DX Commander Signature 9 Build – Part 2: Mast Assembly, Radials, Tuning & First Contacts!
Welcome back to Heartland Ham Radio! I’m Michael (AF0F), and this is Part 2 of my DX Commander Signature 9 HF antenna build. In Part 1, we handled all the prep work—cutting elements, crimping and soldering, labeling, and getting the ground post ready. Now it’s time for the fun part: bringing this antenna to life!
In this episode:
• Assembling the mast and installing the radial system
• Putting all the antenna elements together for multi-band coverage
• Final tuning for optimal SWR across 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, and 10m
• How well does this antenna work?
After several days of work, this is where it all comes together—and the results speak for themselves. I’ll share how this antenna performs compared to my OCF dipole, plus real contest results: 75 countries in CQ WW DX SSB and nearly a clean sweep in ARRL Sweepstakes—all with just 100W and my FTDX10. Spoiler: this antenna is a game-changer for me.
📺 Missed Part 1? Watch it here:
🔗 SWR Calculator I reference in this video:
Quick SWR Calculator for Vertical and Dipole Ham Radio Antennas
👍 If you find this helpful or entertaining, give it a thumbs up!
🔔 Subscribe for more ham radio projects and live streams.
💬 Got questions or your own DX Commander experience? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear from you!
#hamradio #dxcommander #antennabuild #amateurradio #hfradio #diy
@DXCommanderHQ
—
Michael, AF0F, Heartland Ham Radio
@HeartlandHamRadio
00:12 Welcome & Introduction
01:00 Day 4 – Driven Plate Label Redo
05:34 Day 4 – Mast Assembly
08:51 Day 4 – Installing Antenna Elements
12:08 Day 4 – Installing Radials
14:27 Day 4 – Initial Mounting & SWR Baseline
15:37 Day 5 – Final Tuning
21:09 Day 5 – How Well Does It Work?
21:39 Closing and Wrap-Up
source
