Wire antennas can be simple and economical but many times conductor losses can lead to less than optimum performance. This is particularly a problem in gain antennas where the radiation resistance may be low. With some care, these losses can usually be minimized. The following two articles discuss round wire and foil conductors, HF wire conductors , 220 kb, QEX Nov/Dec 2000, HF foil conductors , 311 kb, QEX May/June 2002.
