I believe you are doing more for the future of ham radio than 99.9% of the rest of us. Thank you again.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

I do this for me - but it's fun to share too!

@BenButler1

Жыл бұрын

Thankful you like to share.

Being an End-Fed guy currently... I will now be buying a DX Commander because of your fair review. Thank You!

@DXCommanderHQ

5 ай бұрын

Have confidence :)

During Lighthouse Weekend we use a 400+ foot long end fed antenna. We were located on a cliff about 100 feet above salt water. The antenna was supported by a 40 foot tall flag pole in the middle. To date it was the best antenna we have used at this location. We were at the Horton Point Lighthouse in Southold, NY

When I was a 15-16-17 year old I had an HF radio and I would listen during all of my down time and every single time I heard hams chatting about antennas, antenna testing, tips/tricks, debunking silly designs, etc etc etc. Your series of antenna testing videos are what I need! It wasn't until you tested the vogue LOG antenna that I actually decided to try it. Keep it up Cal!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Nice one Bob!

Nice one Callum! I once had a 1000 feet Beverage at 5 feet above the ground, pointing to the USA, in a field sloping to the north-west. I did some pretty good measurements, and it seemed that it was giving me about 20dB signal to noise advantage over my transmit vertical on 80m trans-Atlantic! It was lovely to hear the delight in the voices of the state-side guys with their "apple-tree" wire antennas! 😀

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Yes, I'll bet that was a delight!

A couple RX antennas I have is a 450ft loop on the ground, using a home-brew binocular torroid 9:1 transformer, and I also have a nearly 500ft beverage antenna, 7ft off ground, oriented towards Europe. I left my beverage "ungrounded", or without termination on either end, which enables it to be bi-directional on the RX signals. Both antennas are 14AWG stranded copper wire, and fed with 75ohm RG11 coax. Both are great tools in the ham radio tool box. My beverage, hands down, is my best RX antenna bringing weak signals to the forefront simply by reducing noise ratio from the signal. One TX antenna I use is an EFHW cut for 160m, 64:1 transformer, put up in an inverted-L configuration, also made of 14awg stranded copper wire.73 and thanks WD9M

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Lovely!

Great video Cal, thanks for doing what some of us cant do, no room for a long wire. looking forward to more of this experiment with interest

Cal I just had a conversation with a friend that has an end fed pointing east west and how he can hear Vancouver from his farm just outside of Moose Jaw. We didn’t understand why he could receive well along the length when we understood the transmit signal is strongest broadside to the wire. I still don’t understand but you just proved it’s not uncommon. Cheers from Moose Jaw Tim VE5THF

Just thought I'd make a quick comment on this gentleman. I wrote to him once about something I don't even remember. He actually wrote back in under ten minutes. I had never previously written to him either. He's a very down to earth guy. Very innovative as well.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Glad you had a pleasant experience..!

great stuff about time lad keep it up 73s

Superb again Cal! Your enthusiasm is contagious 🤠

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Haha.. You need to feel sorry for Wendy! :)

Very nice work, Callum. Looking forward to following experiments with this loop!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

More to come!

Very impressive. I enjoy these antenna R&D videos. Please keep them coming. Can't wait to see the other heights and end grounded.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Thanks, will do!

Excellent video Callum. I used 500 metres of electric fence cord as a Beverage at no more than 1 metre about ground, pointing at North America. The end was terminated in a potentiometer connected to an earth rod. The pot was adjusted to peak signals at the receiver. This was obviously a 2 man job, or at least man and daughter with mobile phones. The results were remarkable on 160 and 80, many local nets we audible in the US and Canada that were completely inaudible on my 160metre horizontal loop or 3/8 wave end fed for 160 (190 feet long, mostly at 40 feet high). It's great to experiment at minimal cost. The biggest expense was bribing the daughter to help me.🤣

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Fabulous story! Thanks for sharing!

This was actually exciting 👍👍

I have a square loop on the ground, 40 meters on a side. I am always amazed at the clear signals when it works. Good show Callum. 73

This video is fantastic. Amazing experiment. Thanks Calum!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Nice to see you so excited about your experience, which is what the best of Ham Radio is all about.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more!

Thank you for these insightful and informative comparisons! I've been thinking about setting up something just like this and now I'm even more motivated

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Do it :)

I made a 160m square up 4m fed with 300ohm twin lead for receive only. Absolutely fantastic!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Nice!

Absolutely brilliant and so enjoyable to watch. Every time you walk around a field with a reel of wire, sometimes in the cold or drizzle, you post a video, and it feels like we’re there with you! You continue to experiment with ‘things radio’, (which, as we know, is the purpose for which we were all granted amateur radio licenses), and you share your results, good or bad, with the rest of us, to increase our knowledge. For this, I thank you, and long may you continue to make these videos…73.. John..G4EIJ

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, I know.. The colder and wetter it it for me, the more you enjoy it! LOL

Thank you for investigating the transformer end feds. I love my homebrew transformer and wire.

I’ve often wondered what a real long wire would do. Great presentation.

Congratulations on a great antenna project... I love it when a plan comes together!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Your antenna is working well. I've never been a fan of endfed antennas myself. I've built 1000 ft loops fed with 450 ohm line and they seemed to tune a lot easier with the auto tuners and with low Rx noise. I had one at my HF station in Maui on the beach at 35 ft off the ground with 14 guage wire and it worked well for 1.8 to 7 MHz and used beams pointed to the US mainland for higher frequencies.

Wonderful experiment and demonstration, really goes to show how much a quiet receive antenna helps. Not just signal to noise but it's also easier on the ears. 👍

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Yes, exactly :)

Absolutely fascinating. Yet another great video

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Thanks again!

Nice one Callum, you might also want to run wspr on that antenna for 24 hours and see what shows up on the map!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

That's a good idea!!!

One of the local hams was big into DX. He had DXCC on all bands. He ran 4 beverages N S E W. All were up about 4 feet with wooden stakes in the ground. Each had a termination resistor. Worked great. Another great video 73 Cal.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Wow

@NickFrom1228

Жыл бұрын

When Callum started describing this I thought "Cool, a beverage variant, gotta watch this". But all band DXCC and 4 beverages. Wow indeed. That's dedication.

Good stuff. Can't wait to see more!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Working on it!

I will have to live vicariously thru you on this one. Wish I had access to enough space to give it a try my self.

THIS IS AWESOME. I operate portable (SOTA) so every activation is a set-up in a new location, new conditions, varying ground conditions... etc. I'm also packing light so I don't have a bunch of meters/analyzers with me and the majority of my time is eaten up by the drive and the hike. So... watching your in-the-field experimentation with those variables made me feel A LOT better about my gear. Everyone acts like their "No-Tune Antenna" acts the same on the summit as it did when they analyzed it at home. THIS VIDEO explains that... no, there are so many other variables other than your antenna length when you deploy. Grew leaps and bounds watching this several times. Thank You!

Brilliant! That length of wire did the trick! There’s always more to learn about this hobby. Thank you!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

You bet!

I've always enjoyed the older books, and not just on subjects like this. In the days before the internet and whatnot, it was more about making do with what you could actually get your hands on, as opposed to what you could afford. It is always neat to go through those old books and see the things that we have generally moved beyond and kind of forgotten over the years, but are still very valid and useful today. There's a lot of that "old school" stuff I learned over the years that I still find incredibly handy in my job as a bike mechanic, despite all the electronic doo-daddery they absolutely jam into those things these days. Very, very cool stuff. Really looking forward to see what else you dig up from the book.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Yes Thor.. We will try a few more!

Hi Cal! This is the content i love your channel for! Hope to catch you again on the air :) .

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

For sure!!

Hello Callum: I love your energy as well as your continued strive for bringing us groundbreaking antenna information + the digital data thru your videos. Most hams think they know antennas but in reality it's what there buddy said or out of the ARRL HANDBOOK. O'l chap please keep on kicking it up, 73's , good health, 👍, God Bless. TMP, Unit 22 from N.J.

@DXCommanderHQ

8 ай бұрын

Erergy.. Yes, even though I might be wrong sometimes :)

Wow... I'm about to put up a long fence around my property. Thanks for doing the experimentation. Really looking forward to following the progress.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Nice

Coming back to the hobby young man, this video is f*** epic !! Glad to see you’re fit and well brother ❤❤

@DXCommanderHQ

9 ай бұрын

Appreciate it!!

Excellent, looking forward to your other videos on this

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

More to come!

Thanks for sharing the results of your work.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

No problem 👍

This is very interesting experiment thank you and I look forward to your future antennas

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Yes Peter.. I'm loving it.. Already planning a switchable array..

Especially well done Callum, this is a prime example why most of the contest stations use beverages/recieve antenna's, "Phat" example of a good tech example/educational story. Respect!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Good point!

Very good experiment. Thanks for posting. Love the long wire antenna, often underestimated.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Excellent video DXC, it lends a whole lot of credibility to the fact that you can use a chain link fence, barbwire fence line on a farm, a railroad track, the options re limitless. It's great to see you involved in the experimentation of long wire for RX & TX. I believe you have touched on a new and advanced method of using home made or existing long wire antennas for ham radio...go for it my friend, can't wait for the next video....:-) KI4TOL 73s

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Yes, we need to try just the fence next!!

Well done mate.

So fantastic! So inspiring!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much!

Excellent!

Nice Intro Callum. 73 Joe

Great video Cal. See you Friday for the livestream.

Great video Callum

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

i'm in the center of Ohio and had a sched. with my father on Long Isand mornings for many years. I've tried several types of antennas. My best success came from a twenty meter dipole that is strung below the eves of my home. It is about 30 feet long and I can almost reach up and touch the feedline . It works best for contacting Dad on 40 meters!. Another oddball contact occurred on a CB whip antenna I tuned to 40 meters. I live below grade and the antenna was laying on the floor. I heard a station, called him, and he responded. I misheard his location and was shocked when he told me he was in Hungary!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

The fun of RF!! HAHA

This video was awesome!!! Thanks for being entertaining and informative. Amateur radio needs more Elmer’s like you.

@DXCommanderHQ

5 ай бұрын

Wow, thanks!

Very interesting and great that you've got the space to try this out for the rest of us. I'd love to see what transmitting on this antenna would be like

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Yes, we'll have to give that a go!

Awesome stuff Cal. I'm just back into the art after a 10+ year hiatus. Working on getting it right this time. Happy New Year and thank you for the inspiration. '73 de VA3HIE

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Great!

This is really cool. Thanks for the share.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

You bet!

Thanks for the best source of information about end fed antenna as well as on 'Beverage' antennas. Just started to experiment with long wire, but my backyard is small and neighbors are noisy (including my own house). So far, long wire antenna do not outperform simple dipole, but hope to rise wire as much as possible to get more out of it. Thanks again!

Now this has me thinking how I can run a long long loooong wire here... very interesting info and tests .. great job Callum!!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Go for it!

Very cool and inspiring. Thanks for posting

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Just found this channel. I live for antenna experimenting and I'm loving your content thus far.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Welcome aboard!

Very interesting mate. Keep up the good work

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Thanks 👍

Your testing helps us in our ham radio practice. I am a visual learned so videos are priceless

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Perfect!

Awesome experiment, I will watch the rest while at work.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! Cheers!

I just watched your video and I must say the "enthusiasm"you have for science/experimentation/ and ham radio is inspiring ! soi want to share my experience with 160M end fed, 1/4 wave. An Elmer I know taught about this, 1/4 wave doesn't require a balun. I have since added 3 more wires to that same coax, at a junction point , 160M, 40M, 30M, 20M. They run about 15 feet vertical, then out to a tree limb, horizontal. I compared these to an OCFD that I had ran for 5 years, only HF antenna I had ever used until this. The End Fed were quieter than the OCFD. WHen I compared RX to the 1/4 wave 160M end fed, it receives better than the OCFD where it is resonant. Looking forward to the next videos in this series !

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Yes, there does not seem to be ONE antenna that does everything :)

Another fantastic vid

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Thanks again!

17:59 Bits of wire... I wholeheartedly agree! I'm still "young" in ham radio, but that comment resonates with me a LOT as I don't run an amplifier. Thanks!

For some reason, this video is just hitting my feed. Fabulous video. I am so encouraged by your spirit of experimentation and innovation. This is what originally attracted me to the craft. I agree wholeheartedly with your thoughts on the need for more focus on antennas as a key--perhaps THE key--component of the experience. Although my CW skills are weak, I can imagine that this antenna would have just as dramatic impact on CW-receive as it does for SSB.

@DXCommanderHQ

7 ай бұрын

Yes, I am sure too.. Imagine being able to hear that well on CW..? Hell, you could get anywhere! :)

Wonderfull! I will try. Thank ya Callum. HNY 2023!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Have fun!

Hi Calem !! I've just come across you doing this really good bit here.. !!! Great, it's nice to see people learning and discovering the arts of antenna's.. I am a very old hat !! Merchant Marine Radio officer from the past ,, I was looking on the internet at how the modern day ham "looks" at wires antenna's of various descriptions. I was really amazed to see not much info at all !!! ,,,, and there you are !!! explaining the concepts,, through experimentation ,,, "well done" . It only gets better,,,, (good song that),,, thing can only get better !!!!.. At the moment I have 2 old fashion un-terminated V-beams, one is 320 mtr up at 40 mtr, and the 2nd is at 70ft and 120 mtr legs,, no1 points NW/SE,, no2, North and South over the poles,, not much in it really,, but amazing difference is signal strengths,,, I think when you get yours up a tad more, to lower the angle, the difference will be really there,,, to be seen.,, carry on, I will be looking with interest at your results,,,, my very best regards to you,, and your followers .. Carl

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Hello.. I think your name might be Carl. Welcome.. Yes, I'm mucking about with wires! V Beams also fascinate me, not sure I have the room.. See you again soon, I absolutely LOVE your credentials!

This is the kind of content that really inspires me with amateur radio.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Ah! Fabulous :)

you are amazinig Callum 😀 im doing some tests like you , to find out with antenna will be best for me. I love discovering new experience

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Have fun! I love re-discovering stuff..

Great video!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I operate almost entirely portable. I've built and deployed dipoles, verticals and used hamsticks. By far, my best results have come from my homemade end fed and a 35 collapsible pole. I can deploy in under 10 minutes and work all of the US with very little effort with occasional DX.

Great experience! I love endfeds!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Great stuff Cal mate.. see you on the bands.. 73

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

FAB!!

Brother you did it you got your 3to 4. More DB with the long wire wow. Works great. Thankyou. KC9LRA. Bob. . Indiana.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, it's truly wonderful..!

This sounds like a fun project.

Wow this is fascinating. I know very little about this subject but I follow you

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Welcome aboard!

Interesting stuff! So wild to see what a dead simple wire antenna can do! Take care and God Bless.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Yeah! :)

I just bought a 2.5 acre lot with a chain link fence around the perimeter. I am going to try this technique. Thanks so much for the inspiration Cal! 73 K6TjO formerly of CA now residing in OK

genius brother really cool wishing you the best God bless you and family

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Thanks, you too!

Excellent video, quite interesting. And you have a great diction for us non-native English speakers. I shall never have enough space for such an antenna, but I've learned a lot from your experiment. Thanks for the entertaining 20 minutes.

@DXCommanderHQ

9 ай бұрын

Thank you! 😃

Another great video Callum. I only wish I had the room to do a160 meter end fed ( and a radio with a receive any jack). Looking forward to more testing. 73, N2IMB

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

That would be cool!

Inspired me to have a go at this, have the 64:1 built now, wire is ready. Just going to be 1 to 1.5 meters off the ground right now but looking forward to testing! *Now if it would quit snowing and do springtime that would be swell*

Great project...👍

Man with the tractor and hedge cutter will love you Cal. Interesting results I have a 240 m wire at my portable location. It does receive very well.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

I did ask landlord if I could trim all these and he wasn't keen... Grrr.

Very interesting! An antenna laying on the ground sounds exciting!

@DXCommanderHQ

4 ай бұрын

It is.. Mine is currently broken - I think I need to re-string it.

I run a 80 to 10 meter 59:1 End Fed Half Wave antenna with about 132 feet long wire in a Inverted VEE up about 32 feet using a army surplus mast held up with a T-Post and rebar into the base wrapped with plumbers tape. I've had great results with this antenna, background noise is low. I also use a 20 foot counterpoise as well.

not sure how I got here but this brought back fond memories. in the last 60s I built a heath kit receiver (still have it and last time I checked, it still works on the original tubes!) and ran a wire out my bedroom window to a walnut tree out in the field, end fed. I used to listen all night real quiet so my parents couldn't hear, keeping careful records of where I could identify the sender. This was in California and I listened all over the world. Good ole days...

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Great memories! And thanks for popping along!

I do love a bit of science, which is very exciting.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Yes!

I'm quite literally a 100watt guy with a wire in one of my apple trees (Yaesu FT-857 with N9SAB OCFD). Thanks for thinking of us! I actually need to admit that I have a piece of scrap wood clamped to a flag pole with some old 3/4" and 1" tent poles cobbled together for a 3 element 10m beam. Was able to get a fella from Ukraine using FT8 from Northwest USA pointing across the Pacific. As a new ham, this is all pretty fascinating. Measured the yard this afternoon and realized I can probably run a 130 foot long EFHW across the back yard for 10-80m. Now to save up to get the parts to build. Really appreciate your content!

@DXCommanderHQ

3 ай бұрын

Diamond!

Very interesting and clearly successful experiment. I use a random long wire for receive but in conjunction with a qrm eliminator, not the same but still helps. Great video Callum!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Great tip!

Wonderful!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

Brilliant, I can fit this in !

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Lucky!

Very interesting indeed. I experimented with a 40m bev, then un grounded the end into a end fed, 40m rx was fantastic compared to the vert into eu. I then in a smaller garden put it back up, only 20m long, still rx on 40m was better than the vert. Both 1m high. I look forward to your future experiences with this very fascinating ant.

Interesting experiment for sure. I also like to refer to the older antenna books too. There are some interesting and simple ‘forgotten’ designs in those books. It would be very useful just to check and eliminate any coax feed differences between the antennas (perhaps swap them over and conduct similar experiment just to be sure one coax feeder hasn’t gone ‘soft’). I’ll keep watching with interest. Happy New Year! Nick M1DDD

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Yes Nick. Good idea..

Nice job! Need more videos like this...cant wait to see the comparison to 160m loop and getting the eflw up in the air (and on the ground, lol)!!!!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Coming soon!

I love the leg kick when you're throwing the wire.

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Yes.. I think I almost took-off!

This is brilliant, Callum, cheers! I've only recently begun to think about having a separate receive antenna. When I was knee-high to a hedgehog I used to string up longwires everywhere to try catching SW stations, and the occasional amateur operator. And despite the fact that I had no bloody idea what I was doing, I seemed to be able to pick plenty of low-level signals out of the noise. Fast-foward to when I got into ham radio, and once I learned about all these sexy new transmitting antennas, I just assumed (no doubt stupidly) that if they can transmit to the 3rd outer ring of Saturn, they should be able to receive anything! Turned out not to be the case. Anyway, this is really an eye-opener that takes me back to those wonderfully experimental days when I wasn't worried about being bloody precise or 'correct'. I happen to have a lot more land where I am now than I ever have before, so I'm really looking forward to trying some of these things out. I'm going to start with the LoG from your previous video (which you mentioned here at the end. Seems like it's way too easy to do, so I just have to try it!

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Great comment.. Yes, conventional wisdom IS that the transmit and receive antenna should be same.. But hey, why not move into the past! :)

@thormusique

Жыл бұрын

@@DXCommanderHQ And if it works, then all the better!

I once built a full wave 160 meter loop. The first time I transmitted on it, it opened my garage door and scared the crap out of me! It worked really well but the spurious emissions where so great my neighbors (and wife) hated me because I blackout every TV and radio in the area. It was great fun and the garage door opening and closing every time I transmitted was always worth a laugh with my ham buddies. 😂

@DXCommanderHQ

Жыл бұрын

Woops!

Hello from Kentucky,USA. I’m a new amateur..enjoying your vids…

@DXCommanderHQ

11 ай бұрын

Welcome!