Category: DX Commander

Stress Testing Both Stations

Stress Testing Both Stations

Stress testing the multi-2 station. See how we get on 🙂

Ever wonder why some stations just can’t seem to copy your call sign? If you’ve got a “9” in there — this one’s for you.

In this quick video, I explain why the word “nine” often disappears on SSB and why “niner” is the correct way to say it (according to the NATO phonetic alphabet). It’s not nit-picking — it’s about being heard through weak signals, narrow bandwidth, and QSB.

I’ll show you which numbers most often get lost in the noise (hint: 0, 4, and 9), and how one simple habit can help you make more successful DX contacts.

👉 Learn why “Mike NIN-ER Alpha Bravo Charlie” works better than “Mike Nine…” — and how to make sure you’re never the one repeating your call 10 times!

In this video, I walk you through everything you need to know — from finding contests, checking the rules, to setting up N1MM for logging your contacts.

I’ll show you how to:

Use calendar to find upcoming events
Understand CQ Zones, categories, and overlays
Configure N1MM for your rig
Create and manage logs for contests like CQ Worldwide DX
Improve your operating skills through contesting!

Even if you’re not into competition, you’ll see how contesting sharpens your accuracy, signal handling, and pile-up skills. Anyone can join in — and it’s great fun!

📺 Watch next: Installing N1MM (Full Setup Guide) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyqm7tab-wI

📡 My station: DX Commander – Multi-2 setup / 8 antennas
💬 Share your contest experience in the comments — what’s your favourite one?

#HamRadio #N1MM #Contest #CQWW #DXCommander

0:00 How to Enter a Contest
0:20 Anyone Can Join – Even Beginners
1:00 Why Submitting a Check Log Helps Everyone
1:45 Using N1MM for Contest Logging
2:15 Finding Contests at contestcal.com
2:50 Understanding CQ Zones and Exchange (59 + Zone)
3:30 Contest Categories and Power Levels
4:15 Opening N1MM for the First Time
5:00 Configuring Ports and Station Data
5:40 Setting Up a New Log for CQ Worldwide
6:40 Making Your First Contact in N1MM
7:30 Why Contesting Improves Your Skills
8:30 What Contesting Teaches You About Propagation
9:30 Multi-Op, Multi-2 and Station Testing
10:00 Two Contests at Once? It’s Possible!

Probably 80m and 40m. See how we get on 🙂

This is 2 x Scaffold poles and a lot of rope with a winch doing the lifting / lowering.

After weeks of planning and fabrication, I finally fitted a 12 V winch to my ham radio antenna mast — and it works beautifully.

This video shows the full process of building a self-lowering tower using a falling-derrick system. From drilling and painting the custom angle-iron bracket to wiring the remote-controlled Winchmax unit, every stage leads up to that magical moment when the 14 m mast lowers itself effortlessly.

🔹 Tower height: 14 metres
🔹 Winch: Winchmax 12 V (1200 kg)
🔹 System: Falling Derrick with shock-absorbing mooring rope

The end result? A tower that can be safely raised and lowered at the touch of a button — no sweat, no strain, just solid engineering.

Stick around for the drone footage — it’s one of the most satisfying builds I’ve ever filmed.

73,
Callum (M0MCX)

—
🎥 Next video: Taming the 4-Square!

0:00 The Plan – Building a Self-Lowering Mast
0:34 Preparing the Winch Mount
2:00 Drilling & Fitting the Angle Iron
4:10 My Vintage Pillar Drill (Ajax)
6:05 Cutting & Painting the Bracket
10:22 Stainless Bolts & Final Assembly
12:00 Wiring the Winch & Remote Control
16:38 Day Two – Setting Up the Falling Derrick
18:46 Checking Guy Ropes & Safety Lines
19:48 Mooring Rope Trick for Shock Absorption
22:27 The Big Moment – First Power-Down Test
25:30 Raising the Tower Again
26:46 Drone Footage – Smooth Lowering in Action
30:13 Fixing the Rotator & Camera Mount
30:55 The Big Lift
33:37 Lessons Learned & Improvements
35:11 Tired vs. Exhausted – A Quick Reflection
36:06 What’s Next – Taming the 4-Square

#hamradio #dxcommander #antennamast #engineering #winch #hamradiotower #diyproject #radioengineering

It’s crunch time for the 40 metre 4-Square! Today I’m on a mission to tame the "Beast" – tightening connectors, colour-coding the feed lines, and fitting what feels like a mountain of ferrites (about 40 of them… nearly £300 worth!) to choke every last piece of unwanted current.

There’s plenty of laughter, plenty of solder, and a fair bit of head-scratching as I prepare for the final "X = 0" tune-up. We’ll talk coax, choking strategy, dump-load measurements, and how to keep a 4-Square behaving before that all-important tuning day.

Grab a brew – this is the big push before perfection.

📡 Ferrite mix: Type 31

SPENT TODAY:
💷 £297 on ferrites
💷 £110 on the 33m of Aircell 7
🧰 Next episode: "X = 0 – Final Tune!"

0:00 Intro & today’s mission
0:20 Ferrites everywhere
1:00 Cabinet & connectors
2:00 Colour-coding feed lines
3:15 Clip-on vs wound chokes
4:45 Cabinet tidy-up
6:10 Ferrites on each radiator
8:40 Type 31 mix
10:10 Heat-shrink & Ox-Guard
13:50 Connection fixes
14:50 Dump-power check
15:30 Choking the tower
17:00 Coax recovery
18:30 Storm & dead-man anchor
20:00 Old coax reels
21:10 New patch lead
23:00 Cable-wrangling tricks
25:20 Cable-tie chaos
27:30 Power-meter setup
28:15 First readings
28:50 X=0 tease & wrap-up

A simple job that somehow took all afternoon! Today I’m re-tuning the 160 metre leg of my 80 / 160 fan dipole — dropping the resonance from 1.94 MHz down to 1.85 MHz where the amp is happiest.

I’ll show how longer = lower (it still catches me out sometimes!), explain why the UK full-power segment matters, and talk a bit about impedance, quarter-wave 75 Ω sections, and matching tricks for low NVIS dipoles.

Original Build: https://youtu.be/PV5GdAZ1nfo

Expect the usual chuckles, dog balls, and unexpected wander into the woods…

Gear used: DX50 Kevlar wire, 75 Ω coax, analyser, and a mug of tea.

73, Callum – M0XXT