This afternoon I made some comparative tests between the ATX Walkabout and the Wonder Wand, both short multiband whip antennas intended for use with QRP radios like the FT-817. The results surprised even me.

I made transmissions on 30m (I would have liked to try 20m, but there was no WSPR stations active at that time) using 2W of power from my FT-817 into my MFJ magnetic loop in the attic, and then the ATX Walkabout and the Wonder Wand on the FT-817 indoors on the desk beside me.

From 1404-1408 and 1426-1436 I used the Wonder Wand. From 1412-1420 I used the ATX. Before the test and at 1442-1444 I used the magnetic loop, which in other tests on other bands has given results quite close to a full-sized dipole.

I received 7 reports on the ATX, with reports only 6 - 8dB down compared to the magnetic loop. This really surprised me. The ATX is a base-loaded whip with coil taps for 10, 15, 20, 40 and 80m, so to resonate on 30m you have to use the 40m tap and shorten the whip so that only a couple of sections (about 40cm) of whip is extended. I used the ATX with a steel tape measure counterpoise extended to 660cm.

The Wonder Wand is a UK made competitor to the Miracle Whip, and uses a tapped matching transformer. The version I used is the most expensive Combo model, which has a built-in counterpoise tuner. This has a 30m switch position so I was able to use it with its whip fully extended. Nevertheless performance was far worse than the ATX. Only two stations heard my signal, and both reports were 25dB down on those the same stations reported for the magnetic loop antenna, about 16dB down on the ATX.

Although the number of reports was not that great, and only one band was tested, the difference in the signal reports is so great that it is not hard to form a conclusion as to which is the better radiator. The only "wonder" about the Wonder Wand is that anyone manages to make contacts with it .