The antenna is the single most important piece of equipment when performing radio communications.
While most people tend to focus on a radio transceiver, the antenna is the single most important piece of equipment when performing radio communications.
You can reach further with a good antenna on a bad radio than with a bad antenna on a good radio - always.
The antenna is the part of the system that converts the electrical power into radio waves that are radiated through the atmosphere. As a result, the quality / construction of the antenna is critical to the overall performance of your system.
When discussing or comparing antennas there are several factors that should be considered:
| Factor | Description |
|---|---|
| Match | Does the antenna provide a good impedance match to the feed line / transceiver. If not, then power is reflected back to the transceiver (SWR) and not radiated. This lessens performance as well as possibly damages the transceiver. |
| Gain | How well does the antenna convert the electrical signals into radio waves? Some are much more efficient than others. This is measured in dB of gain (where more is generally better). |
| Direction | And does it radiate in all directions equally or is it directional - both have their advantages in different situations. |
| Radiation Angle | Where does the antenna radiate? Unless doing NVIS, you generally want an antenna to radiate outward toward the horizon. |
