Wherever did you get that idea? A dipole made out of
80m hamsticks is less than 1% efficient.

Well, I guess I should have said: "... do nothing to effect the radiation
efficiency, except possibly reduce it".

Don't know anything about "Hamsticks", but they must have lousy loading
inductors!

Frank

To be exact; a 16 ft dipole would need to be loaded with inductors of Q = 78
for a 0.99% efficiency. The gain is therefore -18.3 dBi.

Frank