jawod wrote:
I was listening to 40M the other night and a reasonably clear SSB signal
came from a guy in Pennsylvania using 100 W to a rain gutter.

It was apparently raining at the time in PA.

All the mathematical modeling and tweaking discussed in this group ...
I thought the successful use of a rain gutter deserved some praise here.

John
AB8WH

It does deserve some praise, however this guy was not the first. At
some point in my 45 years I have made contacts using a rain gutter, the
metal tube in the center of my brick chimney, the metal fire escape
outside my dorm room and on and on. If it was metal, and I needed an
antenna, I tried it. I don't remember bed springs or a wet noodle, but
that may be next.
Gary N4AST