Practical Antenna Handbook

Rating:
Summary: A Bible for the Antenna Guru
Review: An overwhelming text written for the novice and well as the expert in mind. If you want to build an antenna or have looked up curiously at the antenna in your neighbor's yard, then this is the book that will give you the answer as well as anything else you could need to get into the world of communications and RXing.

Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: Antenna books follow either the practical approach (e.g. Carr's Practical Antenna Handbook) or the mathematical approach (e.g. Kraus's Antennas). To be a true antenna expert, one needs to know both. But for those of us who are not equipped to handle the mathematical approach, the practical approach will do just fine, in which case I would recommend Carr's Practical Antenna Book and ARRL's Antenna Book. Here are some differences between the two:

1. Carr is more readable.
2. ARRL is more comprehensive, with 2.5 times the number of words as Carr.
3. ARRL has more photographs and better looking sketches.
3. ARRL has a multi-author approach (with technical checks and balances) as opposed to Carr's one-man approach. Carr contains few bibliographical references, whereas ARRL has tons of references for further reading.

My opinion: Carr is better for the beginner, but ARRL is better for details and as a reference book. Better yet, get both books, since they serve complementary purposes.

Rating:
Summary: Great source for antenna ideas!
Review: As a radio operator for an Airborne Infantry (Long-Range Surveillance) unit, this book is indispensable! If you need an HF antenna for a certain wavelength or a specific job, or want an explanation of how long-range 'sky-wave' communications work, then this book is a must have!

Rating:
Summary: Good, but could be better
Review: I have read a few of Joe Carr's books and I have a lot of respect for his work, but this book was a bit of a disappointment for me. The bias is toward amateur HF-band antennas, and I was hoping for better coverage of VHF, UHF and radio and television broadcast antennas in a book with such a broad-sounding title. Even some fairly well-known antenna types used by amateurs and scanner enthusiasts receive little or no attention. I have found the ARRL Antenna book to be much more comprehensive.

A fair amount of the material overlaps with Carr's _Secrets of RF Circuit Design_, so bear that in mind if you already own that book. This book is still worth reading, especially if you work the HF and lower bands, but it shouldn't be your ONLY antenna handbook.

Rating:
Summary: The World's Favorite Antenna Book
Review: The most popular book on antennas ever written, widely known as "the antenna builder's bible", Joe Carr's Practical Antenna Handbook is a work for anyone with an interest in antennas, from novices to experienced engineers. The third edition blends theoretical concepts needed to design practical antennas, and the hard-learned practical lessons derived from actually building and using antennas.

NEW! Added Material on: *Wire antenna construction methods * Antenna modeling software * Antennas for radio astronomy * Antennas for Radio Direction Finding

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Practical Overview of TX/RX Antennas
Review: The title gives a very readable overview of antennas, installation and usage. This book contains sufficient information to allow the reader to choose, design, install and maintain antennas for TX/RX over the entire frequency spectrum. Book contains only essential theory.