You may be right.  Since I have never built an antenna like this before I'm also using it as an education tool for myself.  I'd like to know enough and learn enough so that if another project comes up in the future I'll be able to run a design program and spit out an accurate model that I know is correct to build a different antenna.  Since I have no personal reference for what works and what doesn't or what is good enough and what is overkill I am leaning toward overkill as a reference then backing off as I gain experience and knowledge.  If I am able to complete this project and learn more about antenna design and if I build other antennas in the future I may get to the point you are now and look back at this and say "I was going way overboard, I could have just plugged in some ratios and I could have saved myself a lot of time and trouble".  I guess I have to start somewhere, I just feel better about a project when I have an idea of what works and what the outcome will be.  I would hate to spend all this money on tools, metal stock, and hours of effort only to find out that a coat hanger does a better job than my antenna and not knowing why my antenna did so poorly.

Brian Howell

---