BuckEye wrote:

As we all know under Idea conductions a 1/4 wave whip will out do any
loaded antenna.


Nope, sorry, that just isn't true. If you would have said
that
a full length 1/4 wave antenna will out perform a shortened
1/4
wave antenna, you'd have been right. But if the full length
and
shortened antennas are of different 'electrical' lengths,
then all
bets are off.
I do agree with the rest of your post. A shortened
antenna is
much more -practical- to use and a lot easier to live with...
'Doc