[Elecraft] OT: G5RV antenna

[Don Wilhelm]

Ken and all,

More correctly if the terminology of hams is to be deemed correct, it is 
a "Double Extended Zepp".  The radiator each side of center is 5/8 
wavelength long (at 20 meters).  The 32' 300 ohm ladder line is for 
impedance transformation.  It does provide some broadside gain on 20 meters.

I hesitate to call anything other than the original Zepp antenna (so 
named because it was towed behind Zeppelin airships) a "Zepp", but hams 
have known to construe antenna names before.

The original Zepp antenna is a half wave antenna fed with a 1/4 wave 
parallel feedline.  Turn it vertically and what do you have but what is 
commonly called the J-pole in VHF circles.

Who said there is new antenna technology?  Much is just renamed antennas 
that have been around for 50 to 80 years in one form or another.
Various methods of radiator to feedline matching may be newer stuff, but 
the behavior of radiators has been relatively unchanged over a long 
period of time.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 12/8/2018 11:32 AM, Ken G Kopp wrote:
> As I've already stated … I have a copy of the original Varney
> RSGB article that describes the G5RV and plainly states that
> it's a 20M only antenna.
> 
> Remember, it requires an antenna tuner …
> 
> Start with a dipole …
> 
> Keep the "magic" 32' length of 300 ohm feedline.
> 
> Delete the 68' of coax.
> 
> What's left?  A "normal" open wire fed dipole, better
> known as a Zepp.