On Dec 16, 1:46 pm, jakdedert wrote:

You both are 'sort of' right, it would seem to me. Of course there are
inductors in consumer electronics. Whether you call them loading coils
or something else, in every transmitter I've encountered, there was an
inductor in the signal output path which tuned the original length of
antenna to approximate the expected load of the antenna.

That said, getting the correct length antenna (or a longer telescoping
one, but not fully extending it) is a pretty trivial matter...as long as
that length can be determined.

Absolutely!

Seconding this, most high-end RC transmitters will transmit on a
variety of frequencies within a specific range, changed by crystal.
Each frequency comes with a recommended antenna length for best
performance (again this is specific to the manufacturer). Those of us
who run R/C submarines with FM transmitters are acutely sensitive to
this. The proper antenna length can make a difference of several feet
of depth, although it has less of a perceptable effect on distance. I
cannot write to the effects of antenna length on an AM transmitter. I
do have a couple of AM R/C units, but they are "just toys" and so are
never run at any great distance from the transmitter.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA