Comparing a Linked Dipole vs a 13-Meter Doublet Antenna with 600-Ohm Ladder Line

When choosing a versatile HF wire antenna, two common options emerge for portable and fixed-station use: the linked dipole and the 13-meter doublet. Both designs are favored for their multiband capabilities, but they differ significantly in construction, deployment, and performance characteristics. Let's explore their differences in detail, with a focus on 40 through 10 meters and assuming the doublet uses 10 meters of 600-ohm ladder line with negligible feedline and tuner losses.

1. Basic Design & Construction

  • Linked Dipole: A linked dipole consists of multiple wire segments connected via small insulators and jumpers (often banana plugs or bullet connectors). These allow you to manually connect or disconnect specific segments, thus changing the electrical length to suit different bands. It operates as a resonant antenna on each band.
  • 13-Meter Doublet: A 13-meter doublet is a non-resonant dipole cut to 13 meters total length (6.5 meters per leg) and fed with 10 meters of 600-ohm ladder line. It requires a balanced tuner or a 1:1 current balun into a Z-match or ATU to operate efficiently across multiple bands. In this comparison, we assume ladder line and tuner losses are negligible.

2. Band Coverage

  • Linked Dipole: Offers true resonant operation on selected bands (typically 40/30/20/17/15/12/10m), depending on the segments installed. It delivers low SWR on each selected band without requiring a tuner.
  • 13-Meter Doublet: Can cover 40m through 10m easily when used with a proper tuner and 600-ohm ladder line. With losses considered negligible, it becomes a practical multiband solution for all these bands.

3. Band Efficiency (Assuming 600-Ohm Ladder Line, 10m Long, Negligible Losses)

  • Linked Dipole:
    • 40m: Excellent, resonant
    • 30m: Excellent, resonant
    • 20m: Excellent, resonant
    • 17m: Excellent, resonant
    • 15m: Excellent, resonant
    • 12m: Excellent, resonant
    • 10m: Excellent, resonant
  • 13-Meter Doublet:
    • 40m: Good — antenna is electrically short, but still usable; tuner required
    • 30m: Good — better match than 40m, usable with minimal mismatch
    • 20m: Very good — close to half-wave resonance, efficient
    • 17m: Good — similar efficiency to 20m
    • 15m: Excellent — near-resonant
    • 12m: Excellent — near-resonant
    • 10m: Very good — high efficiency with proper match

4. Deployment Practicality

  • Linked Dipole: Requires manual intervention to change bands—disconnecting and reconnecting links at height, which may be inconvenient during bad weather or when the antenna is suspended high in trees.
  • 13-Meter Doublet: Once deployed, all band changes are done at the tuner, making it highly convenient for rapid switching between bands. This is a big plus for portable and contest operations.

5. Portability

  • Linked Dipole: Relatively lightweight and compact. Since it uses thin wire and no heavy feedline, it's ideal for backpacking, SOTA, and QRP.
  • 13-Meter Doublet: Slightly heavier due to the use of ladder line and possibly a center insulator with strain relief, but still highly portable and suitable for field use, especially with QRP rigs and compact Z-match tuners.

6. Tuner Requirement

  • Linked Dipole: No tuner required if matched segments are used.
  • 13-Meter Doublet: Always requires a tuner. A Z-match tuner or an ATU with a 1:1 current balun at the feedpoint is ideal, especially for QRP. This setup ensures balanced matching and efficient energy transfer.

7. Suitability for QRP Operation

  • Linked Dipole: Perfect for QRP when efficiency is critical, as no tuner is needed and each band is resonant.
  • 13-Meter Doublet: Also excellent for QRP, particularly when paired with a Z-match tuner. Its multiband flexibility and the negligible losses in the feedline and tuner make it a reliable companion for low-power operations.

Conclusion

Choose a linked dipole if you prioritize maximum efficiency and are okay with physically adjusting your antenna between bands. It is best suited for those who operate on a few specific bands per outing and want low-SWR performance without a tuner.

Choose a 13-meter doublet if you value quick band changes, broader band coverage from 40–10 meters, and are using a high-quality tuner and 600-ohm ladder line. With negligible losses, it provides excellent efficiency across all bands and greater operating flexibility. For QRP operators using a Z-match, it's a particularly versatile and forgiving antenna.

Both antennas are proven performers in the field—your specific operating style and needs will determine which one is the best fit.

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Written by Joeri Van Dooren, ON6URE – RF, electronics and software engineer, complex platform and antenna designer. Founder of RF.Guru. An expert in active and passive antennas, high-power RF transformers, and custom RF solutions, he has also engineered telecom and broadcast hardware, including set-top boxes, transcoders, and E1/T1 switchboards. His expertise spans high-power RF, embedded systems, digital signal processing, and complex software platforms, driving innovation in both amateur and professional communications industries.