The G5RV Antenna Story - The Design, the Facts and the Myths!

[@wshanney]

I had the great privilege to work Louis while he was at his Uruguay QTH. He was using a G5RV of course and told me he used 85' of open wire feedline. I used this antenna for many years for 80-20M. 73...W6QR

[@watersstanton]

Great to hear from you Bill.

[@WECB640]

Peter, this is one of your very BEST episodes! It is in depth,, easy to understand and historical. BRAVO!

[@phildurall7466]

I agree ... this reminded me of a PBS series called "Connections" hosted by James Burk which traced what developments in the past led to things we used currently. Thanks Peter! 73 - KF6IF

[@watersstanton]

Thanks guys.

[@Dan-56]

Thanks for a historical perspective on what has to be the most talked about antenna in HAM radio 👍! 73 de Dan WD4DB

[@watersstanton]

Many thanks Dan.

[@m0aze611]

Love the G5RV - my first main antenna. Someone gave me some lengths of cadmium copper and at first I fed with 75 ohm Suhner cable(someone donated). I continued to experiment and found quite a few archived articles on the subject, I then fed with open wire feeder all the way back to my tuner. I think I saw a photo of G5RV at his QTH with this feeder method. I need to search these things out of my clutter. Great vid. Thanks Mike

[@watersstanton]

Interesting reading. Thanks.

[@peterfrend5360]

Hi Peter. The G5RV full & half size antenna were always my favourite antenna when I had a garden. Many thanks for this in depth video, it's very informative, as are all of your video's. Kind regards. 73 de Pete GI0FZT.

[@JohnHill-qo3hb]

When I was going to high school in Canada, I got talking to our caretaker. As we chatted he told me about his career as a radio operator aboard commercial ships, rats electrocuted in the transmitter tank coil. Later he told me how he got interested in radio as a young lad, he would collect empty cigarette packets for the foil, splitting lead pencils to use the pencil lead to make resistors, I found all this riveting.

[@jonthebru]

This is one of your best videos dude! My main issue with the doublet, G5RV or the ZS6BKW is the ladder line drop. I just haven't been able to implement that straight down pattern well. That said, those I know who use a doublet really get great results!

[@mikestokes235]

Thank you Peter, very interesting,

[@watersstanton]

Thanks Mike

[@GordonHudson]

Many years ago I built a half size G5RV, including making my own open wire feeder. It was a pretty poor antenna, but I saw an article in QST about an antenna for the new 12m band. It was a 50 foot top and a 1/8 wavelength phasing stub to make a colinear. So I chopped the open wire feeder down and used it on 12m. Incredible antenna, especially as it was broadside to the USA and up at a fair height.

[@watersstanton]

Thanks Gordon, interesting info.

[@walteredwards544]

Thank you for this. It's now saved in my radio section for future reference.

[@DARAHamvention]

Very interesting video! Really enjoyed it

[@watersstanton]

Many thanks.

[@Alvin-we3mt]

This video is the best explanation of how the G5RV works that I have seen. I still use the same G5RV that I installed in 2005 or 2006. Although apparently poor (inefficient) on 10m, it continues to give results somewhat comparable to my horizontal full-wave loop and end-fed antennas, on the other bands.

[@watersstanton]

Many thanks.

[@joeblow8593]

Thanks, cheers from the U.S.

[@PatFortino]

Great video. I like the easy-to-understand explanation of the antenna and also the history. I've never used one, but I like the simplicity.

[@watersstanton]

Thanks Pat.

[@sdmay1980]

I started out with a G5RV, now I have a Horizontal loop. I need to put it back up but I got better signal reports with my around 300ft horizontal loop. I don't think I had the G5RV high enough the couple months I used it.

[@walteranderson7889]

Excellent presentation and history lesson. Probably most G5RC antennas users don't know the origins. I have been experimenting with EFHW antennas but your presentation has inspired me to now DIY a G5RV type antenna. I could buy one but much more is gained from DIY experiments. 73 KC2IQW

[@ATOMSHAMRADIO]

Bravo gret story glad you made a video on this antenna 👍💯

[@watersstanton]

Many thanks.

[@EricTucker-p9z]

Thanks for your excellent videos, Peter. Have you seen the videos of Louis talking to the Norfolk ARC (2 parts) in 1990. He certainly did use a balanced tuning/matching unit at the shack end of the 5RV. 73, G3TXZ.

[@watersstanton]

Thanks Eric, yes I did see the video some while back but thanks for the reminder of the way he fed the antenna. 73 Peter.

[@rickbattle5706]

Great informative video. Love the history. KB3NG

[@watersstanton]

Thanks Rick.

[@dennisbauer3315]

Loved the video thank you, Peter, my first doublet, was an 16 meter a side with 300 Ohm ladder line straight to tuner. Later I went to the full 80-meter doublet, fed the same way. Since then, had all sorts of antennas, even used 7 meters a side fed same way into tuner, all worked well. Thanks for a very enjoyable video. VK4JDJ

[@watersstanton]

Nice to hear from you, Dennis.

[@ATOMSHAMRADIO]

This is a great story i love my g5rv ive ran them for years i get great signal reports like big gun signal only running 400 to 500 pep very good alot of other hams dont like them i always set them up right and some elevation it will perform great👍ive been a ham for years i ran alot of wire antennas to end fed ocd and doublets and folded dipoles last not least a vertical. 💯

[@watersstanton]

Thanks for sharing.

[@TheGmr140]

Great video and informative

[@watersstanton]

Many thanks.

[@davidportch8837]

matches my understandings Peter - very good video - I had to wind the coax into a coil (choke) at the feed point to stop RF feedback into the shack but apart from that, I find it a very useful antenna and I also have the ends dropping down to fit in the space available..

[@watersstanton]

Thanks for sharing David.

[@steveracey199]

Love the Lancaster print. I have the same one in my shack!

[@watersstanton]

Yes indeed. I have sat in both the RAF Lancaster and taxied in the East Kirkby one.

[@TonyLing]

Thanks Peter

[@watersstanton]

If you have a coax run from antenna to ATU, then a choke at the ATU end would be advisable.

[@MsDscho]

Very interesting, Peter Thank You. I have a half G5RV and I think it's a brilliant antenna. It's only about 12 feet of ground level through a ladder line in a 90-degree 'L' shape around my fence supported on slate battens into 991A. The tuner in the 991A works perfectly into it and the furthest distance I have had is Nicaragua on 35 watts :) Happy Ham here. Thanks for the vid. 2E0WFL

[@watersstanton]

Great to hear from you Dan. Keep up the good work and enjoy the hobby. 73 Peter.

[@traveller-nl]

I love the story Peter. Wouldn't it be interesting to make a sequel about the ZS6BKW as it afaik is based on the G5RV.? I forgot to write down my actual lengths when I built my ZS6BKW, but at about 40 Ft in between two pine trees it is certainly a good all-round performer! 40m and 20m are matching almost 1:1 and for the other bands my external LDG tuner keeps the radio happy. Even on 15m where the antenna has a very high SWR. However, despite knowing that coax loss (100 Ft of LMR400) with such SWR is also quite high, and there might be just 25Watts being radiated, I did make several very interesting contacts on 15m! It has the same X shaped lobes as the G5RV, and thanks to those I make it into Europe, Pacific and Asia as well. I can't move the pine trees, but the pattern just worked out well. Despite Louis Varney's advise, I do use a 1:1 BalUn and Choke combination between the 450 Ohm ladderline and 50 Ohm coax. At the shack entry there's another 1:1 current choke inline to be sure there's no noise and common mode entering the shack that way. Both are rated 5KW so it will take some effort to warm those up.

[@watersstanton]

Many thanks. Interesting to read. Thanks for suggestions. 73 Peter

[@wshanney]

Louis published an article in the ARRL Antenna Compendium Vol 1(1985): The G5RV Multiband Antenna...Up-to-Date. He suggests an 84' length of open wire feeder in that article. W6QR

[@watersstanton]

Thanks Bill. Interesting info.

[@W4BIN]

My first antenna was a 100.' length of copperweld wire center fed with 450Ω open wire feedline, but eventually the little plastic pegs fell out of the feedline faster than I could glue them back in. Worked great with a HB antenna tuner with a HB 4:1 Balun at it's output. I changed to 75Ω coax after that. (RG-59) Ron W4BIN

[@watersstanton]

Thanks Ron.

[@alanpfahler1707]

Thank you Peter for another very informative video.

[@watersstanton]

Thanks Alan.

[@ehayes5217]

So interesting, thanx & 73 de WA4ELW in TN 🇺🇸 dit dit 😃

[@daveg8htfadlibaudio250]

Hi Peter, maybe do a video on the T version with the coax inner and outer twisted together, but obviously a good earth / counterpoise system would be required. Interesting to see how it may work on top band. Regards Dave.

[@watersstanton]

okay Dave, I will make a note of that.

[@daveg8htfadlibaudio250]

@@watersstanton Hi Peter, I did try it out a few years ago and it does work on 160 but it does work best if the feeder is quite long and in the clear if possible as the top section acts more like capacitive loading as Marconi discovered with his famous T antennas. Keep up the good work Dave 😀

[@stevegordon2869]

When Louis Varney said Balun I wonder if he meant a 4:1 Balun.I have noticed some older hams in my area think a Balun is 4:1 balanced to unbalanced. To use ladder line.

[@watersstanton]

His concern was losses - I suspect any balun. Currently I am simply using a line isolator at the coax junction. This only has an effect on outer coax common mode currents and no effect on RF flow to antenna.

[@reedreamer9518]

I prefer the doublet (random length wire dipole), and I do not use ladder line. I get low SWR on all bands with low loss running 100% coax, using an LDG RT-100 remote auto tuner at the feed point. For me it's the best, most versatile solution and a 100W remote tuner is still pretty light weight and low cost.

[@watersstanton]

Yes that is another option. But LDG weren’t around in 1946!

[@reedreamer9518]

@@watersstanton Yes, you are right. The G5RV was a very clever multi-band solution. I wonder how he got it right? I assume he got the ideal theoretically, then perfected it experimentally.

[@Majorme2]

Thanks

[@G7VFY]

I thought FJ Camm was the editor of practical wireless.... for years. His brother, Sydney Camm designed the WW2 Hurricane fighter.

[@watersstanton]

Yes I think you are right. It was known as CamMs Comic if I recall. I think Jack Hum contributed to radio publications. Thanks for the correction

[@marvintheandroid100]

I have heard that the G5RV and doublets in general tend to be less noisy than the EFHW. Is this your experience?

[@HayesSalley]

If one wants to run the ladder line all the way to the antenna tuner, would they still use 34’ of ladder line?

[@watersstanton]

No, use whatever is needed.

[@StreakyP]

talking of antenna family trees... start with the balanced 51' per side g5rv... which begat the 25' per side half size 5rv... but for every balanced antenna there is the unbalanced half antenna which is basically 25' of wire going straight up, the feed ladder is basically just part of the match which is irrelevant to the radiation characteristics so keep the wire & swap the match slightly & what do you get but the Rybakov

[@christophercullin9309]

good evening love your shows can you recommend a G5RV DIPOLE for 0-30 mhz listening only to the shortwave broadcast bands thank you

[@watersstanton]

Yes it should be OK for short waves but not really very good for medium or long eave