http://hrcc.wiki/radio/Recent content in Radio Technology on HRCC WikiHugoen-usThu, 28 Jul 2022 22:46:42 +0000http://hrcc.wiki/radio/antennas/Fri, 15 Jul 2022 12:51:12 +0000http://hrcc.wiki/radio/antennas/<p>A good Antenna system is a critical component in any amateur radio station. There are many different types of antennas and each type has its benefits and drawbacks.</p> <h2 id="compromise-antennas">Compromise Antennas<a class="anchor" href="#compromise-antennas">#</a></h2> <p><em><strong>Don&rsquo;t panic and dont dwell too much on this one!</strong></em></p> <p>The only non-compromise antenna is an isotropic radiator in free space (which is impossible to actually build, so don&rsquo;t even try). Every other antennas sytem makes some number of compromises for any of a number of reasons. Directional antennas sacrifice wide area coverage for gain in a particular direction. NVIS (Near-Vertical Incidence Skywave) antennas sacrifice low takeoff angles to achieve good &ldquo;close in&rdquo; performance. Coil loaded ,or otherwise shortened antennas, trade efficiency for compactness. With this in mind, don&rsquo;t worry so much about making your antenna setup &ldquo;perfect&rdquo; or &ldquo;ideal&rdquo; but, rather, try to make the best out of whatever bundle of constraints (budget, available space, available materials, HOA restrictions, etc. etc) you find yourself operating under.</p>