter the team at DX Engineering. The company’s innovative products have enabled Amateur Radio enthusiasts to write a new, more positive chapter in the saga of dealing with tower masts that won’t behave and accessory shelving that just won’t fit.

Mastlock

The Mastlock Tower Accessory (DXE-MASTLOCK) uses DX Engineering stainless steel V-saddle clamps and a specially drilled 6061-T6 aluminum plate to lock your two or three inch tower mast in position. It prevents the mast from slipping downward when you’re removing or servicing the rotator, and prevents it from turning during tower or antenna maintenance. Such movement can damage the tower and accessories. The Mastlock works on mast tube as well as flat top towers with thrust bearings.

DX Engineering recommends using two Mastlock assemblies to lock a top-heavy mast into the center of the tower. This is especially important for heavily loaded masts that rise way above the top of the tower.

Tower Accessory Shelves

Ever try to pound a one-piece rotator plate into place in your tower? Yeah, we thought so. DX Engineering’s Tower Accessory Shelves are simple to install and feature a thicker, 304 stainless steel plate for greater stability. Custom made by DX Engineering to fit Rohn and Amerite towers, the 3/16 inch thick, laser-cut shelves have four slotted holes to mount the most popular rotators from Yaesu, M2 Antennas and Hy-Gain. Two additional holes are provided for rotator models with six mounting bolts.

Two models are available:

• DXE-AS25G fits Rohn 25G and Amerite 25 towers, with formed integral brackets for V-bolt clamps. This plate is used only for mounting a rotator at the top of a 25 top section or where there are no cross braces on a 25 straight section that would interfere with installation and the operation of the rotator.
• DXE-AS455G is adjustable to fit Rohn and Amerite 45 and 55 towers. This model features additional holes for DX Engineering Advanced Design Thrust Bearings (DXE-TB-300 and DXE-TB-400). The DXE-AS455G may be used anywhere in any 45 or 55 section for a rotator or bearing shelf, including as a top bearing plate. 

Use a quality anti-seize lubricant, such as Jet-Lube SS-30 (JTL-12555) to avoid galling your stainless steel hardware.

What do Hams think?

“I ordered the Rohn 55G kit. Included was the Rohn rotor plate, drilled for nothing. Jagged edges, primitive looking really. Since I was pinched for time, I ordered the DXE rotor shelf. Quite a different piece. Looks like a piece of art, with a smooth, shiny finish that won’t cut your hands. Stainless, not a primitive hot dip. Fit my Yaesu G 2800 perfectly. Really a far nicer piece. Price was right, would have cost me that much to have the primitive Rohn accessory shelf drilled.”