Ultimate Guide - How to Build a DX Commander 2022

I love the DX-Commander antennas, it got me started when I was a foundation licence holder. It taught me why the antenna wire lengths are important and how to tune an antenna. A number of my fellow radio amateurs at our local club use these antennas, and its just great ! Thanks Cal for these great antennas, I need to get the portable one out at some point ! Thanks again, Alan 2E0FWE

Love you Cal, x

Great video. I so can't wait for the 12M version to be released, I'm going to snag one of those for all the low bands and either a Classic or a Rapid for the high bands.

nice video. Can you add links in Your descriptive comment? that would be useful
73 de M5PM 🇬🇧 Patrick

I received my DX Commander today. I know you have a lot going on but I wanted to thank you for all you do for the community. Thank you KC1___

Loving the new channel!

Looks easy to set up and maybe I should get one for my shack. Thank you for showing the fun of building.

Looks and sounds complicated. I'd hate to spend that money and muck it up.

Nice...any plans to to a vertical 1/2wave end-fed version for 20m and up? So we have more wire up in the air and less radial efforts? Just a thought...my end-fed vertical for 17m works just great...

My 8 year old son, Connor (N5CSK) says he doesn't want to enjoy his radio, he wants to enjoy YOUR radio! lol (He wants a TS990 himself... XYL Janae (W5NAE) and I told his to get a job!) Anyhow, thanks for the overview. Con and I (along with 10 yr old Ashtyn, who is trying to get US Tech and General before Field Day 2022) will be building our Classic as soon as FedEx delivers. 73 AA6X

Having played radio with Home brew half wave dipole and long wires, I have finally come into the fold and ordered an 80 metre Classic kit. Really looking forward to putting the kit together and playing radio with it. Peter M0WHT

Callum, The zed shape for the 40m element, does it allow tensioning upward or downward?

73 de N2XU with my friend KB4OIF

What impact on SWR/resonance point does the tension loop in the 40m element have? And how many tension loops should the 40m element have? One or two? It looks like two but just want to check.

The more and more I watch the build vlogs the more I am able to get my head around how to assemble the antenna. Definitely looking at the DX commander classic with the inverted L found an antenna pully system that attaches to a metal pole on a T and K bracket to use for the extended 80m element.

I just ordered the Classic. I live in an HOA and can't "install" an antenna, I plan to run this stealth in my back yard and if anyone complains I'll prop it up/down when needed. I've been running a 25' vertical for a few months and no one has noticed so I'm hoping for the same luck. :)

If I wanted to build an 80 m square loop but I did not have enough room to do so is it possible to have a smaller loop that has a second layer added on top of the first loop so that it is effectively spiraling upward and would have the same amount of necessary wire for 80 m loop but just not have as big a footprint on the ground? So it would be as big as a 40 m loop but just have two layers layer one and layer two is this doable? If so how much separation would you have to put between the layers? Any thoughts

I'm curious.
Background:
I want to use this as a quick up/down antenna at my apartment. I could use a drive-on or some kind of tube attached to my Jeep as a base for the mast. I even have a clamp meant for a jack at the rear that clamps at about 4 feet from ground level.

Questions:
Would this type of mounting work?

The radials would be laid over tarmac/asphalt in a kind of fan 180⁰ bowtie pattern, would that make a significant difference? Would it even work? Could I tie in the Jeep as a counterplane?

How badly would the metal Jeep and other autos detune the antenna?

Hello Callum, someone has probably already asked you, how come you have not used a put over pole for permanant based DX commanders ? So no chance of the put over pole falling down due to tension, different on a telescoping pole. Yes I understand the plates may need redesigning, but the joints are wider and the plates once drilled may fit snug nearer the joints strongest point ? Plus you may not need electrical tape and your large jubilee clip and rubber hose to tighten plates ? I ask as I have just bought a fibre glass 8m ( £24 ) put over pole and I have no fear of having to tape up telescopic joints and worrying they will collapse under any tension from shot cord, etc. 73's Andy M6APJ.

Even DC could build it lol. Love both DX and DC videos.

Hi Callum, While I wait for my DX commander Classic 80-10/6 meter to arrive I has a thought while watching a previous video from March. Could you put two 10 meter driven elements to cover more of the 10 meter band. I try to work DXPeditions and mostly phpne 28.300-28.800Mhz. But I also get a big kick out of 10 meter AM up in the 29.1-29.2 Mhz region. Seems it might be possible to cover 28.0-28.8 Mhz and also get 28.8-29.2 Mhz or more. Maybe balance it out a little better than that of course. But sometime is seems like two bands close togeter like 12 and 10 meters will cause tuning problems for both.

Terry, KI7M

Good morning Callum, I am moving house and will be living with my son and I am considering the “Classic” as my permanent antenna. Would placing a coaxial lightning arrestor between the so239 and cable to the shack upset the performance of the antenna. The arrestor would have its own ground rod. I am serious about minimizing risk to my son’s property. Thanks.

question can you slide the fibreglass pole over a steel fence pole instead of using the guy wires?

Getting ready to build my DX Commander Classic antenna and have a question about the tensioning loop on the 40m element. Does folding the element back to make the tensioning loop, and then continuing it to the top , not affect its ability to receive/transmit a signal on the element above the loop? Sorry if this is an elementary question - this is my first antenna build.

Proably a stupid question, not played radio for far too long, do you see any issues running this for 2,10,11,12 meters, Ill need to look up implications of importing to CZ (OK) post brexit its a costly pain envlolving a long trip and an even longer wait for them to find the parcel. Asking as I have one eu cb and a small 2m tranceiver plusI am looking to get at getting a radio for the nearby amature bandsand currently have no antenna

Can I mount this on my roof???

Great video.

Hi Callum, Ive just ordered (Sat 15th) one of your classics with 80M, I've been watching your vids for a while and decided the time is right. Ill probably install it adjacent to some silver birch trees on my lawn so that it isn't the stand-out feature of the garden. Looking forward to getting it on-air.
Cheers M0VZZ

Hello, can this be bought in the USA if so where. Thank you!

I’m not a fan of Fiberglass for permanent placement. In Texas where I live fiberglass wouldn’t last long.

Hi, I'm not a radio amateur but I was wondering about what you have said in one of your video's about how higher the antenna above sea level. I forget which one of your video's that was. So here is my questions. There are a couple of hills here where I live and something I go up on one of those hills 100+ meters high with my handheld (2 meter 70 cm) but I usually don't hear much. But if I go lower hill around 40 meters high I hear a lot more every time. Is there a explanation for that ? Thanks so much, 73.

The way 40 tensions is not very clear in the manual. It seems this video is the only way to get it right. Idk everyone seems to not have problems but it would be nice if some images were in the manual

Fantastic video (one of many). Order placed. Just curious, one of your countrymen, suggested that some elevation about the ground would yield a significant improvement, in a reduction in the needed number of radials. Not worth it ?

Where do you find those little wire ident numbered white cubes ?

Callum, I couldn’t find any info on your videos about the new HCL Easy clamps. On the HCL website there are so many different models. Which one are you sending with your antennas now? Thank you. Dave K8WPE

To keep the missus happy, would there be any issues running this up the side of tree? ie - to keep it hidden from sight.

I have seen so many of these build videos that the word "doingy" has crept into my vocabulary. Thanks for the great video. It is keeping me sane during this build. 73 KN6ZVI

Hi Callum, if I put this antenna in fixed installation in my garden, hon many years can live?

I setup my 1st ever Commander Classic..Install video helped a lot. I had to add some extra wire for the 40m element, but the SWR is the lowest I've eve tested on a HF antenna. 1.03 and 1.15 on 20 and 40m. I am receiving stations that I have not been able before. I'm gonna double guy it and see how it holds up in the harsh Chicago winter. Cheers!

How much, avialable in Philippines?

Can I slide the fiberglass pole over a metal pole fixed in the yard? I know it may mess with the swr of high enough into the glass pole. Any idea how much until it screws with the antenna ? Thanks C

@bobS.
Hi Callum. i just ordered my antenna (DX Commander CLASSIC HF Multi-Band Vertical), (2-29-24). The question I have is how many guy wires do I need to install, and can I put this against a fence post for added stability and if so, what do you recommend?
YS Bob

My IC 7300 will not tune the 10M band with the antenna lengths given in the instructions. Instructions call out a length of 8.4M (331"). My radio tunes up a 10M dipole perfectly, but not the DX Commander. I think the length given in the instructions are incorrect. It's my understanding that a 1/2 wave, 10M antenna should be 5.26 meters (207"). Can someone help?

Thank you, I'm building my new Signature 12 on Field Day today. KE8WYZ 73.

Can these come pre built with all the wires cut to size etc for each band, and so the antenna just gets extended direct out the box

DXCommander got me on air - my furthest contact is Gatton in Queensland Australia 10154 miles away running 100 Watts :-) and last week I heard New Zealand! Great piece of kit...