Stephen Drummonds wrote:
I am considering buying a Icom r75 and would like to get an active antenna
to go with it. my question is this Are the active antennas worth the money
or should I stick with a wire antenna? Thanks for any input Steve

Active antennas can be reasonably good, but there is one tiny hitch:
You need to isolate it from all the electrical and computer hash you'll
generate in your house. Do not buy a cheap active antenna or you'll be
sorry.

It's actually easier to erect a random wire antenna and use it instead
of an active antenna. That said, a well isolated loop antenna with an
external power supply, isolated from the rest of the house, might be
just what the doctor ordered for a small suburban lot. Loop antennas
have the advantage of being able to null out local groundwave signals.

However, if you have more than fifty feet of distance available to you,
I suggest you look in to the random wire first. It's cheaper, and it
just plain works...

DE AB3A