I remember (some years ago) when I was a kid travelling a lot overseas
with my parents, embassy rooftops and ships seemed to sprout HF
Biconical antennas.

This was when satellites were not as widespread as they are now, and I
guess most diplomatic (ciphered I guess) and maritime traffic passed
over HF.

Why would this type of antenna have been preferred? Why don't
amateurs use this type of antenna more? How do HF Biconnicals stack
up against other HF antennas? Can they be trapped for mulitband use
and/or loaded to reduce size?

I'd kind of like to home-brew a 20m one. Any ideas? Designs?
Modelling software for them?


Tommie