Mark. I hope you don't mind me jumping in on this... The reason the antenna is shorter is because the formula you have seen is for the wavelength of a signal in FREE SPACE, which travels at the speed of light. In a conductor, the signal travels at a fraction of the speed of light (read on VELOCITY FACTOR). Thus the wavelength is SHORTER in a conductor than in free space, and the antenna is cut accordingly.
-- Glenn Martin, Kr2 N1333A
