Ham Radio 40m and 80m Fan Dipole

[@WiltshireMan]

Absolutely Cal.Warm feelings of love to everyone no matter where they be in the world.

[@jackK5FIT]

One of the reason I love your videos is you show the real world difficulties of how most projects go. If you're not having problems you're not having fun as far as I'm concerned. Another fun and informative video. Thanks!! Positive vibes sent your way. Jack K5FIT

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Hey thanks Jack!

[@texbraz]

This is great. This is exactly how it goes when putting up a wire dipole! You are showing all the things that you do. Well done and entertaining, as someone who loves putting up dipoles. Thank you.

[@saxmusicmail]

Splicing the wires together... go to an electrical shop and buy some Wago 221-413 Lever Nuts. There is a 3-hole side by side model that will connect all three wires, the feed, and the two elements, 40 and 80 m. These replace "wire nuts". They will not come undone under vibration. I'm reworking my three band fan dipole now, 75-40-20 meters, and using the Wago 221-415 Lever Nuts, which can join 5 wires. Though I'm only using four holes. There is a stripping mark on the side showing just how much insulation to strip.

[@basshorseman998]

So Glad your on the mend Cal, was quite concerned for you for awhile...you know about my wife so, you'll understand my concern...very glad your well Sir

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Yes.. Gradually getting there!

[@av-ji9qy]

Absolutely Sir…..warm feelings of love to all

[@n6pud]

Your videos are so interesting. I always enjoy your content.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

I appreciate that!

[@andreVE4BK]

Another great vid Cal! Great to see you tenaciously moving forward on KZbin! Don’t sweat the petty stuff and don’t pet the sweaty stuff my friend… 😉 73

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Thanks! Will do!

[@ajjones5119]

Great video fighting the trees and building Tom's antenna

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Thanks 👍

[@haroldborder1417]

I'm planning to do something similar, a 80/40 but i plan to tune it by cutting both wires at the end of the 80 and splice with Wago connectors.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Nice

[@alanbaker9883]

Your not far wrong with the bang Callum

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Woah!

[@M0RMY]

Oy! That was my dipole!😀. And that’s a genuine surgeons knot. (Not)

[@DXCommanderHQ]

HAHAHA!!

[@garyh8315]

Certainly difficult times. Thoughts are with all. You're a top chap Cal. I do think you went a bit Tom Hanks in Castaway at one point tho. Great vid. Great comments on your discord too. 73

[@G6EJD]

Very interesting, folding back a dipole legs, halves the resistance of the leg, because the current in each folded arm is shared between the two, this enables the dipole to form a better match to the feed point, usually this would be a coaxial fed balun with a 50:300 transformation, so I’m interested to see what impedance your aiming for at the centre, I wonder what the analyser calculated as the feed point impedance. There is nothing like your videos on KZbin for antenna education, they are world class, well done.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Interesting.. On the original linear loading, we got almost a perfect match.. POSSIBLY due to height above ground. That's probably what helped with the transformation, being low down.

[@glenmartin2437]

Thank you, Callum. Enjoyed your video. Enjoyed listening to your discourse. N0QFT

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Many thanks!

[@cyrilwoolf8848]

Hi Cal just a quick one I bought some small stainless steel pulleys to put power cord through to pull my wires up to my roofline instead of going up and down ladders I wonder Baby you could use the same idea for in the trees

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Yes, we've done that before.. And if I actually choose a permanent tree, we'll do same! Thanks for the tip!

[@cyrilwoolf8848]

Ok thanks for the reply Cal

[@BrianRomine-k9k]

Callum, could you review American military field wire WD-1 For antenna use.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

I don't have any sorry

[@johnorrells3797]

All you need to do is glue two DX commanders bases together 😊

[@DonzLockz]

I want to build a permanent fan dipole for home but with some more higher bands, I think it'll be a nightmare to build in my home jungle. Lol p.s. I like that folding extension ladder, super portable.👍🤠

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Yeah, it's handy (although cheap - so it's not as good as I thought!)

[@FreshAirWaves73]

Really cool! Cheers !

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@deankoerner2436]

Great work mate

[@wiggy858]

Great video , quick question why do the trees not effect the swr after all they connected to earth via their sap and roots ?

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Not enough conductivity.

[@allenbryant]

If you run across the other videos on fan dipoles you've made upload those too. I was looking for one today and I forgot that KZbin lost your videos.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Oh heck, yes..

[@gfodale]

Late to the party, sorry. When using trees, rather than masts, I would recommend using weights on the ends of the lines, rather than securing the ends to the tree. Less strain on the elements when the wind is blowing, and self adjusting for tension. If you're going to get on the lad for his knot, I should point out, the 'figure 8' knot is for the purpose of what you're using your 'stopper knot' for. (originally used to keep lines / ropes from pulling out of pulleys.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Depends on height of tree

[@paulhastings3109]

So going through the trees don't hurt

[@DXCommanderHQ]

No..

[@dazednconfused31337]

Only if you're attached to a parachute 😁

[@alzeNL]

What about when the leafs grow back ?

[@M0RMY]

The antenna becomes “stealth”.

[@ronandrew878]

Another great video Callum. Just a thought would it have been easier to put the wires at the edge of the forest instead of in the thick of it. keep up the good work.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Talk to the Landlord :)

[@ronandrew878]

@@DXCommanderHQ Oh, ok Callum, I get the picture. Cheers.

[@3rd_Millennium_Engineering]

Hello from Maine. May I ask you some questions? What are you using for your underground cable? I'm just starting out (after not being on the air for decades, so re-learning everything) and would like to place my antennas approximately 80 feet away up a slight hill behind my house. While I dig my trench for the coax, I may drop in a few cables for different antennas. This will be a permanent install.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

It's all in the shack-tour video.. Coax is EcoFlex 15.

[@paulhastings3109]

Was this antenna flattop or invented V KQ4CD Paul

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Slightly inverted.

[@foreverdroningon]

Hi Cal another great video. Your videos are so good I forget that there is anyone else on youtube. I have a question regarding fan dipoles. In the past I have made loading coils on pipe lagging ( Pool noodles ) to make a much shorter 40m dipole. . Could one of the legs in a fan be loaded in such a way ? Keep up the great work DE G7BWI

[@DXCommanderHQ]

You *could* just shorten one side.. Not too much - you end up with a slightly off-set dipole.. But a wee bit should hardly be any issue.

[@piquat1]

Can you reupload "how many radials do I need"? It's mentioned on the website on the page for the Classic. Considering purchasing and I'd like to watch that. Thanks. Hope they fix the other channel.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Yes, it's in the mix... Hang on soon :)

[@lennymccoy6909]

Clearly too early for me as my brain heard. Make sure we have the elephant separation. Is that a problem in forests 🤣?

[@johnlew5972]

Can I run 450 ladder line almost all the way to the radio. With a short run of coax( 4 feet) to the radio without a balun? 160/85 mtr fan dipole.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Best to put a 4:1 balun in place at the "junction".

[@johnlew5972]

I don't see a 1 to1 balun there. Am I missing something? I keep hearing that I have to put a 1/1 balun at the feed point. I am building a 160/85 mtr fan dipole. Is there something right there that I am missing on your antenna?

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Hi John. No, I didn't put a balun there. Yes you SHOULD for completeness etc but on an NVIS antenna like this, I didn't care - and still don't :)

[@ronmorella6541]

Another great video on antenna setup. I do wonder how you keep your patience doing all that by yourself. I would have lost it at day one 🤣 73- n2imb

[@DXCommanderHQ]

I wonder too!

[@robertmachette836]

Callum, I am going to purchase your DX Commander in the very near future for a better DX capability. I am looking for a way to add 60 meters. Is there a way to integrate it into the DX Commander, or an I better off using a separate wire? I currently run a non-resonant inverted v wit apex at 30 feet with a 9:1 unun. It gives me 80-6 meters, 80 needs an ATU. It is important that I come up with a reasonable tech solution for 60. I am in an HOA, and limited space. Thanks.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

OK, if this is a CLassic.. I would run 80m on inverted L one way and 60m the other way.. I've not done it but the hardware exists for this purpose. It will work :)

[@mjktrash]

Is it possible to fold the leg back on itself a 3rd time? If so, what does that do to the loading ratios?

[@DXCommanderHQ]

OK.. I have tried this.. All that happens is you end up with more loss.. It would be better (assuming you wanted to shorten the element) is to put a coil somewhere else, say at the beginning of the element - and then linear load it AS WELL.. That would make it short and still fairly efficient. (Centre loading with a coil is apparently better than loading it near the feedpoint).

[@mjktrash]

@DXCommanderHQ Thank you! This had occurred to me as well, but I don't enough about design to put the components together. I'll look for a video to educate me on the technique.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

@@mjktrash Great!

[@PatAutrey]

Wondering if you know how to wind a 16:1 balun - am making a folded dipole with a 1000 w terminating resistor - can't find anything on how to wind a 16:1

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Hiya Pat. The only suggestion I could make is pairing up in series a pair of 4:1 baluns maybe? But I'm not a blaun expert..

[@PatAutrey]

@@DXCommanderHQ well I ended up buying one and wouldn't you know then I found a video on how to wind a multi element balance that covers 4:1, 9:1, and 16:1 - looking forward to trying out this folded dipole with terminating resistor kind of resembles a loop that is resonant on all frequencies without a tuner

[@milwman1958]

Making a 6 &10M fan - Why not KF0HRF

[@Brood_Master]

Too bad you don't have some mature Douglas fir trees

[@FerraCahya]

Good job n hard job

[@DXCommanderHQ]

It's still up! Use it nearly every day :)

[@paulhastings3109]

Oh that's the highest or lowest

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Both :)

[@iz2mgn]

Vy interesting 💪👍

[@Never2Late2GiveUp]

Callum, -40C = -40F

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Correct.. Did you see my title there..?

[@Never2Late2GiveUp]

@@DXCommanderHQ No, I missed the caption

[@DXCommanderHQ]

@@Never2Late2GiveUp Don't worry.. I remember watching a video where the guy said -40 is where they balance out (day before I edited this : )