It is difficult to make an antenna that will not radiate, question is how effective the antenna is.
Having nothing or a TAK antenna will make that TAK antenna your only antenna, having nothing to compare it to will lead to the glowing reviews...
IF you like me are used to a FD-4 OCF antenna at 50 feet up, or the IMAX 2000 for 10/12 or the 77 feet inverted L with 77 feet horizontal and 3000 feet radials with MFJ 998 auto tuner at the feed point, things look different and then the TAK antenna's shortcomings will become painfully clear.
Yes, I had my moments too, running my FT 847 on the test bench with 2 watt minimal power into an dummy load with 3 feet of wire on it, and getting a signal report back from the USA.....pure conditions, nothing to do with the crummy antenna.
Yes, sometimes we have to do with stealth antenna's or short antenna's due to the limitations of where we live or HOA's ( we don't have these here in the Neherlands)
Have a look here:
http://www.pa0fri.com/ and click the antenna section for some idea's for short H.F antenna,s or get the ARRL, RSGB antenna handbook, or Low Band DXing from ON4UN.
Those are used by me to get my antenna idea's out and experiment.
Good luck with your set up.