Looking at upgrading my base station antenna from a simple ground plane and torn between a dual-band Yagi (9.5/11.5 dBi) and a collinear array. My primary use is local repeater work on 2M/70cm with some satellite passes. The Yagi would be at 30ft with rotor control, while the collinear would be fixed omni at same height.

Concerned about the Yagi's narrow beamwidth missing mobile stations, but the extra gain is tempting. Anyone have real-world experience comparing these configurations for base operations? SWR bandwidth across the amateur bands is also a consideration.

Current setup: IC-7100 with 50ft of LMR-400 to a simple 1/4 wave ground plane at 25ft.

I ran both setups at different times - the collinear is hands-down better for general repeater work. Collinear antennas are excellent for omnidirectional coverage and provide consistent gain in all directions, which means you won't miss mobile stations driving around town. The Yagi requires constant rotation and you'll miss a lot of traffic.

Have you considered the beamwidth differences - typical dual-band Yagis offer 48°/40° vertical and 53°/45° horizontal patterns? That's pretty narrow for base operations. I'd go collinear unless you're specifically chasing weak signal work or EME. Build your own - much cheaper than commercial versions.

For satellite work, the Yagi wins every time due to the directivity and cross-polarization rejection. But for everyday VHF/UHF work, I agree with others - collinears can provide 3 to 10 dB gain over a dipole depending on element count with full omnidirectional coverage. Consider a compromise: motorized collinear that can tilt for satellite passes?