Yuri, K3BU wrote:
"I ordered 19th edition of ARRL Antenna Book and followed chain of
references that led to information on page 16-7 and Fig. 9 and 10."

Excellent purchase. A series circuit tends to have the same current
throughout except when its length is significant with respect to
wavelength. A standing wave antenna has a reflected wave which makes
impedance a function of location along the antenna. So, a certain power,
incident and reflected, combine to produce voltage and current
variations on an antenna which are related to those on a transmission
line. Since radiation from an antenna occurs, power in each direction is
not constant as it tends to be on a transmission line because radiation
is taking a toll in each direction, and that`s a good thing. It`s the
purpose of the antenna.

Coil Q is important to efficiency if any part of the XL/R is loss
resistance and not radiation resistance. Radiation resistance is the
purpose of the antenna.

My ON4UN Figures are the same as Yuri`s but appear as Fig 9-22 on page
9-15. These show the current decline across a loading coil including the
obvious case of a solenoid used as an antenna where the entire current
distribution is within the continuous loading coil.

The ARRL Antenna Book has been exposed to scrutiny for many years. By
the 19th edition it`s a safe bet that moat of it is correct (without
consideration of "strings", 5 dimensions, or 11 parallel universes).

From what I`ve seen of ON4UN`s book, he got it right too.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI