so ive been going back and forth on this for probably three weeks now and i cant decide. i have a decent backyard, maybe 120 feet of usable run, and im trying to figure out if i should just put up a simple 40m dipole at about 35 feet or go with a vertical. the vertical would be easier to hide from the neighbors honestly but ive heard they're noisier on receive and you need a good radial system or theyre basically garbage.

the dipole seems more straightforward but 35 feet isnt really a half wavelength up on 40m so im not sure how much that hurts me. i mostly want to work stateside and maybe some dx when conditions cooperate. not trying to win contests just want reliable contacts. anyone run both and have an opinion? feels like every thread i read online just ends up being people arguing about takeoff angles and i get lost

35 feet on 40m isnt ideal but its way better than nothing, and honestly for stateside stuff youll be fine. the NVIS angle you get from a lower dipole actually helps for shorter skip distances so it kind of works in your favor depending on what youre trying to do. i ran a dipole at 30 feet for years before i got my tower sorted and worked plenty of dx on it too, just had to pick your times.

the vertical noise thing is real but how much depends on your location. if youre suburban the vertical might actually pick up more local junk. radials matter a lot - i wouldnt bother with a vertical unless you can put down at least 16 radials, ideally more. for a first antenna id just do the dipole, get on the air, and then mess around with verticals later once youre not stressing about every db

tbh i had the same debate and just built both lol. dipole cost me like $15 in wire and some insulators, vertical i bought used. the dipole wins on receive at my qth, no contest. vertical does seem to punch out a bit better on dx when conditions are up but for just getting on 40 and talking to people the dipole is way less headache