.Is
it going to make any real
difference on HF? Nope...

Exactly.

Jerry


YES, it makes real difference in calculating the proper length. If you are
making, let's say quad for 10m and used EZNEC to calculate the dimensions using
bare wire and then used insulated, you would end up exactly in the middle of CB
band. Nope? Exactly! What?

Is that "any real difference on HF"? Yep, to me is. Using #12 insulated house
copper wire makes exactly 5% difference.

If you do not care where the antenna resonates, than NOPE.
If you care to maintaing performance, pattern, impedance, SWR, than YEP!

If you are making long wire antenna or Beverage, than length and shortening
factor does not matter. But if antenna dimensions are critical then it DOES
matter. As far as performance of insulated wire as a radiator of RF, the effect
is negligible.

Yuri, K3BU