. . .
Again, I just think it is wrong to tell someone the antenna won't work
with out a choke.

73 Al Lowe N0IMW

I agree entirely. In fact, I think it's wrong to tell someone that an
antenna won't "work", regardless of how good or bad it is. The only
exception I'd make is if the person has some very well-defined criteria
about what constitutes "working" and what doesn't, but very few people
do. Most hams want to talk to someone, and most antennas will allow them
to do that, with a minimum of fuss, optimizing, or knowledge -- that is,
most antennas "work". Once that basic need is met, durability,
construction quality, and customer support rightfully become the most
important items in choosing a commercial antenna.

Just about any antenna can be made to work better in a technical sense
(for example, higher gain in some direction). But a technical
improvement that doesn't cause any improvement in operational use isn't
an improvement at all. If the repeater you want to talk to is full
quieting in both directions, no technical improvement in the antenna
will improve your ability to communicate, so there's no point in putting
forth the effort. Who cares if your car can go 120 or 140 MPH if you
never drive it over 70? [Considering the giant immaculate scratch-free
four-wheel drive vehicles overpopulating the suburban roads, I'm afraid
that's not a good example.]

On the other hand, if you're trying to operate under marginal
conditions, even a small technical improvement in the antenna
performance translates to an enhanced ability to communicate. That's
where it pays to know something about how antennas work, and where it
can be worth the time and trouble to make the improvements. I have to
say, though, it's sometimes discouraging when suggestions about how an
antenna can be improved are interpreted as saying an antenna "doesn't
work" without the improvements. It's awfully hard to penetrate through
the binary way of thinking most people seem to be stuck with.

It's really a shame that some manufacturers of good, serviceable,
durable antennas feel they have to create some special and magical
quality to convince people to buy their products. But I guess that's the
reality of the marketplace. Works for cars, works for medicine, must
work for antennas too.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL