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GAP Titan DX Maintenance

Posted on July 28, 2019September 10, 2019 by Simone

I’ve installed the GAP Titan DX some years ago. Due to maintenance works on my roof, I had to put the antenna down for some weeks.

GAP Titan DX Tuning Elements
Tuning GAP Titan DX

This week I’ve been able to restore the antenna on the roof. The Gap Titan DX is a vertical dipole with no traps, and with vertical elements making this antenna resonating on from 12 to 30 meters. 80 meters provided from a top capacitor, while 10 and 40 meters depends on the tuning of a cross shaped counterpoise at the base of the antenna.

I’ve already written several times about this antenna and how to tune it on several bands providing also a quick antenna reference you can seen here behind.

According to some OM there is a relation between the 20 meter stub and the 40 meter copper wire length.

Well, today after having restored back the antenna on the roof, I’ve not been able to obtain an acceptable SWR on the 40 meters.

With acceptable I mean SWR < 2.0 on the band. According to GAP this antenna shoud be able to perform well with acceptable SWR on all bands, but in the 10 years I’ve on the top of my head, it never performed on the 30 meters. SWR on 10 MHz has been always > 3.5.

Even today high SWR does not allow me to use on that band.

Here below the SWR reading I’ve captured with my new Antenna Analyzer by HG7AN.

It’s evident how 30 and 40 meters need some solutions.

I’ll try to contact GAP and will post the updates here.

10 Meter Band
12 Meter Band
15 Meter Band
17 Meter Band

20 Meter Band
30 Meter Band
40 Meter Band
80 Meter Band

Some pictures of current setup

Updates and Actions Log:

28.7.2019
Sent an email to GAP via their contact form asking support, explaining the issue. Got a fast reply asking me to send some pictures.

29.7.2019
I took pictures (posted here too) and emailed them.

31.7.2019
I did sent other 2 emails asking for confirmation the did received my pictures

1.8.2019
Sent an additional email via their contact form asking for support and confirmation they did receive my emails.

2.8.2019
Still no reply from GAP

28.8.2019
GAP is not replying. I’ve sent my last request, I will be calling them via phone. 1 Month without any response.

06.9.2019
Tried to phone GAP several times but line is resulting always busy.

10.9.2019
Seeking help on GAP Antenna Yahoo Group

7 thoughts on “GAP Titan DX Maintenance”

  1. Sandro says:
    July 28, 2019 at 8:51 pm

    Hi Simone,
    it’s a common problem on GAP Antennas. Also my Titan does not work as expected on 40 meter.
    I will follow your post

  2. Cameron says:
    October 22, 2019 at 4:23 pm

    Hello Simone,
    I am working through retuning after just rebuilding my Gap Titan DX. I added wire to rods for 17 and 12m to lengthen them. I got 40m tuned very nice but for 10m it is resonant at 29 MHz with or without the loop! I too am emailing Gap. Fast replies and wanted pictures too.

  3. Simone says:
    October 22, 2019 at 6:38 pm

    Let me know if they did replied.
    I’m still waiting.

  4. Andrew says:
    February 11, 2022 at 9:07 pm

    Great antenna, for me. I had some SWR issues and added a MFJ 939I. All is well.

    But GAP is a 1-2 man show, and frankly, their support sucks. Good luck.

  5. w4qnw says:
    March 22, 2022 at 5:17 pm

    agreed. built to the millimeter, mounted 6’ft up, using a big Heath sa-2040 TUNER for final SWR touch up to flat…
    Could rarely break into even small pileup with 150w…..
    Read about ZS6 dipole. HOA made me take down a 10-80 carolina windom at 70 feet
    but gave OK to the Titan.
    Put up the ZS6 with center at about 30…one leg down to about 12 the other horizontal
    just clearing the roof peak and tied to a vent pipe about 18′ high.
    FRICKEN AMAZING RESULTS from coastal south carolina…always bad propagation.
    Many contacts just over noise levels during the DXcontest with others calling……. AMAZIN. !!!
    I never was a vertical lover,,,so this ZS6 offer a great addition if you have the space.
    73

  6. Izzy says:
    June 13, 2022 at 5:32 pm

    I’m Izzy 4x1uf, recently i moved my Titan DX from the house back yard to the roof top (after reaching an agreement with my neighbors). Had to retune the loop and now very good swr on all bands except 30 meters, it resonate around 9 MHz and I’m seeking an advice how to tine it to the correct frequency.

  7. Izzy says:
    June 29, 2022 at 2:17 pm

    I could not find on your page solutions for swr on 30, 40 and 10 m bands please be more clear what to do. Thank you
    4x1uf

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IW5EDI Simone

  • Licensed Amateur Radio operator in 1996 as IW5EDI, active member of ARI Firenze and ARRL
  • Class 1970, married with two childrens, love experimenting and antenna home-brewing. IT System Engineer, recently started having fun with morse code and Raspberry Pi


IW5EDI Simone



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