Good luck, I have watched so many of your videos that it like we are friends. Good luck! I know taking down antennas is a sad thing. Last year we sold our cabin and I had a few antennas up there ready for retirement. Life has a way of changing what we had planned. God Bless.
I've never seen the 3-leafed beastie since leaving Maryland. I don't miss it. We do have thistles or "Seven Minute Itch" which is more like 2 day itch.
Hi T.O. Glad to see the DX Commander worked so well. I'm in the process of installing my DX Commander Signature 12.4, but I'm going with a permanent installation. Glad to see that yours survive the last touch Wisconsin winters that we've had. I heard that you were moving, sorry to hear that you're leaving the Great White North of Wisconsin. Best wishes to wherever you land and on you new job. Bill-KA8GIM
Nice semi permanent installation! I think a lot of folks have those I throw it up in a tree for a couple of weeks and see how it works antenna. 3 years later they take i down because the most recent break from a storm can't be fixed easily. 73
Some days I am envious of those with trees or space. I don't have any trees big enough to throw a line up but a 33 foot mast, I do. SoCal has some trees though, I found them last week.
TO! I am aghast. You said shotgun, detritus, and shaft all in one video, lol. Great demo and video! I just pulled out with the pickup and trailer and left the signature 9 behind at the bus. Now, I know how I’m going to go back and retrieve the antenna with a shotgun case. They’re gunna freak when I carry it on the Airbus,lol. 73 de Bill
great antenna ! can easy get parts for them. I hope to have the 2024 Expedition portable one this charismas . savaging up for new POTA antenna. got the new POTAFLEX 7 coax from M & P on the way ! nice bright yellow. if you need more DX 10 wire DX commander sells it. he has hats shirts and stickers and outher stuff now. going to love the DX commander coffle cup. find a POTA spot and set that DX commander up. will be great fun. lots of pile ups ! do the K8MRD mod so you have 12 meters. 73's
looks nice but a bit large for my uses ... I have a CHAMELEON CHA SS17 on the way and a Wolf River Sporty 40 coil ...... my QRP LABS QDX is still on order ... hope this setup will work better with QRP then my Comet HFJ 350M ... thanks for the great videos !!! de George , N2JNZ
@temporarilyoffline as long as it worked all is good, putting the plate on top of the clamp protects the fiberglass ends from cracking or extra stress is all, but these things are pretty bullet proof 😉
You are lucky you don't have carpet grass. That stuff will fight you every step of the way. Also, I replaced all my elements with DX10 because mine came with the original D10 wire. The D10 wire failed when the plastic jackets heated up and dried out.
I have been debating on the DX Commander, but was not sure about the long term install. If that was 3 or 4 years in the northern elements, that is nothing to complain about.
Nice. I'm suprised you only use 3 guy lines down low ... especially with those nice trees surrounding it. On my DXC I have 2 sets of guys (one about 10 feet up and the other about 25 feet up, both tied to the same anchor point) running to three threes about 7 feet up. That thing never moves, even in 60 mph winds.
We get 60mph winds here from time to time, its been fine - it helps that its in among some trees. I had one guy line get chewed and it still stood up for a while until I caught it.
You might be better off grabbing a new DX Commander Expedition for /P working. The classic is great, but for SOTA/POTA it’s a little cumbersome. All the best! 73!
@@temporarilyoffline in which case, save yourself time by reusing the elements and radials from your classic. Just recut the shock cord and you should be on air in no time.
It looks like it held up well, Steve! I guess it was relatively well-shaded. It does look very complicated to set up for portable ops though. 73 VE3GKT
Matt Heere has a good video on getting his setup. This isn't the "portable" version, so I've always said this would be a full weekend antenna instead of a single activation antenna.
Mine has been up just as long and it has also held up well in the Texas heat and Sun. I just recently replaced the guy plates after one failed due to heat and i have a video of that on my channel.
Expedition variant takes literally 5-10 minutes. Now even faster with the new quick plates and stopper knot technique. Just wait a bit and have a look at the new DX Engineering Expedition stock - they are great. Callum is shipping a ton of them to the US.
Good luck, I have watched so many of your videos that it like we are friends. Good luck! I know taking down antennas is a sad thing. Last year we sold our cabin and I had a few antennas up there ready for retirement. Life has a way of changing what we had planned. God Bless.
Thanks for that - we're all one big hamfam!
Thanks for that - we're all one big hamfam!
If there's one thing I've learned here, it's that T.O. doesn't have a yard loaded with poison ivy like I do.
I've never seen the 3-leafed beastie since leaving Maryland. I don't miss it. We do have thistles or "Seven Minute Itch" which is more like 2 day itch.
I actually didn’t realize how close to the road and noise you get from passersby. So long to the Dx Commander, it’s served you well!
Considering all the other benefits of this property comma the road noise isn't bad at all.
Hi T.O.
Glad to see the DX Commander worked so well. I'm in the process of installing my DX Commander Signature 12.4, but I'm going with a permanent installation. Glad to see that yours survive the last touch Wisconsin winters that we've had.
I heard that you were moving, sorry to hear that you're leaving the Great White North of Wisconsin. Best wishes to wherever you land and on you new job.
Bill-KA8GIM
Thanks Bill! Good luck with that new antenna!
Enjoy the new adventure!
Thanks!
Nice semi permanent installation! I think a lot of folks have those I throw it up in a tree for a couple of weeks and see how it works antenna. 3 years later they take i down because the most recent break from a storm can't be fixed easily. 73
Hams gonna ham!
Glad to see how well the antenna held up in the weather after the years. Looks like it'd do just fine here in NY.
It would, I don't think you get the cold like we do
Some days I am envious of those with trees or space. I don't have any trees big enough to throw a line up but a 33 foot mast, I do. SoCal has some trees though, I found them last week.
A vertical is the way to go! This one is really compact considering all it can do.
You had me hooked at Wisconsin Winters and Vaseline! Thanks for the video.
This thing is a survivor!
I think packing up a DXCommander in a shotgun bag is about the most TO thing I could imagine. Great idea man, and great video.
It's where my mind goes... thanks!
Safe travels TO - I bet the dismantling of the antennas is a mixed emotion feeling - onwards and upwards!
On to better things for sure!
What new antenna system did you end up going with? New ham here. VY2PE
I can't believe you were able to get the radials out! Mine have only been in the dirt for a year and there is no way I can get those suckers out.
Only lost one, and I suspect it was chewed
TO! I am aghast. You said shotgun, detritus, and shaft all in one video, lol. Great demo and video! I just pulled out with the pickup and trailer and left the signature 9 behind at the bus. Now, I know how I’m going to go back and retrieve the antenna with a shotgun case. They’re gunna freak when I carry it on the Airbus,lol. 73 de Bill
It would be great to walk this antenna case through TSA ;-)
@@temporarilyoffline I will let you know how it goes in a few weeks, lol.
great antenna ! can easy get parts for them. I hope to have the 2024 Expedition portable one this charismas . savaging up for new POTA antenna. got the new POTAFLEX 7 coax from M & P on the way ! nice bright yellow. if you need more DX 10 wire DX commander sells it. he has hats shirts and stickers and outher stuff now. going to love the DX commander coffle cup. find a POTA spot and set that DX commander up. will be great fun. lots of pile ups ! do the K8MRD mod so you have 12 meters. 73's
Sounds like fun
That looks like way to much trouble for portable ops. Looks like a great semi-permanent install as you did for 3 years. When are you hitting the road?
I agree. Very interested to hear Steve's thoughts.
It has been FANTASTIC for the past 3 years, highly recommended as a full time antenna. I'm leaving 2 fridays from now. Getting CLOSE!!
I set my dx commander up in twenty minutes, usually faster, amazing results though
@@chrisnmichelle0218 Yeah, its not hard to setup - I just make sure the juice is worth the squeeze
looks nice but a bit large for my uses ... I have a CHAMELEON CHA SS17 on the way and a Wolf River Sporty 40 coil ...... my QRP LABS QDX is still on order ... hope this setup will work better with QRP then my Comet HFJ 350M ... thanks for the great videos !!! de George , N2JNZ
Hey George - the SS17 and some ground radials is perfect for 20m. I just put over 500 contacts through mine last week at Huntsville Hamfest.
0:51 - reminds me of the gopher scene in caddyshack :D
Me too!
The plates were supposed to go over the clamps, lol, saw you did yours backwards. All is good though 😂
Could be - 3+ years without an issue
@temporarilyoffline as long as it worked all is good, putting the plate on top of the clamp protects the fiberglass ends from cracking or extra stress is all, but these things are pretty bullet proof 😉
That antenna looks like it held up really good, nice work, tnx.
It sure did!
Nice bag.
Thanks!
You are lucky you don't have carpet grass. That stuff will fight you every step of the way. Also, I replaced all my elements with DX10 because mine came with the original D10 wire. The D10 wire failed when the plastic jackets heated up and dried out.
You have the exact opposite extreme of weather than I do.
I have been debating on the DX Commander, but was not sure about the long term install. If that was 3 or 4 years in the northern elements, that is nothing to complain about.
No complaints at all, very minimal maintenance
So glad to see that it lasted this long. A tribute to Calum design. 🙏📡☢️
Indeed!
Love the gun case idea!
I laughed when I thought it up. "UA-cam is gonna hate this"
Actually impressed how well it held up. So what is next on the HF antenna agenda for you?
I'm playing with whips - always more antennas to play with
Nice. I'm suprised you only use 3 guy lines down low ... especially with those nice trees surrounding it. On my DXC I have 2 sets of guys (one about 10 feet up and the other about 25 feet up, both tied to the same anchor point) running to three threes about 7 feet up. That thing never moves, even in 60 mph winds.
We get 60mph winds here from time to time, its been fine - it helps that its in among some trees. I had one guy line get chewed and it still stood up for a while until I caught it.
Nice setup, we should do some work to our DXC's to make them faster to deploy.
I could see some speed mods for sure. This one isn't setup for speed.
Hi Steve,
It did hold up well. What's the ETA to TX? Everyone there stay safe. 73 WJ3U
I should be in Texas in September
AR case is awesome!
I think so too!
A sad day but a new adventure awaits, without snow! ;)
No snow! Woohoo!
The end cap is VERY important.
Wish I still had it ;-)
@@temporarilyoffline I feel your pain. I lost the end caps to my MFJ 1910 mast. Not fun.
Nice high capacity antenna in that bag 😁
Right!
You might be better off grabbing a new DX Commander Expedition for /P working. The classic is great, but for SOTA/POTA it’s a little cumbersome. All the best! 73!
I have an expedition I need to build yet - it's in the truck for a future video. This antenna has been great!
@@temporarilyoffline in which case, save yourself time by reusing the elements and radials from your classic. Just recut the shock cord and you should be on air in no time.
@@M0JSX good idea!
You going 9-land to 5-land??
Leaving Houston on my way back home to Milwaukee. So happy to leave TX 😂
Yep, the from there, who knows
Steve, what part of Texas are you moving to?
Livingston, but I'll probably/hopefully never be be there
It looks like it held up well, Steve! I guess it was relatively well-shaded. It does look very complicated to set up for portable ops though.
73 VE3GKT
Matt Heere has a good video on getting his setup. This isn't the "portable" version, so I've always said this would be a full weekend antenna instead of a single activation antenna.
Mine has been up just as long and it has also held up well in the Texas heat and Sun. I just recently replaced the guy plates after one failed due to heat and i have a video of that on my channel.
Expedition variant takes literally 5-10 minutes. Now even faster with the new quick plates and stopper knot technique. Just wait a bit and have a look at the new DX Engineering Expedition stock - they are great. Callum is shipping a ton of them to the US.
@@M0RMY I'll take a look, thanks
I hope thats not a whole lot of poison ivy that you are tramping thru! E Texas ... definitely poison ivy!
Nah, I haven't seen any of that stuff in Wisconsin. It was all over in Maryland- 3 leaves, leave it be!