A wire diple is two equal-length wires connected to your feedline in the middle. The math for figuring out how long to make it is pretty straightforward too: 468 divided by your frequency in MHz gives you the total length in feet. So for a 20-meter dipole at 14.200 MHz, you’d end up with about 33 feet total length, with each leg being around 16.5 feet.

You can string them up completely horizontal (flattop), hang them with the middle high and the ends lower (inverted V), or even slope them with one end higher than the other. The inverted V is particularly handy since you only need one tall support in the middle.

If you’re dealing with limited horizontal space but still want to make solid contacts, vertical antennas might be your answer. 

A vertical antenna is a single radiating element that sticks straight up from the ground with a system of radials serving as the ground plane. The quarter-wave vertical is what you’ll typically see, measuring about 234/frequency(MHz) feet in length.

Most verticals absolutely need radials – those are conductive wires extending outward from the base – to create an effective RF ground plane. Without a decent radial system, performance drops dramatically.

Verticles work across all amateur bands. They’re especially practical for lower frequencies (80-40m) where full-sized horizontal antennas would require huge amounts of space.

Hamsticks/trapped dipoles are great for hams with space problems or those looking for mobile options. These compact little antennas won’t outperform a full-sized dipole – nothing does – but they’ll definitely get you on the air when nothing else will.

A Hamstick is basically a fiberglass stick with a loading coil built into it and a stainless steel whip on top that you can adjust for fine-tuning. The standard ones run about 8 feet total length, with the fiberglass part being around 44 inches. They’ve got a 3/8″ x 24 thread at the bottom that fits most standard mounts.

You can use a pair of them to make a dipole. You just get a universal dipole mount , attach two identical Hamsticks, and you’ve got yourself a portable dipole that works surprisingly well. Trapped dipoles work on a similar principle but use tuned circuits (the “traps”) to effectively cut off portions of the wire at certain frequencies.

Each Hamstick is designed for just one band, and you can find models covering everything from 6 meters through 80 meters. The bandwidth varies quite a bit depending on which band you’re using:

• On 10 meters, you get about 2.6 MHz of bandwidth (basically the whole band)
• 15 meter versions give you about 1.4 MHz
• 20 meter models provide roughly 500 kHz
• 40 meter ones only offer 60-170 kHz (depends on your setup)
• 75/80 meter versions are really narrow at just 20-60 kHz

THe G5RV is a pretty solid compromise for those of us who want multi-band capability without needing an acre of land. 

The G5RV is a 102 foot dipole connected to a special matching section of ladder ine or twin lead. The matching section is what gives it its special properties. That matching section needs to be pretty specific: about 34 feet for open-wire feeder, 31.3 feet for ladder line, or 28.5 feet if you’re using old TV twin lead.

The G5RV is that it was actually designed as a 3/2-wavelength antenna for 20 meters, with the matching section working as a 1:1 impedance transformer. Therefore, it is not a perfect multi-band antenna.

Performance definitely varies by band. The sweet spot is around 14.150 MHz (20m), where it gives you a reasonably close impedance match of about 90 ohms.

The antenna performs differently across various bands. On 80/75m, it works as a folded dipole, while on 40m it functions as two half-waves in phase. On 20m (where it’s happiest), it’s a three half-wavelength antenna, and on 15m, you get two full-wavelengths fed in-phase.

A yagi focuses your signal in one direction. Yagi’s are great when you need to hit distant repeaters or work satellites, and they’re absolute game-changers compared to omnidirectional options.

A Yagi is basically a directional antenna system that looks a bit like a fish skeleton – there’s a horizontal boom with various elements sticking out from it. What makes it work is the clever arrangement: one driven element (usually a dipole) connects to your radio, while a reflector sits behind it and one or more directors sit in front. Each piece has a specific job – the reflector (longest element) bounces signals forward, the driven element does the actual transmitting/receiving, and those directors (shortest elements) focus your beam where you point it. When everything’s properly aligned, you get constructive interference that pushes your signal in one direction – kind of like a laser pointer versus a light bulb.

Each antenna typically works in a narrow range – usually just 2-3% of its center frequency. This makes them perfect for focusing on specific bands. Most commercially available models target specific frequency segments like 900-930 MHz, 1250-1300 MHz, and 2400-2450 MHz. If you want multi-band operation, you’ll need special designs with traps that effectively shorten elements at higher frequencies – a bit more complex but definitely doable.

Roll-Up J-Pole antennas deliver seriously impressive performance while taking up virtually no space in your go-kit.

These antennas are typically made from thin twin-lead line in what’s called a SlimJIM configuration. The beauty of this design is that when you’re done using it, you can literally roll or fold it up and stick it in your pocket.

When you’re ready to use one, you just hang it vertically from whatever’s handy – a tree branch, curtain rod, or even a suction cup hook on a window. Most commercial versions come with velcro straps to keep them neatly rolled up and dedicated hanging loops at the top.

Most roll-up J-poles are designed for VHF/UHF operation, primarily covering the 2-meter (144 MHz) and 70-centimeter (440 MHz) bands. The size varies based on the frequency – dual-band versions are typically around 19 inches long when deployed, while single-band models for 220 MHz and 440 MHz are just 12 inches and 6 inches respectively.

The rubber duck antennas are those stubby little antennas that come with practically every handheld radio ever made. The rubber duck antenna is probably the most recognizable antenna in ham radio. It’s also, unfortunately, about the most compromised antenna you can use, trading actual performance for convenience.

The rubber duck is basically a short monopole antenna with a wire coiled into a tight helix and wrapped in a rubber or plastic jacket for protection. The loading coil is built right into the structure instead of sitting at the bottom. This is why they can be so much shorter than a proper quarter-wave whip, typically only about 4-15% of a wavelength.

Most rubber ducks you’ll encounter operate between 150 MHz and 5 GHz. The ones that come with amateur radios are typically designed for:

2m/70cm bands (144/440 MHz)
Some commercial versions cover 900 MHz for ISM applications
You’ll even find them on 2.4 GHz equipment for WiFi and Bluetooth