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That's simplistic, but it's really all an antenna does, taking the electrical signal from your transmitter and getting it 'in the air' where it can be heard by the listener's receiver. The listener might be using a receiver with a short pull up antenna, or connecting the radio to a long wire in the yard. They could be using an active antenna, a more recent design that combines a short element with an electronic amplifier in an attempt to make up for the short element's lower efficiency. In general, the greater the length, the better the antenna's ability to pick up radio signals, especially the weak ones.