I'd wonder if something is broke possibly, mine isn't horizontal 100%, but 
mine was very close for a long time and even now, it's a lot more horizontal 
than it is vertical and it works great. I can't say what my SWR was before 
it broke last spring, but now, with about 3 inches off the ladder line, my 
worst SWR is on 10 meters at about 5:1, maybe a little less. I'd say my twin 
lead has a very gradual slope to it. Nowhere near even 45 degrees. I guess 
it being 100% horizontal might change some characteristic of the antenna, 
and you could try maybe putting it back like it was maybe and see if that 
improves it, but I'd tend to think it's something else personally.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "T Behler" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2007 4:11 PM
Subject: g5rv question


> Hi, all.
>
> Well, I hope I'm among friends here, because I have what probably is a 
> very
> elementary question about a G5RV HF antenna.
>
> I currently have a 102-foot G5RV antenna here at the home qth.  The center
> of the antenna is at the top of a 35-foot tower which contains my KLM
> tri-bander and a 6-meter vertical that is mounted on a "stand off" from 
> the
> tower.
>
> I originally had the antenna so that the ladder-line vertically came down
> the tower from the centerpoint, and then was connected to a coax feedline
> that went into the shack.
>
> Earlier this Fall, someone suggested that my ladder line shouldn't be so
> close to the tower and vertical like that, and suggested that it be much
> further away from the tower.  So, he took the ladder line and basically 
> made
> it run horizontally from the tower over to an anchor point on the house.
>
> Being that I was so busy with professional stuff this Fall semester, I 
> never
> really tried the antenna, but now I'm noticing that, even though it seems 
> to
> do well on 20 meters (SWR no more than 2.0 to 1 across the entire band), 
> it
> won't tune at all on 40 or 80 meters.  The sWR's are either at least 8 to 
> 1,
> or so high that my Remy Simared talking SWR meter won't even give a 
> reading.
>
> I'll have my XYL do a visual on the antenna as soon as possible, but,
> barring any obvious mechanical problem with the antenna, could someone
> suggest what the problem might be?
>
> Is the horizontal configuration of the ladder line what likely is throwing
> things off so much here?
>
> I know this is probably a very elementary question, but it concerns me 
> since
> my G5RV was always one of my best HF antennas, especially for 40 meters.
>
> 73 from Tom Behler:  KB8TYJ
>