[OKDXA] Vertical vs Beam

[Nelson Derks]

One other point to consider... While gain is generally a good thing, 
remember the forward gain in a Yagi is made at the expense of radiated 
power in all other directions. If we want to compare apples to apples we 
should remember there is no such thing as an omnidirectional Yagi. Strip 
it down to the radiating element alone and you're essentially looking at 
a dipole which does exhibit some gain broadside to the wire and a 
corresponding loss in the direction of either end.

A better comparison in terms of gain would be a vertical array. While 
physical rotation is rarely an option on the lower bands, there are ways 
of electrically rotating the pattern. Check your ARRL Handbook or 
Antenna book for illustrations of how this can be done with phasing and 
delay lines. Both antennas have their advantages and caveats. Multiband 
trap verticals are often marketed as requiring no radials... While 
that's technically possible in terms of SWR, the radiation efficiency is 
greatly improved with them. The tradeoff is the work involved and the 
attraction of a $400 all-band sky rod that installs in less than an 
hour. Who wouldn't want one of those? And you can make Q's on them, 
too... Just not as often or as easily as a vertical with a reasonable 
number of radials under it.

Apples to apples.

A Yagi needs reasonable height to show its stuff, a vertical needs 
radials. We all know a tribander at 20 feet won't be a DX champ, but 
somehow we don't think of a vertical working against a poor ground plane 
the same way. In any case, ever heard of a collinear Yagi? While it's 
rare to see a vertical below 10 Meters with stacked radiating elements, 
the idea works well at VHF where the goal is to flatten the doughnut and 
shoot for the horizon. About three months after I was licensed I worked 
Michigan on 146.520 with 45 watts into an Isopole at 25 feet. If Two 
opened up more often it would be common knowledge that verticals can 
have their moments....... And, yeah, I could have gained a S unit or two 
with a Yagi on that same Q or I could have missed it because I was 
pointed the wrong way. ;)