On Mon, 21 Jun 2004 16:07:13 -0700, Frank Gilliland
wrote:

Yes I do. You still don't understand that a 9' SS whip can be beat by
shorter antennas.


It can't. Not unless it is has multiple elements or it's made from a
superconductor. Also, check out Landshark's link.


I never claimed any numbers expressed in db. I only tested
specific antennas side by side to get a relative gain order.
One of the better antennas tested was (there are others)
the X-terminator. The X-terminator is a five foot antenna
that would barely outdo a 9 foot stainless steel whip. The
X-terminator would consistently show a higher reading on
different S meters.


All the Xterminator antennas are loaded 1/4-wave verticals. The fact
that the radiating element (whip) is smaller than a full-size 1/4-wave
vertical necessarily means that they are less efficient -- that's just
simple physics.


While I tend to agree with you (and all the conventional theory I've
been taught) that a full length 1/4 wave antenna will have more total
GAIN than an electrically shortened 1/4 wave antenna, there are other
factors to consider which could explain a slightly better signal from
the shortened antenna. The biggest of these would be radiation angle.
If the shortened antenna concentrates its gain at an angle which is
more favorable to the distant station, it will produce a stronger
signal, even if its total gain is slightly less.

Dave
"Sandbagger"
http://home.ptd.net/~n3cvj