I have and use both types.? The resistive bridge has the advantage that the transmitter never sees an SWR above 3:1, even across an open or a dead short, so it's easier on the transmitter.? I break out the resistive bridge when I'm trimming a new antenna (in iieu of an antenna analyzer, which I don't own).
During normal operating from home I use my homebrew dual-meter Stockton bridge to do the final "tweak" on my transmatch and to monitor my antenna for sudden changes (like the time a squirrel chewed through one of my support ropes mid-QSO).
--Eric KM4VR
