WRQZ361

There is no substitute for effective radiating and receiving surface area in an antenna system (within reasonable limits). Like camera lenses, larger antennas inherently gather and disperse RF better than less substantial ones. Both undoubtedly "work", but where does your cost/benefit line lie on a mobile antenna? Are you wringing every ounce out, or are you happy with what ya got? Those giant radio-telescopes are proof of this, albeit in the extreme. Ideally, we'd all be getting base-antenna performance out of an inconspicuous 6-inch magnet-mount whip, but that's not the case, and never will be. Properly applied, and all other things equal, of course...