A Small DX Commander Pole Modification That Helped

I wanted to share a quick tip that saved me a little time and hassle.

I made a small modification to my DX Commander pole, and for me it turned out to be useful for a few reasons:

• When setting up the pole, I no longer have to turn the pole over to get to the center starting segment.
• Changing what is connected to the mast is much easier.
• I can fully lower the top section before disconnecting the wire or whatever else is attached, because the top segment no longer falls down into the section below.

The modification was simple. I added a key ring to the loop at the top of the pole. Installing it was basically the same as adding keys to a key ring, except the ring went onto the pole instead.

Technical considerations

Yes, the added ring is metal, but so is the ring already built into the pole itself.

Could this potentially cause some sort of issue with the antenna? Maybe. In my use, I did not notice any problems.

If that is a concern, a plastic key ring would be another option. I probably would have tried plastic first if I had one available. That said, the metal ring will likely be stronger over time, while plastic may eventually become brittle after a lot of sun exposure.

For me, this was a small change that made the pole easier to handle in the field. That makes it worth keeping.