Good antennas rank very high in importance. Find a station with a consistently-strong signal and you probably have found a station with a good antenna.

Good antennas contribute greatly to the communication abilities of both transmitting and receiving stations. A length of wire long enough to load a transmitter against a poor ground easily can require several times as much transmitter power as a simple dipole installed at ideal height. A directional antenna that concentrates radiated power at an optimum vertical angle of radiation in a desired direction can provide many decibels of additional improvement, allowing use of less transmitter power or providing stronger received signals.