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i am new to beam antennas and am wanting to purchase my first beam. ok, with a a dual polarity beam, what is the difference in using/switching between horizontal and vertical. when and why would you run it horizontal(flatside) and vertical. hope i explained myself. thanks for reading post

A vertically polarized antenna will not pick up a horizontal antenna's signal as well as another vertical one would & vice vera.

Horizonatally polarized antenna's are often used by DX'ers as they are less prone to interferance but you will still hear a DX station on your vertical antenna as the polarity of the signal constantly changes as it bounces off the Ionosphere (this is sometimes why you hear fading in & out of the signal during a contact)

In summary then, the dual polarity beam will give you the best of both worlds (vertical for local & horizontal for DX work) but remember that the beam is directional (it radiates & receives best in the direction it's pointed)

Hope that helped rather than confusing you