On Nov 11, 11:42*am, John Ferrell wrote:
On Wed, 10 Nov 2010 13:46:12 -0800 (PST), JIMMIE

wrote:
On Nov 7, 4:18*pm, Owen Duffy wrote:
"David" nospam@nospam wrote :

Which antenna is better: 5/8 wavelength vertical or a J pole?

Better for what? For example, a 5/8 whip would usually be better than a J

snip



Owen, I think the popularity of VHF mobile 5/8 antenna lies in it has
more gain than a 1/4 wl antenna and is easier to match to 50 ohms than
a .5 wl antenna. I had certainly rather DIY a 2M 5/8 mobile antenna
than a .5 wl version. From information I have seen the 5/8 often
touted for its low angle of radiation may actually have a
significantly higher angle of radiation than the .5 wl antenna used in
a similar situation. This is not to say either antenna would not be
equally useful.

Jimmie

In the late 1970's my work car was a tiny Ford Fiesta (AKA "Fiasco"
It was fitted with a 5/8 wave on a fender mount. The transciever was a
Heath 2036 at 5 watts. The antenna did perform very well as far as
distance was concerned.

However, it was tall enough to ping the light fixtures in the many
parking garages that were essential to my job.

The biggest advantage of a J-Pole is that it is not dependent on a
good ground.

John Ferrell W8CCW

I ve had both .5 and .64 wl antennas on my big Chevy Van. I cant tell
any significant difference in performance except for a couple of .5
antennas that were really poor performers, I think this may have been
due to matching network design.. Except for this cause I dont see how
there could be any perceptable difference in the two antennas short of
careful measurements on an antenna range..


Jimmie