🔍 Key Concepts

• Radiation pattern of different antenna types (vertical whip vs. long wire) • How a vertical antenna typically distributes energy around the vessel • The meaning of omnidirectional vs. directional radiation

💭 Think About

• Think about how a single, upright antenna on a vessel would send out signals relative to the horizon—mostly in one direction, two directions, or all around? • Consider what a long wire running along the length of a vessel would do—would it favor certain directions more than others? • Which option best matches the typical goal for marine voice communications: strong signal in one narrow direction, or good coverage all around the vessel?

✅ Before You Answer

• Match each choice to the idea of directional vs. omnidirectional radiation. • Be sure you understand that for marine communications, you usually want strong signal near the horizon, not straight up. • Eliminate any option that describes a pattern that would be poor for ship-to-ship or ship-to-shore VHF communications.