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What do the following things have in common: my multi-band dipole, my
dummy load, a toaster element, and a 100W lightbulb?

Answer: I can connect all three to my antenna tuner, get a reasonable
SWR match, and transmit into them.

Now which one makes for the more efficient radiator[1]?

Answer: I have no idea.[2]

What's the best way to find out for what bands (if any) my current
antenna is best suited? Would something like the Antenna Analyzer II
(http://www.amqrp.org/kits/antanal/) or the 'Tenna Dipper
(http://4sqrp.com/kits/kits.htm) answer this question?

Those two devices only seem to be good at answering the following
question: "At what frequency does this antenna/feedline have the
lowest SWR?". I don't think that this question is the same question
that I asked -- in other words, I am not convinced that the
antenna/feedline with the lowest SWR is necessarily the most efficient
radiator, especially when an antenna tuner is involved.

To those who say "the one that gets you more QSOs is the best", I'd
like to say that since the weekend I set up the antenna (the weekend
of the last California QSO Party) I've had *one* QSO, and now that
person (several towns away) can't clearly hear me when I transmit with
100W on any of the four HF bands I've tried.

Does anyone have any real answers (or at least good suggestions to
collect more information) for me?

Jack.
(a little frustrated, yeah)

[1] I define the most efficient radiator as the one which pushes out
the most signal for a given power level on a given frequency. If
this definition is in error, helping me correct this could render
the entire point moot.

[2] Well, I'm almost positive the order is: dipole, lightbulb,
toaster element, dummy load. Almost. I'm not sure where the
dipole fits in, to be honest.
- --
Jack Twilley
jmt at twilley dot org
http colon slash slash www dot twilley dot org slash tilde jmt slash
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