In article ,
Jeff Liebermann wrote:

On Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:22:56 -0700, Roy Lewallen
wrote:

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
. . .
I wish you hadn't done that. I just ordered a copy of Kraus (2nd
edition) for $25 and a 2nd copy of the ARRL Antenna Book for $19
(because it always seems to be out on loan). Sigh. I need to
practice resisting temptation. Internet shopping is far too easy.

Hah, be glad you don't live close to Powell's, which has a separate
technical bookstore. My wallet is always a lot thinner when I walk out
of there than when I walked in.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Many years ago, I used to make the pilgrimage to the Sunnyvale Fry's,
Ham Radio Outlet, various nearby surplus stores, and then Computer
Literacy Bookstore. After spending far too much money on books, I
started to avoid the bookstore. They solved the problem for me by
moving locations and finally closing in 2001.

A visit to San Francisco was not complete without dropping into
Stacey's bookstore on Market and Powell (after the one in Palo Alto
closed). However, the SF store closed earlier this year.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/07/BAFN154UV2.DTL

What's left are the big chains, online vendors, and some specialty
stores. I've never been to Portland, but if I find an excuse, I'll
certainly give Powell's a visit.

Sorry about Stacey's. Always visited Stacey's when I would visit SF. I
liked Stacey's for code and hands-on books.

At this point, my national favorite technical bookstores are MIT Press
and the MIT Coop bookstore which are across the street from each other
at the Kendall stop of the Red Line in Cambridge, Mass.



Things aren't what they used to be: The 'Quantum' on technical books is
now $100 +/-, so I think twice before buying.

How much new is there in HF; VHF and UHF antennas anyway?

If it is new; it's not going to be in a book but rather in a journal
like the IEEE Antenna and Propagation.

Most of the articles in Antennas and Propagation are mathematical and
don't reduce easily to hardware implementations unless one has the
inclination; time and an available machine shop.

I tend to buy used from amazon.com but generally if I know in advance
what I want. Their "What's Inside" can be helpful though.

I have a couple of favorite antenna books and go to those when in need
but generally rely on the basic equations relating wavelength and
frequency and then cut-and-try.