The way I see it is there is no way to make an antenna that
meets all those rules and STILL has more than 2.14dbi gain
due to resistave losses.

Am I right?

I was a friend of Jim Taylor and Jim Taylor Jr. of Taylor Radio back
in the good-ole CB days. Sitting at lunch one day we were discussing
the old Big-Stick and Grand Slammer antennas (I think those are the
names of the 5/8 wave base verticals most popular in that day). They
told me that the market ting departments of the two companies made
more antenna gain progress than their engineering departments did.

I was slow to understand the statement at that time, so they explained
that every time one came out with an ad, the competitor had to match
or beat it. While the comparisons started with a 1/4 wave vertical,
Jim said that if it continued, antenna manufacturers would have to
start comparing gain to their antennas against loaded coat-hangers.

In the truck stops, there are several antennas that are shortened 5/8
antennas. I think that is the case with Fire-stick. I can't tell you
if it has a gain or loss over a 1/4 wave whip.

Just a side-note tho... I have a 706 MKII in the car. I had a 6
meter whip on a mag-mount connected to the HF side where I was
listening to a local beacon. I removed the 6 meter whip and replaced
it with a White GMS/Volvo CB whip about an inch shorter (the cb
antenna is just under 4 feet long.) The signal of the 6 meter beacon
came up from 1/2 to full scale. I swapped back and forth and tested
the SWR to make sure. The CB antenna was maximum SWR but sounded
considerably better. I have several of these antennas so I am
planning to try to trim one for 6 meters and use it instead of the
whip I am using now. I don't have enough data to determine what
causes the improvement, but I believe I have ruled out propagation.

Buck
N4PGW

--
73 for now
Buck
N4PGW