Total posts : 45366
Three meters seems long for the FM band. A quarter wavelength is closer to 1 meter.
Short antennas produce a pattern shaped like a do-nut centered on the conductor.
It is difficult to compare a 1/2 wave dipole to a short wire since the relative radiated power of a short wire is determined by the impedance match to the transmitter. For example, I adjust the length of the whip on my transmitter to get the range I want which is more a function of the mismatch to the transmitter with length than the length itself.
That being said, generally a longer wire will radiate more signal.
