[mrraffer]

Originally Posted by mtownsend

I actually do not expect there to be any difference in the antenna style when it comes to ground-wave reception. Gain is gain, and any antenna that can achieve high gain will do well. Gain is a "farfield" effect, so you don't really care about the close-in behavior of the antenna as long as you aren't doing anything to ruin the RF characteristics of the antenna (i.e., placing the antenna too close to other objects).

If you have specific channels that you need to pick up, you might want to check the gain specs on the specific channels you need. For example, most Yagi designs have their peak gain on higher frequencies that then tapers off as you go to lower frequencies. The 91XG has very high gain at channel 68, but it's not quite so good at channel 15. Bowtie antennas might have their peak gain in a different area, depending on design. So you'll find that Yagi antennas perform better at some frequencies, and bowties will perform better at others.

If you are able to determine that one make/model of antenna has the best gain on the specific channels that matter to you, then that is the one I would use. If you cannot tell, then look for antennas with high gain specs (and a reputation for accurate gain reporting).

Thanks for your reply. I will consider this advice when making my selection.