As the arts advance towards their perfection, the science of criticism advances with equal pace.
—Edmund Burke (1729-1797)

The antenneX Mission
By Jack L. Stone, Publisher

journal like antenneX often has to live and deal with hasty judgments made by individuals who read just one or two issues or just one or two articles from those issues.  The hasty judgment has many forms but boils down to this sort of statement: “Back in [199x], antenneX supported the harebrain ideas of [The Mad Hatter], the creator/developer/author of the [XYZ] antenna.” One of the most famous rumors is that antenneX "supported the CFA." While we encouraged experiments, we only reported the "story" of the CFA. The good, the bad and the "fade." Such reporting of any exotic concept is in the best interest of any reader seeking information about the concept before making a decision to pursue the concept in some costly manner. This is where the bleeding edge lurks and where such needs to have new and/or exotic concepts walk out into the bright sunshine instead of relying on the shadows of "rumor mill" or expensive pursuits. This is why I chose the "Quote of the Month" at the top of this column.

BTW: To see our latest report "Whatever Happened to the Commercial CFA" about the status of the CFA (from origins to now), see last month's column:
Click Here

Conversely, any who would spread beliefs as being factual based only on the rumor mill does a disservice to their friends. Such has caused many to purchase some sort of commercial version of a "magic antenna" only to find it is worthless—and money wasted—and perhaps one less "friend" to rely on for advice! Then, embarrassment sets in and the now disappointed person doesn't want anyone to know he/she was a victim of a farce. Thus, the cycle continues unbroken without such true and vital info made available to the general public. However, this is the service antenneX provides and the numerous emails of thanks for those who have taken the time to read our product reviews and "stories" tells us many are now better informed—some are thankful for saving them money and others for helping them to pursue the right direction in finding a good solution for their particular needs. Check some of our reader feedback letters:
Click Here

Since antenneX became an on-line journal, we have met with many purportedly new antenna ideas, especially for newer and more compact radiating systems.  Among the antennas that have appeared in these pages are the following items, shown by their acronyms and by their expanded names or applications.

The list itself comes from the announcement for a book published by antenneX called SMALL & EXOTIC ANTENNAS: A Compendium of Evaluations.  The volume contains selected articles from our archives that directly deal with and evaluate some of the antenna ideas.  Among the evaluations, you will find applause for sound and workable ideas as well as detailed critiques of ideas that simply do not stand up to both theoretical and practical scrutiny by experts in both areas of antenna work.

In the early stages of the life of any antenna, however, we do not have access to independent test results, detailed reviews of mathematical foundations, or any of the other marks of solid antenna review.  Very often, we begin only with the words, ideas, drawings, and prototypes of an individual or a small group of individuals who create what they take to be a new antenna or a significant improvement of an antenna.  On what basis can we, as a journal, adequately evaluate submitted material that shows, explains, and sometimes even appears to promote the “new” antenna?

OURS IS NOT TO PROMOTE BUT TO REPORT
The mission of antenneX is not to promote a product or the makers of a product.  In fact, the journal does not itself evaluate antennas, although on occasion we have attempted to organize efforts to have an antenna evaluated to proper engineering standards.  Individuals with the proper experience and equipment to do the job well and with the writing skills to report their results to our readers perform the actual evaluations.  This is the case for all of the articles in Exotic Antennas.

antenneX exists to promote, encourage, and disseminate the results of antenna experimentation.  Experimentation can take many forms ranging from basic antenna theory to practical techniques for the home craftsman.  In many cases, the evaluation of practical ideas is the task of the individual reader: if he likes an idea, he uses it, but if he thinks the idea is dumb, he simply sets it aside.  However, if an idea cuts across the grain of prevailing antenna fundamentals, then matters become more complex.  In many cases, at the initial stages of an idea’s development, we have only the words and materials submitted by the author with which to work.

Because antenneX encourages experimentation, even at fundamental levels, we do not, as a journal, reject seemingly new ideas just because we are skeptical.  Rather, we publish items that emerge from otherwise reputable sources to give our readers information on the new idea.  Many ideas later turn out to be flawed, sometimes at a practical level, sometimes at the level of the underlying theory.  Our readers become evaluators and some eventually become reviewers of the idea.  The process is not quick or easy.  Sometimes the developers of an antenna concept may well blunt initial skeptical reviews so that an evaluation of an antenna idea may require a considerable period—sometimes years—before we have a general expert consensus accompanied by internally consistent theoretical and practical tests.

THE BLEEDING EDGE
Since antenneX may be the first journal in this technical field to publish an idea and since we publish new experimentation with enthusiasm, it may appear that the journal “gets burned” when the final evaluations poke many holes in the now-tarnished idea.  However, nothing could be further from the truth.  We have entered the arena of publishing antenna experimentation with open eyes and full knowledge that some of the ideas will turn out to be bad ones.  Hence, we know from the beginning that results will be mixed.  What we cannot know on first submission is which ideas will stand and which will fall.  We only know the “test of time” will determine that for certain.

Of further significance, antenneX is without any financial ties to any company or person who wishes to promote a new concept (or otherwise for that matter). Hence, we can publish the findings of any product critique without concerns about loss of financial support. We do not solicit advertisers and very few magazines can manage to keep their heads above water without such revenues. Thus, there is no outside influence to worry about when our writers do reviews. Our reviewers like that about antenneX and so do our readers!

Ideas do not always immediately prove themselves true or false. Very often, both the pages of antenneX and the discussion list will be filled with lively debate and rebuttal regarding the merits of a new antenna or the concepts behind it. When that occurs, we know that antenneX has done its job — and is a component of the test of time. To repeat last month's "quote of the month:"

The hours of folly are measur'd by the clock; but of wisdom, no clock can measure.
— William Blake (1757-1827)

REVISITING HISTORICAL TECHNOLOGY TOO
Of course, antenneX exists not only for reporting the latest antenna experiments. There is room for practical antenna matters, for reviewing nearly forgotten technologies, and for exploring more fully some parameters of antenna operation that we often overlook. We often run items that help the newer antenna enthusiast tie together bits and pieces of lore into a more cohesive whole. But the core of our work is to encourage and to publish antenna experimentation. No matter what a hasty reader may wish to believe and feed to the rumor mill, that is our mission, and we shall stick to it.

VISIT THE GUEST ROOMS
The relentless attacks on our web site by pirates and the like has made it necessary to add more security to protect our material against such piracy. It's only fair that we know who enters the House of antenneX, so our guests will need to provide some minimal information in the process of obtaining a login. This includes using your real active email address without which a login cannot be received. Do not confuse this login with a paid subscription login. They are not the same and your subscriber login will NOT work in the Guest Room areas. Of course, you may choose to create your own login to the Guest Rooms using the same login as your subscription, if the system will accept it.

http://www.antennex.com/guests.html

http://www.antennex.com/guests.html