Worldwide DX Amateur Radio Forums - Ham - CB - HF - VHF - UHF

The title to this thread is mis-leading to some extent, but not really cuz I honestly don't understand something.
Why would anyone buy an antenna for two or four times as much money as it would cost them just to make it?
That's not a 'trick' question, it's for 'real'. Lets also qualify it to some fairly simple types of antennas, not the 'elaborate' ones. For instance, dipoles or 1/4 wave verticals.
I've seen a pretty fair amount of people/companies selling dipole antennas. They have all been at least three times what you could make them for with just a little bit of research, digging through the 'junk box', and maybe 20 minutes worth of time (change that 20 minutes to an hour just for the h@## of it).
I have to admit that my 'junk box' doesn't have anything in it that would stand up straight for a vertical antenna without some 'help'. I might 'splurge' a bit for one'a those.
I also have to say that I don't much care what an antenna 'looks like' as long as it works. Looking 'nice' is nice, but it isn't exactly a biggy, you know?
So why would anyone do that buying instead of building?
- 'Doc

Again, this isn't a 'trick' question, I honestly can't understand it.

probably for the same reason people pay more for used gear then they can buy it new...

Guess ignorance? maybe convenience in some cases?

Just to lazy to take the time to make the antenna or maybe like me and simply dont have the time *shrugs*

Most people are too lazy to spend time making rhings ,We're in the "I want it NOW" generation...

Probably newer hams who haven't been around long enough to accumulate a "junk box" yet.

Most folks do not live near enough to any store that sells coax and other parts to add up to everything needed to put up even a complete dipole. So they would have to search out a place online or over the phone that carries all the parts and get them shipped. They would also already have to have a soldering iron of some sort and solder.

Sure old hands like you and me have this stuff. But we didn't when we were born Have to remember that we were all newbies at one time We all have beginnings.

Others may buy a simple ready made antenna just for convenience as already mentioned. Some folks "busy" themselves up too much in this modern life and need an antenna fast and figure they don't have the time to make one when they could just buy up a plug n' play device.

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Supplying All Your Wire and Weasel Needs Since 1869 * All Orders Come With A Free Pack Of Vazomyne For Sustained Performance

I agree with everything said, but add one more. Some lack curiosity. For me it is in this order:
1. how does it work?
2. can i build it?
3. will it work?
4. did it work?

Curiosity is why I do it. Sometimes the materials for some of my efforts were more expensive when adding the time investment I could have bought it cheaper, but those are the complicated ones. A dipole is too simple to pay for when #14 copper wire goes for about $0.13 a foot...

Some folks just don't want to know, they just want to talk.

A lot of the newbies buy antennas because they do not have a clue how to make them and don't want to spend the time learning how anyway. Why should they bother? They can get a ticket without cracking a book now.

With antenna names out there like G5RV, or Double Extended Bazooka Special, or an all band OCFD surely they must have a sprinkling of pixie dust to make them work so well and with pixie dust being available to only a few select antenna manufacturers it stands to reason that the newbie could never build something as good as he could buy.

OK. Got that one off my chest but at least I said how I really feel.

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Front/back ratio comes from the antenna. Forward gain comes from the wall socket.

As a newbie, I would say yes.
Where I am now, I don’t have access to my tools. I don’t have easy access to operate.
I don’t have SWR meter to tell me if I am doing it right.

I need to join a club, but….
I need to buy another radio with SWR meter, but….
I need to buy a tuner, so if I design an antenna that is “close”, I can tune it in.

So I am struggling with purchasing a tri/quad band mobile VHF antenna. Based on what I know, I “think” I could build one, but I am not sure if it is worth the effort/hassle.

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CISA, CISSP, Computer geek
clueless about HAM

www.linkedin.com/in/dariandunn

Despite what I said in my post above I firmly believe that it IS a good idea to buy mobile antennas especially for VHF and UHF. They have much tighter tolerances especially when dealing with collinear types. They also have to withstand highway speeds and the occasional whack against a tree branch or drivethru overhang and it is VERY easy to underestimate the forces this applies to an antenna and it's mount. As for making your own HF mobile antennas, I suppose that depends how handy you are.They are much easier to make from a performance point of view but can be rather cumbersome.I did make my HF mobile antenna.It has a 4 foot fiberglass base wound with copper braid from RG-8 cable and is topped with a stainless whip. It tops out at 13"4" from the ground to the tip.Two inches under legal height.It's self resonant on 15m, and runs all bands with an FC-40 autotuner. In the next week or so I will be erecting a balanced line fed doublet to get me back on the air until next year when I have bigger and better antenna plans.

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Front/back ratio comes from the antenna. Forward gain comes from the wall socket.

One point of clarification!

I knew all of this stuff from before I was born. I told that @#$ obstetrician how he ought'a re-do his antennas and that's why the SOB spanked me, made me cry! That happens much more often than you'd ever believe. Them @#$ obstetricians spank a lot of babies. Why else would the dumb @#$%%^#s do that? Right??
- 'Doc

wave that one over your yard and you'll have green grass all winter.