Ahh... the ANTENNA and not an easy topic. They are everywhere, in just about everything these days. Discovered, studied, applied, theorized, tried and tested and still misunderstood. I'am no expert, but have build my share. Antennas challenges even the best of engineer and mechanical requirement. Receiving and transmitting, antennas are the beginning and ending to a properly designed system. If this need is for ONE frequency or a small BANDWIDTH, this is bit easier to do.
Cover a wide range of frequency while maintain a design level of performance is the challenge of designing antennas. The military battle field communicators knows all to well of this requirement. If it was easy, the bent up coat hanger in the busted antenna hole would be the end of story.
The seriousness of the antenna to the proper operation (this example, military) is the fittings do not match up or couple together, so Pvt. Gomer Pyle does't screw up the way was designed.
For the Hmmwv hobbyist, looking cool is one thing, work right is another. That's why you see two or more antennas on military vehicles. All about form and function. Note too that Hmmwv didn't come with commercial broadcast radios covering the AM 540 to 1650 KHz and / or FM 88 to 108 MHz range. Nope, nada not even on eeebay.
Using the common surplus combat net antennas 30-88 MHz will not cover the range of interest above. Some are multi-band with couplers and splitters and cool, are bad choices too.
These antennas are for all practical / electrical reasons are a mismatch for a broadcast "AM/FM" set-up. As to do with resonant frequencies. (that's a look-up)
If you tried one and seems to worked, then great. So did the coat hanger, sort of.
Bigger is not always better. Green is cool.
Ready to take some interference on this one.
Hearing static.... CAM OUT.
