I happen to like them as they can be made from common materials with
excellent ruggedness.
A 1/4WL ground plane takes one SO-239 and five pieces of
19 inch copper wire (or stingers). :-)

AND if you make it out of stiff wire (say #12 or so), it can be folded
to fit in a grab-n-go box and then unfolded when needed! The slight bends
caused by folding/unfolding may not look neat, but it's mighty handy!

--
--Myron A. Calhoun.
Five boxes preserve our freedoms: soap, ballot, witness, jury, and cartridge
PhD EE (retired). "Barbershop" tenor. CDL(PTXS). W0PBV. (785) 539-4448
NRA Life Member and Certified Instructor (Home Firearm Safety, Rifle, Pistol)