[TowerTalk] forget the tuner, put the AMP at the feedpoint

[Jim Lux]

One could solve all these transmission line and matching network things 
if you put the PA at the feedpoint. Whether narrow band or broadband 
amp, as long as the amp can take the voltage and current resulting from 
whatever the load impedance is, you're good to go.  And then you can use 
something like RG174, 3" heliax, waveguide, twisted pair, or whatever 
you like for the RF coming from the shack.

As several have commented in this thread, there's nothing special about 
having an exactly resonant antenna as far as radiation goes.  The 
pattern of an infinitesimally small dipole isn't all that much different 
from a half wavelength resonant dipole.  It's when you get up to close 
to twice that length that you start seeing big lumps and dips in the 
pattern.