Robb, if we listen to those "in the Know" the longer boom is always best, and that is sorta' true with the Eznec models I have for these two antennas set very close to the manuals. But, as usual...the difference is not much.
I was surprised when I compared these two, because I thought the Maco would be noticeably better.
I noted the element dimensions and spacing in inches so you can see how long the Sirio is compared to the Maco. I also used 1/2" diameter elements on both models.
The only difference is I did not add a boom for the Sirio. The Maco is modeled using two 1/4 wave wire elements, and the Sirio uses only 1 wire at 1/2 wavelength, same difference. I find this makes some difference, but again, it is a very small difference.
I think I recall you commenting that your Sirio tuned best at <>27.500 mhz, but as I noted...my model turns out to be pretty long compared to the Maco. I find the Sirio model resonant best at about <26.500 as setup by the manual and with no matching device. Being as these antennas are made in Europe, where the frequency is higher than US CB, it would seem your results would tend to be correct. However, my model shows resonance to be well below channel <26.965.
I also added an overlay to compare the patterns, and I don't see much difference.
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