I would love a DX Commander but suffer the most intractable of all problems - a very small garden and a wife who guards her floral territory with an uncommon ferocity :-( . I have just managed to sneak in an end fed half wave for 40-10 m. but am catching incoming for the short length of exposed wire that peeks from the side of the garage down into the garden space. Surviving in the trenches by claiming when I install it properly none will be visible . As the song says "You can't always get what you want". 73.
I plan on doing this at the end of this year. I'll be moving house and also taking it portable a few times so give it a workout.
California to South Africa was the longest at just over 10k miles. Did it with my 1/4 wave multi band DX Commander and 100w, and the other night on battery power portable from my front yard with a 40m EFHW and 100w. Both of these time and others were SSB. Big station on the other end, but still made the contact. Works even better with the amp on.
I would guess 5- 10 years without issue. Its fiberglass so UV in your area is the big issue. In the Northeast or GB where it comes from it will last alot longer than say Florida. Eventually it will delaminate and get weaker over time. Its got some pros and cons like anything. Still my first choice is a loop, Rhombic in my dreams then grades of compromise thereafter. For now its a 6BTV for HF and I consider it a couple a grades higher than the commander for durability and adaptability in placement. Still for a portable setup the commander is a good bet.
Really enjoying that amp Tom. It wont be abused. I wish your family the best with your ventures. We survived the elsa the over hyped thunderstorm just fine. 73
The DX Commander is a great antenna for HF. Talked to Callum a few time on the radio and phone. Great chap. But you need your own bit of land for this antenna. Otherwise your stuck with a mobile.
Indeed - Jerry Sevik wrote the book "The Short Vertical Antenna and Ground Radial Paperback", available on the CQ books website. With the right (high Q) loading coil and ground system, it is very nearly as efficient and effective as a full 1/4 wave vertical... what you give up is bandwidth because of the high Q inductor, but the remote tuning ability of the Tarheel antenna makes up for that.
Nice Vid, thanks! I was excited to see the way you laid out the radials. I splay them in all directions... it looked as if you just kept each bundles together in a clump.... is that correct? I own a DX commander and a Tarheel and a this.... and a that... and a lot of portable antennas..... other than my steppir beam and my av 640.... they are all portable I think it's a very consistent antenna no mater where I put it; it performs very well. I have compared it against my home vertical AV 640 at 50ft and it holds it's own... when in Quartzite, last Jan, I had it and a 40m vertical delta loop up. Depending on who I talked to one or the other took turns being the "best" (on 40) the DX commander works on 80 (80 m mod) extremely well. I really don't have much data for you on the upper bands. VK on 20 is about as far as I have played with my DX commander. I enjoy playing portable a lot.... maybe 30+ days a year. My biggest complain with the DX commander is the 45+ minutes it takes to deploy or stow. Not always conducive to a short weekend setup. I like it so much, that I am going to revamp it with a number of quick connect... quick attach features attempting to get it operational in the 20-30 minutes that all the rest of my portable antennas seem to take. Now those of you who want a more permanent solution, I don't have any advise, but portable quiz away. Have fun! 73!
Looks like a well made antenna. Like all verticals, it will be only as good as its radial ground system.
Mine has 41 radials, most are 7.5m long (10% of the longest band I operate). 7 connectors, 6 radials on each connector except one which has 5 (ran out of wire). One of the bundles is shorter as we have a picnic table under the oak tree and the radials off that side of the antenna stop short of it (they are about 4m long). The one request of my wife - otherwise she actually likes our antennas and has used them in her sculpture work. If not for the HOA, yagis would be flying but stealth is the order of the day. The DXC is the best multi-band solution I've found for our setup - ymmv. I do have a Tarheel but it is on the Jeep. Thought about running one in the yard but then you have to retune. One strength of the DXC is all bands all the time, so dual VFOs can sit on two bands and instantly be able to transmit on either. Actually 42 radials would likely have resulted in better cosmic performance but alas...
I'm thinking of getting a DXC sometime soon, maybe once the exchange rates cool off. I eventually plan on running an amp with it. (1500w) I've watched most of Cal's videos, but is there anything I should be aware of that's not obvious? 73 de W8IJC
Without reading every response, IMO there's never any "best," as the best is always bettered. But in my experience, no ground-mounted vertical with any amount of radials ever beats a similar antenna elevated well above ground with tuned radials. I've just experienced this too many times and the elevated vertical (above the roof of the house or whatever it's mounted on, and above local structures) always wins, at least on the bands above 80m. The installation of such may require more planning and is usually more permanent. But for a home (permanent) installation...worth it.
