[Elecraft] settle a distpute with the KX1

[RG]

mc wrote:

> Need some help in settling dispute, please bring some cold beer on 
> this one.
>
> Using our KX1 with a 2 watt output with a antenna with an advertised 
> gain of 2.6 db. Will a 2.6 db gain give us an output be an effectively 
> 3.8 watts.
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
    Point one. "advertised gain".  Be suspicious of any "advertised" 
gain figures. Is it dbi, dbd,? Etc
    Point two.  This might be 2.6 dbi,  gain over an isotropic radiator, 
a hypothetical antenna. However, nobody uses anything that is an 
isotropic radiator. Look up isotropic radiator. Similar to "black body 
radiation".  Sort of impossible to achieve.  However,  if the 2.6db gain 
were 2.6dbd, (gain over a dipole), you would realize a nearly doubling 
in effective radiated power (in a certain direction) over the original 
dipole in the same direction.
.  Then there is the whole discussion about what it effectively does to 
the actual received signal.  Worldradio magazine has a monthly column 
about "aerials", which constantly discusses these issues.  Bottom line, 
better antenna, better signal. How much better? That is subjective, even 
with the decimal points.  Boys and girls?  What am I missing here?  
Antennas are as mystical as radio itself, and it will be hard to collect 
your beer on this one..
Ron KB6GK