If you are talking about long range coms and if you are talking about a vertical antenna, then there is no major "advantage" really. There is both good and bad about vertical antennas. The good.....you transmit and receive in pretty much all directions. The bad....if you are trying to hear a particular station in a given area, you have no rejection from unwanted signals and noise coming in from everywhere else....meaning they can be quite noisy.

Instead of using the term "ground wave" antenna, you may want to just say a "vertical" antenna which is usually associated with ground wave coms, especially mobile CB. The reason I say this is because ANY antenna can be a "ground wave antenna". It just depends on propagation, particular time of day per frequency you are using, and height of the antenna above ground.

For example....I may be using my quad antenna, which is a directional antenna, and be talking to the other side of the world on 20m. Because of propagation and time of day, my signal is bouncing off the atmosphere into that other part of globe. Now give that a few hours and it's getting late. 20m has begun to fade and and the signals start to drop out. I am using the same antenna but now I can use it for ground wave (or sporatic E) coms which allows me to talk locally. Even tho I am still using a directional antenna it would hardly make any difference if I pointed it somewhere because now it's acting like a vertical....albeit not a good one, as the antenna design still wants to shoot over him but the propagation isn't allowing it to.

Now give that some more time.....and although I was just talking local, grey line has moved to another part of the globe, and now a different station in another part of the world may hear me, so now we're back to long range coms still enhanced by propagation.

Also, and very importantly, height above ground, and wavelength of an antenna, plays a major role on how directional or omni directional an antenna performs. No matter what the design, if it's not high enough above ground on a given frequency, even a directional antenna will take on vertical characteristics.

 

Check out the ARRL website. They have lots of books. A book called "Now You're Talking" used to be the main study guide for beginners. I don't know if they've replaced it now or not.

 

Oh and btw...... You may want to elaborate on what you consider "long range" coms, 3 to 600 miles or thousands...???

If you want to really get into, what I call "long range" or "global" coms, then you may want to get yourself a radio "shack" set up with big base antennas.

But you ask "what do you run in your jeep", so when you ask your questions are you only asking about mobile coms...???

I don't have a radio in my jeep yet, but if I did it would probably be a Icom IC706 or IC7000. Or I may not do 2m at all and just focus on HF, then it might be a Kenwood 480HX. (200 watts)

 

I would not recommend the IC706 as you will need to purchase additional filters to be able to use it effectively in a Jeep. The IC7000 gives you full flexibility of the filters due to its DSP technology. I own an IC7000 and really appreciate the ability to adjust my filters. Just my 2 cents about the radios assuming that you go with an Icom.

I have never looked into details on the Kenwood so I can not comment on that one at all.

 

Yes Don.....I know you have the 7k.....what, do you think I'm that senile that I forgot already? .......lol. I have an Icom 2m rig that has been sitting on the shelf for years. And I did have a 756 Pro in the shack for a little while. But I have mostly been a Kenwood man for years. Have heard good things about the 480.

 

I replied for the OP, as you know this stuff, in fact you pointed it out to me before I purchased. He on the other hand does not necessarily know what I mean by filters yet. So if he were to purchase a new rig he might not ask the questions.

Remember you are the Jedi Master for this hobby and the rest of us learn from you.

I would not have my great setups if it was not for your good advice.

 

Oh, ok, I understand. You quoted me that's why I replied. The reason I mentioned the 706 is because you can still find a nice used one for a lot less than a new. And correct me if I'm wrong, can't you buy filters for the 706? If so, if you needed filters, then you may still get by for a little less coin than buying a 7K, which I know isn't cheap.

Don, in a hobby as broad as this one, I'll be the first to admit that I really know VERY little.....just enough to get by. When some of the HAMs I know start talking technical stuff, I can get lost pretty fast actually. You are finding out now how "technical" it actually can be studying for your Extra....right?

I'm glad you like your gear Don.....you've done very well so far. I hope you can get a nice antenna up for the shack someday so we can talk more.