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All things being equal:

1.Top loaded antennas perform marginally better than base loaded

2.Taller antennas (less loading coil) perform better than shorter

3. Thicker antennas perform marginally better than thinner.

4. More conductive antenna stock makes a marginal difference
over less conductive antenna stock.

5. A higher antenna mount works better than a lower mount.

6. A free and clear antenna mount works better than an obstructed one.

7. A more substantial RF ground works better than a minimal ground.

This is true but I have seen installations that were actually OVERGROUNDED
and hurt performance.

8. A vertical antenna performs better than a diagonal (windblown).

Number 5, 6, & 8 are the most important factors in the performance of
an antenna.


Now if any one could come up with a formula that includes all of
these factors then we would be able to answer your question. There
is no formula. However we can say this.
The best mobile antenna is a thick stiff nine foot whip that is
silver coated and mounted on top of the roof with multiple radial
grounding points.
No one is going to use the antenna above in the real word, so one
might draw the conclusion that in the real world we might substitute a
102" stainless whip for the best real world performance. WRONG.
The 102" is made of stainless. Stainless has only 3% the
conductivity of copper. This alone will stop the 102" stainless from
being the top performer. Subtract also the fact that the 102"
stainless bends over in the wind and is also a relatively thin
antenna.
So what is the best choice? It appears that for a realistic
antenna, it is a mildly loaded top or center loaded antenna made
of thick conductive materials. There are a few of these ugly looking
antennas around. They do work marginally better than the
102" stainless and have the benefit of being shorter. These
antennas can get as short as five foot and still equal or
outperform the 102" stainless.

Percent conductivity of materials, based on copper being the standard
of 100%

Aluminum 65%
Brass 28%
Chrome 74%
Gold 71%
Iron 17%
Silver 106%
Steel 10%
Stainless 3%
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So.....Why has there not been a SS 102 with a heavy silver plate?
K-40 was using silver plating in their load coils in the 70's
and that hasn't changed as far as I know.
Train