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Conductivity of metals makes very little difference at HF. Copper, steel, aluminum, platinum, gold, silver, no practical differences at HF. Want to use gold as an antenna, be my guest, but you're wasting your time.
SWR meters have no idea what reactance is. Can't measure it, doesn't know when it's there, so can't tell you anything about resonance.
Antenna analizers can tell you if there is reactance present. What's done about that reactance is up to the operator. Reactance present means nonresonance.
Exact readings just don't mean very much in general. If the readings are 'close', you will do as well as if they were correct to 10 decimal places.
Bird watt meters. ~Used~ to be the standard things were measured against. Now, not really any more accurate than several other brands, and readings are always dependant on what the operator knows about electronics. Still good for 'bragging rights' though.
Loading coils always introduce losses. Certainly not that much of a problem if you have to use a 'shortened ' antenna. Still means that they do not do as well as 'full sized' antennas. Does make for a viable option when 'full sized' antennas can't be used, but never the 'best' radiator.
Not the easiest things to digest, but once you get used to the taste, very healthy...
- 'Doc
