Tilt Bases: MBVE-1 vs. MBVE-5

The patented TB-3P DX Engineering laser cut stainless steel tilt base is offered as part of the MBVE-1 packages as well as other DX Engineering vertical antennas.

The unique MBVE-5, Saf-T-Tilt™ base (patented) is machined from thick aluminum. Both need two clamps to hold them to a customer supplied mounting pipe (2 inch OD maximum).

Both are SAFE.

In no case are you required to completely remove any bolts from the DX Engineering tilt bases for tilting. One competitor requires you to remove one of two bolts holding the antenna in position. If you drop the bolt and get distracted looking for the bolt, nut or washer - WHAM - the antenna may come crashing down by accident.

The MBVE-5 will not do that because you only loosen the two bolts, plus, you have to lift it out of the slot to tilt the antenna over. So even when loose, the vertical antenna cannot accidently fall. Thus the name Saf-T-Tilt™.

The TB-3P has 4 bolts holding the antenna. The top two are loosened, the bottom only loosened 1/4 to 1/2 turn (just enough to allow movement), then you lift, slide, tilt - just like the current YouTube video shows.

Aluminum (Saf-T-Tilt™) will dull over time, stainless steel (TB-3P) stays new looking for a long time. Both have the DX Engineering logo on them. The TB-3P logo is laser etched in the stainless steel, the Saf-T-Tilt™ has the logo machined into the thick aluminum.

Which one is the best? Depends on what you are doing. And, which one looks good to you. The feedpoint on the MBVE-5 is higher off the ground than the MBVE-1, some people like it lower. Both tilt bases are tough and will handle 43 foot antennas.

The MBVE-1 has an Extren® Insulating Channel (not common fiberglass) - you can look up Extren® on Google and see how tuff it is. They make stairways and bridges using Extren®. The MBVE-5 has a machined Delrin® insulator that keeps the bottom aluminum thick wall mounting tube insulated from the antenna sections.

Which one do you like? Is the MBVE-5 better? It's really up to you - some like it better, some don't - it's kind of a Ford/Chevy thing in the ham radio world.

DX Engineering has videos on YouTube that show both of these tilt bases in operation.

TB-3P with an MBVA-1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZiqhXVxD04&feature=plcp

MBVE-5 Saf-T-Tilt Base: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OqV6Ixx2g0&feature=context-cha