Start with your situation, not the catalogue

The best antenna is the one you can actually put up, as high and in the clear as possible. Pick the situation closest to yours.

“I have a backyard and some trees”

Build a dipole or an inverted V for 40 m or 20 m. It’s two wires and a centre insulator, it’s cheap, and it works very well. Feed it with coax, and get it up at least 10 m if you can. See Building Antennas.

“I want several bands from one antenna”

Try an off-centre-fed dipole (OCF/Windom) or a doublet with ladder line and a tuner. Both cover several bands with one wire. The doublet is the most flexible; the OCF is simpler to feed.

“I have very little space”

A vertical with radials, or an end-fed wire sloping up to the highest point you have, will get you on the air. Expect less performance than a full-size dipole, but far better than no antenna at all.

“I’m at a campground or operating portable”

An end-fed half-wave thrown into a tree, a linked dipole, or a whip with radials on the truck. Light, quick to set up, quick to take down, and gentle on the neighbours.

“I want to talk around the world”

A beam or a hexbeam on a rotator gives you gain and lets you turn away from noise, but it costs more and needs a tower or mast. Until then, a dipole up high on 20 m will work the world when the band is open.

“I just want to get on 2 m and 70 cm”

A dual-band vertical as high as you can get it, fed with good coax. For simplex, a small beam turned toward the other station makes a big difference.

Whatever you build

• Height and clear space beat almost everything else.
• Use good coax and weatherproof every connector.
• Measure it with an analyzer or NanoVNA, and adjust. See Tuning.
• Stay well clear of power lines. Always.

Last updated October 2026.