[Elecraft] OT: G5RV's antenna

[Kim Bottles]

I am with Ken on this one. 

I use a 130 foot classic Zepp with 600 ohm ladder line to a balun and then a short coax line to the K-3 with internal tuner. It tunes very nicely on all HF bands 160 to 10. (Yes, even 160.)

Kim - K7IM

-----Original Message-----
From: Ken G Kopp [mailto:kengkopp at gmail.com] 
Sent: Friday, March 09, 2012 6:54 PM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] OT: G5RV's antenna

I have Varney's (G5RV) original article.  The antenna was designed for -only- 20M .  Since then it's taken on the proverbial "life of it's own" and become somewhat of a "cult" antenna, as is the case with the "Carolina Windom".

Why would one start with a perfectly good balanced-line fed Zepp, cobble a piece of "special-length" coax onto the end of that balanced line so that the antenna becomes something else, and then have to use an antenna tuner to make the thing work?

Since the antenna requires a tuner, why not connect the balanced line to a balanced tuner ... or one with a balun ... and enjoy all the virtues of a classic Zepp?

73!

Ken Kopp - K0PP
ElecraftCovers at gmail.com