John,
Could you convert it to a 'Windom'? Sure, or a dipole, or
continue the thing around and make a loop out of it. Lots of
possibilities depending on the area you have to work with.
The question is, will a particular length and 'shape' be of any
benefit? Beats me, just depends on what frequency(s) you want
to use it on. Nothing works well on all frequencies, and almost
anything will work well on some frequency (lot of help, huh?).
There's also no 'rule' that says you have to keep whatever
antenna
you start with. If something doesn't work as well as you would
like, try something else. There is no one 'best' antenna...
'Doc