DX Commander Maintenance and Surround Build - Replacing Old Radials
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- Опубліковано 16 жов 2023
- In todays video I am doing some much needed maintenance on my DX Commander Classic Antenna. Over the years my radials got trashed and needed to be replaced with new ones and I want to make the are around the antenna look better. This was a fun project and I hope you enjoy. All links to the tools I used are below in my Amazon store. Thanks for watching. 73!
DX10 Wire from DX Engineering: www.dxengineering.com/parts/d...
Surround Bricks - bit.ly/3QlLkvt
Marble Chips - thd.co/3RZTwCP
Weed Barrier Cloth - low.es/45Fho1Q
HR4NT DIY Ham Radio Tools Amazon Store: amzn.to/3QnU1Wl
✅Website: hamradiofornontechies.com
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My Current Shack Setup:
ICOM IC-7300
Yaesu FT-2980
DX Commander Classic
Comet GP-9
Diamond GZV4000 Power Supply
LDG AT200 PROII Tuner
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#hr4nt
#ki5npl
#hamradiofornontechies
I have a 3 year old DX Commander classic that’s been out year round in North Alabama. Still going strong even with a few visible lines in my plates. I love it.
It is, in my opinion, one of the very best antennas on the market today and should be in every ham's arsenal. Thanks for watching and for the comment. 73!
Glad you’re back, Beardsley magoo.
LOL....glad to be back! Looking forward to making my next videos! Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
I have a long road ahead I see lol. My DX Commander Sig 9 will be here tomorrow, and I got a lot to learn. Great video 73's
Have fun! Don't overthink it. Read through the instructions and come up with your building plan. It is pretty straight forward and if you have issues refer to the video or email me. Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
A very nicely done installation. I think I'll do my commander in a similar fashion .
It really makes a difference rather than just sticking it in the ground and living with it...AND I think it will give better protection by not sitting in water if we get heavy rains. Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
Just an FYI. Callum is supplying new improved spreaders snd plates, available at DX Eng. These are gray and thicker, very UV resistant. Plus he now sells DX 50 mil spec wire with kevlar cord by the meter i bought a huge amount and the stuff is fantastic BTW, his Sig 9 model is guyless...would look even prettier in your yard 😅.
Thanks for the info. I am shooting a new video now with some fantastic updated stuff from Lord Callum. Thanks for watching and for the comment. 73!
Awesome video, I am new to ham radio, studying for my Tech license, your videos have been greatly helpful, thank you.
Great to hear! That makes it all worth it to me. Glad my videos are helping! Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
I have been looking at a dx commander. I will get one sometime in 2024.
They are great antennas. They are reliable and once you build it and tune it, you are good to go. I have had mine for two years now and it is my number one antenna choice. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine. Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
Looks pretty good, Scott! I'm glad you're back at it makin' videos! 🤠
You and me both! More to come! Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
Hi Scott,
Looks great. Since you were going to use the marble chips as a cover, could have saved a few dollars by using a trash bag for the weed block. 73 WJ3U
Yes and no...I need water to be able to pass through and not be retained within the surround. Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
Enjoyed seeing what u did, very informative, as I've considered getting a DX Commander (even though I a-l-r-e-a-d-y have all the antennas I need)! 🤓🇺🇸
Glad it was helpful! The DX Commander really is a great and I think a "must have antenna" in one's arsenal. Thanks for watching and for the comment., 73!
Nice build, man!
I'm glad you like it! Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
nice too see you .... I haven't seen ya in a while
It's been a minute...LOL...but now that the weather is nicer, I will be doing a lot more videos. Thanks for watching and for the comment. 73!
From personal experience you may find weeds will start growing above the weed barrier and in amongst the rocks.
Maybe so. If that happens then I will have to fin d a weed killer or just pull them out. Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
If only red brick and white marble got rid of RFI!
If only...ROFL. Might buy a few more and chuck them at the house with the solar panels...LOL Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
Looks terrific, Scott! I really like the way you’ve incorporated ham radio into the landscaping. Very classy and professional. 73s -KO4VBL
I thought it looked a little better than the antenna just planted in the yard...LOL Glad you like it! Thanks for watching and for the comment. 73!
Not too long, thorough! I like it! Well done! Getting ready to order me one, Signature 9 or DX Commander 80 Plus ? I was thinking of using a flat shovel and literally just putting the radials in the dirt, just under the surface? Cool Hat !
Any of the DX Commander series of antennas, you can't go wrong. My Classic is still going strong after 2-3 years. I am happy with that purchase! Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!!
Just a tip, on the guy ropes tie one end with your regular knot and the other end is a taught line hitch. Then you can adjust the knot and then come back and easily tighten if the rope stretches over time.
THANK YOU! Excellent idea! I had to look it up. Been 45 years since I was in Boy Scouts...LOL That knot will be perfect for my needs! Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
"Art Installation" in the back yard.🙃
I guess you could say that...just wanted it to look a bit nicer and be easier to maintain the lawn. Thanks for watching and for the comment. 73!
I wonder if you could rent a lawn edger and basically dig yourself some shallow trenches to put the radials in. There would be little worry about the staples ets at that point. Just a thought.
I thought about burying them, but If I need to do maintenance down the road, it would be easier to pull up the staples and do the maintenance. Good idea though. Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
@@HR4NT Indeed, makes sense.
I suggest you fertilize your lawn in the area of the radials and also water that area a few times a week... in about a month you should have the "turf" growing well.
That is my plan. We are just getting out of a 76 day drought here, so everything was dying. I am dropping fertilizer today. Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
Looks good, I still have to put the ground staples in
Yeah that is a lengthy process that once you start, you need to finish. Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
I’m eyeing this antenna for when I get into a house, and have thought of doing something similar, only difference being burying the radials entirely In xeriscape. Then I wonder if the rocks would affect the radials and antenna performance somehow….
Great video as always!
I do not think that the rocks or anything else would affect the radials at all. Having them in the ground I think would actually make them work a little better, maybe not noticeably better, but better nonetheless. If you get one, you will absolutely love it. I would suggest that until then, if you like doing POTA, maybe grab yourself the Expedition version and at least play with it out in a park or use it as a temporary antenna. It is basically the same one just portable and not made for permanent setup. Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
Are you im the southwest US?
@@douglasvamateurradioandmore yes. I am south of Houston, TX
@@HR4NT i meant to reply to the one about the xeriscape.
I am in Richmond, tx fir work this week. I may be next Monday and Tuesday.
@@douglasvamateurradioandmore Colorado, but lived in New Mexico for a bit as well.
Hello hello
Hello there! Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
QUESTION - I have just put my Classic in the air. What coax did you use for your feed line? I am running 6m as well as HF, so figured maybe a low loss coax? LMR-400 seems to be rather expensive for going the 70 feet I need. Me maybe RG-213? Would "direct burial" coax be best if I don't use conduit? (Someone said conduit will always fill with water, perhaps due to condensation?).
I am running 75 feet of LMR 400 from my classic to the house. I figured that would be robust enough to handle the weather conditions and not give me any issues. If you can get direct burial that would be better than conduit and risking water leaking in. I hope this helped. Thanks for watching and for the comment. 73!
Great work. I hope to have two of these antennas one at my qth and one for portable.
Antenna question - a directional antenna ie mag loop, do you point it the the country you want to work or the line ie of the grey line?
73
Fir a directional antenna you would determine the bearing if the DX station and rotate your antenna accordingly. Logging software will give you the bearing or you can you Google to find it. The grey line is just an area where night turns into day. It can be useful to operate when your In the grey line since propagation could be optimal.
@@doc145 thank you for the feedback and your time.
What @doc145 said is spot on! Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
Hi, this is a weird question...what brand of pocket knife are you using in this video? In another one of your videos, you did tell us what you carry but I forgot to make a note of it. Thanks 73 KK2L
I carry a Cold Steel Tanto Recon 1 folding knife. I have had it for years. I hope that helps! Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!!
Thanks for the quick reply. You did say in that other video how good it was. 73@@HR4NT
That's a great idea. I am a new ham (General) and still searching for my first radio and antenna setup. This antenna is one that I have been looking into. I do have a question regarding the ground radials. I noticed that your fence and the shed appear to be closer than the 3 meter length of the radials. Unless that was an optical illusion due the camera perspective. How do you deal with obstructions such as that when laying out the radials? Go as far as you can towards the obstruction and parallel the obstruction, or do you double back the radial along itself? Thanks for the great videos!
I have a classic, I just spread them out best I can ind it works really well. By far the quietest antenna I have. KC3VOH
It was partially an illusion, however just spread them out as best as you can. You do not have to have them spread out in a circle. I have seen others set them up say against a fence and had them fanned out in a 180 degree fashion and they worked fine. I hope this helps. Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
Nailed it! Thanks for the comment and for watching. 73!
Excellent explanation and thanks for replying, that helps me a lot! 73! @@HR4NT
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Thanks for watching. 73!!!