Just Say "No" to Tape Measure Antennas

Article at Hackaday, with link to a deeper analysis.  TLDR: Springy steel tape measures and the like make miserable antennas, because physics.

Also worth watching (if you're into antennas), Keven Loughin does a two-part test and destructive tear-down on a commercially available steel tape antenna at his vlog.  TLDW: About the same performance as the rubber duck antenna that comes with most handheld radios.

So, what does work?  If you want something professionally made, there are any number of aftermarket whips that give somewhere from 3 to 6 dB gain.  For next to nothing and five minutes at the bench, a tiger tail will give you perhaps 3 dB gain.  If you have handy trees around, a roll-up slim jim works well, in either a DIY or ready-made version.  If you want full-on performance, the DIY cool(?)-factor, and don't mind its eight foot size, the Jurassic Duck Mk. II does really well.

But tape measures?  No, just no.