Arrl antenna book

sonm10 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-11-2018, 8:52 PM

Just curious if the newer editions of the arrl antenna book are worth it and any additional information added compared to older editions

I'm kinda a cheap skate so naturally curious

wa4dou · #2 (**permalink**) 02-11-2018, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonm10

Just curious if the newer editions of the arrl antenna book are worth it and any additional information added compared to older editions

I'm kinda a cheap skate so naturally curious

You don't say how new your older edition is. As a person actively interested in antennas, I like to acquire a new one about every 5-8 years. If you go to hamfests, you can generally find them slightly used and of recent vintage for a good price.

sonm10 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-11-2018, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa4dou

You don't say how new your older edition is. As a person actively interested in antennas, I like to acquire a new one about every 5-8 years. If you go to hamfests, you can generally find them slightly used and of recent vintage for a good price.

I don't own one hence my asking
I've seen some on eBay as low as 15 and newest editions as high as 50 which seems pretty high to me

W9BU · #4 (**permalink**) 02-12-2018, 5:56 AM

The new price for the ARRL Antenna Book (23rd edition, softcover) is $49.95. If you are finding older editions on eBay for that price, the seller is overcharging. Older editions should command a lower price.

I agree with WA4DOU that the book is updated enough over the course of 5-10 years, that it might be worth buying a new one if you have an older one.

If you don't have one at all, find a 5-10 year old edition for $15-20 and grab it. Note that the book has included a CD-ROM for several years now. That CD has some useful programs on it.

KC4RAF · #5 (**permalink**) 02-12-2018, 7:42 AM

Saw several on ebay a few minutes ago, and found one for ~$30 and just ordered it.
Also found this great deal for antenna modeling. I'm sure it's going to go fast.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antenna-Mod...i:132483826880
Back to the one I ordered, unless I missed one, none had the cd. Oh well, the book is what I wanted.

WA8ZTZ · #6 (**permalink**) 02-12-2018, 8:11 AM

If your interest is very specific such as VHF or loops or longwires forget it as there are better sources. Otherwise, since you don't have one then it would probably be a worthwhile addition to your library.

paulears · #7 (**permalink**) 02-12-2018, 9:20 AM

Are you all crazy - here in the UK we can get this book in all vintages IMPORTED from the US cheaper that the prices on Amazon UK - Looking at Amazon.com, old ones can be got for less than $10! Nearly new ones $30-35!

wa4dou · #8 (**permalink**) 02-12-2018, 11:38 AM

Well, you have to remember that Ebay is a place where some folks work at seeing how much they can pay for something, sometimes even paying more than an item costs new. I try to stay away from there as much as I can. I see that my latest edition is the 21st, now about 10-11 years old, so I'm about due myself. I'll probably start keeping my eyes open for a good deal on the 22nd edition.

wa4dou · #9 (**permalink**) 02-12-2018, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulears

Are you all crazy - here in the UK we can get this book in all vintages IMPORTED from the US cheaper that the prices on Amazon UK - Looking at Amazon.com, old ones can be got for less than $10! Nearly new ones $30-35!

You gotta remember that the whole world is money mad these days. Antenna books that are 20 years old and older, still have all the basics and more, but tend to be of more historical value. Knowledge is growing at an exponential rate.

MOTEX · #10 (**permalink**) 02-13-2018, 9:15 PM

Antennas havn't changed in many decades so older books are fine.
......

zz0468 · #11 (**permalink**) 02-13-2018, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOTEX

Antennas havn't changed in many decades so older books are fine.

Theory hasn't changed, so yes, the older books are fine. In fact, my 1970 version that I bought new when I was a kid still gets more use than any of the newer ones.

But...

The newer books have new projects, new designs, new bands, new materials, and so on. It all depends on what you want to get out of it.

W9BU · #12 (**permalink**) 02-14-2018, 6:46 AM

While antenna designs haven't changed much over the years, available materials and construction techniques have changed. I'm not saying buy a new copy of the Antenna Book each time a new edition is released, but having a recent edition around might be more useful than one from 10-20 years ago.

wa4dou · #13 (**permalink**) 02-14-2018, 2:00 PM

Quote
The newer books have new projects, new designs, new bands, new materials, and so on. It all depends on what you want to get out of it.[/QUOTE]

Quite true and we tended to have a less comprehensive understanding of antenna gain figures a few decades back, as well. For many, an antenna is just an antenna, but for others an antenna is the most important hardware in their pursuits.