Hello,
As I understand it, the best radio performance comes with a horizontal wire, which is why you'll see them rigged that way on large power vessels. But it's hard to do that on a sailboat, so we usually put them on the backstay, which at least leads at an angle, and only go to verticals, like portions of shrouds, if there's no backstay available, like on a gaffer. The vertical runs are also on the short side, as well.
An antenna on the mizzen lift would have the wire running the length of the boom, which would be bound to introduce major harmonics, unless it were wood. And if it were wood, that's still a long run: boom length; to deck (with flexing in the mix), and thence somehow to the tuner. Nah.
I have had clients put the tuner at the top of the mizzen, and then insulate the springstay. If it's a sufficiently compact, weatherproof tuner, it can work nicely. But I'm usually inclined to insulate the backstay pendant, and then bring the wire down one leg, being careful to avoid any run parallel to the leg (harmonics avoidance). It's a long run on a ketch, but the antenna is higher and longer than on the mizzen, and more angled than on a shroud. You have the option of insulating both legs, but there are likely only negligible gains there.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss
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