Gain Antenna who has Practical Knowledge

[xm49north7]

How much real world difference, does a gain antenna make over your standard mono pole type antenna on cb .
Just for argument sake if you replaced one of those 99 stick type antenna, with a 3 element vertical dipole, at the same height. How much of an increase in tx/rx distance and quality would you see?. I have run many different types of low gain antenna, j-poles, dipoles, loops. I have not used anything beam, or yagi. Any input appreciated. Is this worth the effort on cb radio?

 

[Hurricane145]

A Yagi, say a 3 element Yagi, Is going to be a whole new world of CB radio, or on any other band for that mater. Locally it could extend your range quite a ways.Hard to put numbers like miles to it however, too many variables.
A horizontal beam is great for "shooting skip" as you can usually get it up higher. A vertical beam is also good for skip, harder to get up higher though but works out better to hear all the local mobile guys running around since they are all vertical as well.

Of course you have to have it reasonably pointed at who you want to communicate with. There are some trade-offs and benefits.
If you are not hearing who/what you want to hear, more antenna or improved antenna is the only answer.

I think even a better omni antenna with full size radials like a HyGain Penetrator would be a much better antenna performance wise than a "stick" antenna with no radials. The old Hygain CLR-2 and the Antenna Specialists Super Magnum were the two best omni antennas back in the day. They had 3 and 4 full size radials.
Not sure what prompted the change to no radial stick antennas being common other than ease to put up and maybe cost.

Maybe some on here have both kinds (Yagi and stick) up and can give you some good comparisons.

 

[xm49north7]

I currently run a full full wave loop, almost omni, side fed for vertical, in a rectangle shape, will ad photo. This has been very good, and the best of the lot so far, thinking my next build may be a gain antenna of some sort. Ideal would be a 4 element full wave quad, about as good as it gets, but a big antenna to hang and maintain, I may just raise the loop for now, and work on a gain antenna to hang next spring.

 

[xm49north7]

Here is the wood masted bush antenna here, not pretty I know, but I was broke, and it had to be on non metal, so there it is, funny how well this thing works, about 40 feet to the feed. Managed to get this up by myself, I tried higher, it did not go so well, laughs, so this it for now, new tower soon ,have another loop ready to go, with three cross spars, a little neater.