Alex Flinsch wrote in message ...
In article , Arrow146 wrote:
If the antenna is an electrical 1/4 wave then it is a 1/4 wave antenna, even
if it is physically shortened by use of coils. Alex / AB2RC


If that is true, then there is no such thing as a 5/8 wave antenna. They
would be 3/4 wave antennas.

since when does 5/8 = 3/4 ?
last time I checked, 3/4 = 6/8

A 5/8 ground plane is tuned to a 3/4 wave resonance.
Myself, I think they should be described as their actual physical
length. That gives you a better idea of their true performance. If you
called a 5/8 antenna , a 3/4 wave, in my mind, the gain on the horizon
drops and higher angle lobes start to appear...Then you have the cases
of the "short" 1/2 waves...The shorty versions will never have the
gain that a true full size half wave will. Calling them 1/2 waves is
misleading. When I talk about my 10 ft tall mobile antenna, it's a 1/4
wave resonance anywhere I tune the antenna. But I don't go around
calling it a 1/4 wave...I call it a 10 ft center loaded vertical. In
my book, to be called a 1/4 wave, it needs to actually be a 1/4 wave
in physical length. I'd call his antenna, a 1/8 wave tall loaded
vertical.
MK