- Thanks Waverider, I just read that same page a day or two ago, good stuff.
Over the years (decades!) I've tried a plethora of omni antennas and many offer a whole lot of difference in the signal strength at distances of 20-30+plus miles, even though they are all rated within a dB or so of each other.
I understand ground effects have some bearing on TOA and such, but when several S-units are lost simply by changing from, say, the Penetrator to an A99 or Starduster installed at 54' above ground, it seems there's a lot more to comparative antenna performance than near-field gain ratings!
I'm hoping the TOA on the 'ShockSigVectAluteWave IV000' will outperform the Penetrator at distances surpassing 40-60 miles because there are a few stations at that distance whom I can now barely hear as just part of the noise but whom I wish to hear clearly. - For me, that will be the real test.
To hell with the minuscule near-field gain measurement differences, if it allows me to hear these weaker stations such as Bill 501, Howie 444, or Doug 1955 clearly due to a better TOA or greater capture area then it's worth it!
'73
