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Electronics & Antennas for Ham Radio

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Why Comparing Antennas Is Like Comparing Apples and Oranges

Related reading:
ARRL/K6WX: “Ground” Is a Myth — But There’s Much More
Mythbusting the MythBusters: ¼ vs 5/8 Verticals Don’t Work the Same

Antenna comparisons are everywhere — forums, YouTube, field days. And yet most of them are as flawed as they are passionate. Saying “A GAP Titan is 2 S‑points stronger than my end‑fed” may feel like a data point, but without the full picture it’s often meaningless.

Context Is Everything

Antennas are not standalone devices. They interact with:

  • Earth/ground: conductivity, permittivity, and radial system
  • Height: changes take‑off angle and pattern
  • Surroundings: buildings, trees, gutters, masts
  • Feed system: coax length/route, choking, baluns/unun

Without these, you’re not comparing antennas — you’re comparing installations.

Polarization and Take‑Off Angle Matter

A GAP Titan is effectively a kind of vertical dipole, offering:

  • Low‑angle radiation (great for DX paths)
  • Vertical polarization (different noise coupling vs horizontal)

Compare that to a typical 26 m end‑fed with a loading coil, sloped/bent around a garden:

  • Awkward, install‑dependent current distribution → mixed H/V polarization
  • Often too high an elevation angle on low bands → poor DX
  • Suffers from ground loss, common‑mode, and nearby structure coupling
  • Coil insertion loss + detuned impedance transformation above its design point → reduced efficiency on higher bands

It may resonate, but it rarely excels. On some paths it’s stronger, on others much weaker — and always highly installation‑dependent.

Signal Strength Is Path‑Dependent

If a station is ~1 500 km away and the ionosphere supports a 10–15° take‑off angle, a vertical with a strong low‑angle lobe will shine. If your antenna radiates mainly at 40–60°, your signal overshoots the skip zone. The reverse can be true for closer NVIS paths.

S‑Points Are Not a Metric

  • One S‑point is “supposed” to be 6 dB — most rigs don’t follow it consistently.
  • AGC, mode, bandwidth, and firmware skew readings.
  • SDR “S‑meters” are often scaled ornaments.

Use real metrics: SNR (dB), SINAD (FM/digital), and repeatable A/B measurements with identical conditions.

How to Compare Antennas Properly (Checklist)
Item Requirement
Height Same apex/base height AGL for both systems
Ground Document soil/radials; don’t mix “with radials” vs “no radials”
Feed system Same coax type/length; same choke/balun strategy
Time & band Same band, same time window; ionosphere is time‑variant
Direction Measure A/B toward fixed azimuths (DX, regional, NVIS)
Metric Use SNR or dBFS, not S‑points; log multiple samples

Recommended methods: WSPR / Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) with synchronized A/B switching; or a dual‑antenna RF switch into the same receiver chain and identical bandwidth/AGC settings.

Apples to Apples, Please

To make a valid comparison, you must control variables:

  • Identical height above ground and similar surroundings
  • Known ground quality and radial/counterpoise strategy
  • Same feedline length/route, choking, and balance
  • Same band, time, and azimuth
  • Preferably modeled patterns or measured field strength to explain differences

Otherwise, it’s an anecdote — not evidence.

Takeaway

Antennas aren’t just wires and tubes. They’re systems. Unless you understand and control:

  • Polarization (H vs V and mix)
  • Elevation‑angle distribution (take‑off lobe vs the path)
  • Surroundings & ground (loss, detuning)
  • Current distribution (and whether your feedline is radiating)

you’re comparing apples to oranges — or apples to bowling balls.

Bonus Tip

For practical, path‑aware comparisons, use WSPR and/or RBN over several hours with an A/B switch feeding the same receiver. Aggregate dB‑relative reports by distance/azimuth, then repeat on another day. That’s how you build a meaningful picture.

Mini-FAQ

  • Are S‑meter reports useful? — Only when carefully controlled. Prefer SNR or dB‑relative reports from WSPR/RBN.
  • Why does my end‑fed beat a vertical sometimes? — Path and installation. If the path favors higher angles or your vertical has ground loss/CMC, the end‑fed may win on that path.
  • How do I fix unfair comparisons? — Equalize height, add proper chokes, document ground/radials, and test on the same band/time/azimuth.

Interested in more technical content? Subscribe to our updates for deep‑dive RF articles and lab notes.

Questions or experiences to share? Contact RF.Guru.

Joeri Van Dooren, ON6URE – RF engineer, antenna designer, and founder of RF.Guru, specializing in high‑performance HF/VHF antennas and RF components.

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