GhostNet 1.5, page 43

43 Recommended HF Gear List Antenna Options Antenna choices usually fall into two categories: Resonant or Non-Resonant (AKA “Tuned”). Your choice of radio will dictate what type of antenna you need. Resonant: Doctrinally speaking the “best” type of antenna, meaning the most efficient and the type that jives with your radio the best. The trade-off is size. You will need enough ground space to string up at least 70+ feet of wire in as straight of a line as possi- ble. For small backyards, this is sometimes a no-go. However, for those with the space for them, Resonant antennas are always rec- ommended over “tuned” antennas because they’re more forgiving, easier to work with, and it’s harder to fry your radio using one. These vary widely in construction, from the eBay special manufactured in someone’s garage (and charged a premium for), to more professional multi-band antennas to allow for more options (at the cost of length and the frequent need to get these antennas re- ally high off the ground, such as throwing up in a tree). Some resonant antennas use load- ing coils to cheat physics a bit, and shorten the overall length of the system (Buddipole in particular revolutionized this model of operating), however the trade-off is a higher “Q” factor (meaning that the bandwidth the antenna can hear is “thinner” so you may need to frequently adjust the antenna if you need to change freqs a lot. Also of note, if you use resonant antennas, you probably will need an Antenna Analyzer (SWR meter) to ensure your antenna is in fact resonant on the bands you want to transmit on. Some radios have this function built in themselves, but you may want to use a NanoVNA SWR meter (or another model) anyway. Popular Brands and Models: Chameleon: LEFS 8010, EMCOMM series BuddiPole: BuddiPole system, BuddiStick System (definitely recommend an Antenna Analyzer for BuddiPole options, for ease of use) Non-Resonant (“Tuned”): These antennas operate much differently than Resonant antennas and require the use of a tuner. Some radios have tuners built in, others require you to buy a separate tuner to hook up between the radio and the antenna. These antennas are often more compact, and able to access more bands/ frequencies than resonant options. These antennas usually rely on a matching transformer to make the wire part of the antenna shorter, but safe to transmit on. This also allows you to use really any piece of metal or wire that you can find to transmit on. Fence wire, metal rooftops, and rain gutters, have all been used with some level of success by those who live in confined spaces and don’t have room for a full blown resonant antenna. However, don’t forget that with these kinds of antenna, there’s always compromise. Tuners do NOT increase the capabilities of your antenna, a horrible antenna emplacement will yield horrible results. Tuners just trick your radio into being happy, and thinking that the wire antenna (or whatever the tuner is attached to) is safe to transmit on without blowing up the radio. Otherwise, if you hook up a bad antenna to your radio and key up the mic, all of that power is not going out through the antenna...it’s getting reflected back into the radio which will probably fry it. This is why you may need a tuner. The benefits for tuned antennas are mostly felt in situations where space is limited. In that case you may have to get as much wire up in the air as possible, and slap on a tuner in order to make it work with your radio. Popular Brands and Models: Chameleon MPAS system (either the Lite or the standard versions. Antennas made by cottage vendors for the HOA market are usually tuned antennas as well, so the options are many. Chameleon is just the largest company making antenna systems that rely on a matching transformer and require a tuner to operate. Antenna systems are usually the cause of most swearing and outbursts of rage when it comes to radios. Taking the time to do things right and follow the instructions of your antenna is super important. In the field of physics, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and there are trade-offs everywhere. Compact antennas can work, but generally suck to start with. Gigantic long-wire antennas are annoying to set up, but vastly better in every way as far as physics are concerned. If you live in an apartment or urbanized area, you may have to go the non-resonant route and hope for the best. This is why most low-power portable radios usually don’t have tuners inside them, and you’re expected to use a resonant antenna. The manufacturers know that the end user isn’t going to waste that precious transmit power by using a tuner anyway, since resonant antennas are more efficient. Likewise, a lot of Mobile and Basestation radios will have internal tuners, due to largely being used in Homeowners Association territory (where most antenna theory regarding “Stealth antennas” is developed).