[Elecraft] "Random wire" vs Buddystick - myth, bias or luck?

[Jim Brown]

On Wed,9/28/2016 10:01 PM, Michael A. Wong wrote:
> KX3 and Buddistick owner here. I've been getting a lot of feedback that I would get better performance (more contacts) with a random wire vs my Buddistick. So, while I've noticed that reception is much better with the wire, with the Buddistick,

That's entirely expected -- Buddistick, Buddipole, etc. is a short, 
loaded antenna, so it IS less efficient (that is, less of the power from 
your rig is radiated). It's an "appliance-operator's antenna," for those 
who haven't taken the time to study the ARRL Handbook chapter on 
antennas and the relevant chapters in the ARRL Antenna Book, and only 
know to BUY a solution.

BOTH antennas need radials or a counterpoise to work.

> I get 1.1:1 according to the KX3 and have made all my contacts with the Buddistick.

Repeating for emphasis --

SWR is NOT a meaningful measure of how well an antenna works.

SWR is NOT a meaningful measure of how well an antenna works.

SWR is NOT a meaningful measure of how well an antenna works.

SWR is NOT a meaningful measure of how well an antenna works.

SWR is NOT a meaningful measure of how well an antenna works.

SWR is NOT a meaningful measure of how well an antenna works.

SWR as indicated at the rig simply indicates that the antenna tuner is 
matching the feedline to the radio, so that you're putting power into 
the feedline. In virtually all portable operation, feedlines are too 
short to contribute loss, so if the power is getting to the feedline, 
it's getting to the antenna.

Antennas with loading coils are bad for three reasons. 1) loading coils 
are lossy, so they burn power; 2) the antenna is physically shorter, so 
the radiation resistance is lower; and 3) the resonance of antennas with 
loading coils tend to be narrow-band, so they are more difficult to 
match (that is, the antenna tuner must have a wider range). {Radiation 
resistance is a theoretical resistance that allows us to compute the 
radiated power. A higher number is better.]

73, Jim K9YC