"Reg Edwards" wrote:
The low-angle performance of a half-wave dipole, even when
radiating broadside towards the receiver, is very poor in
comparison with a simple vertical.
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To the extent that this is true, it is not just a function of the intrinsic
radiation patterns of the (horizontally polarised) half-wave dipole and the
vertical monopole, but also to the net gain toward the other end of the path
including reflections of that intrinsic radiation from the physical
environment around the antenna.

The performance of an antenna near the earth can depend as much on its
installation conditions as its free space pattern.

RF