Generally, the biggest problem a new ham radio operator will come across when starting out on the high frequency (HF) bands is finding physical space for the antennas. For a quick example, a dipole ...

There’s a joke in the world of radio that all you need for a HF antenna is a piece of wet string, but the truth is that rudimentary antennas rarely perform well. Random pieces of wire may pull in some ...

At present, portable receivers generally use ferrite rod antennas for LF and MF (below 2 MHz), and whip antennas for HF (up to 30 MHz). Each type has proved effective in its particular application.