I've been doing a lot of listening since I got the G5RV up at about 35 feet 
in the center.  I've already made mention how the R7 seems, in every case, 
from 40 through at least 17 meters, to receive better.  Of course, the G5RV 
isn't up all that high and my R7 vertical is on a 3 foot tripod on my roof 
so the base of the vertical is right at 18 feet above ground.  I run other 
verticals right at that same spot but the R7 has proven over the years to be 
better than any other verticals I've tried.  At any rate, DX is always 
louder using the R7 vertical on every band I try compared to the G5RV. 
However, I haven't hooked up the tuner to the G5RV yet.  I'm just comparing 
signals without either antenna going through the tuner.  I do a lot of 
tuning of short wave bands at various times and a lot of DX playing around 
on the A M broadcast band and there, on the broadcast band I mean, the G5RV 
wire is way better due to it being a lot closer in wave length than a 
trapped vertical.  This afternoon at 16 30 local, I was tuning 17 meters 
just for the fun of it.  I heard lots of side band activity during the CQ WW 
side band contest on 15 meters so I know, from passed experience working a 
lot of DX on 17 meters, the two bands often open together.  On the other 
hand, I've seen 17 meters open when 15 meters is cold stone dead and I've 
known this by checking the beacons on both bands or also listening to WWVH 
in Hawaii on 15 MHz.  Anyhow, just this afternoon, a KP4 in Puerto Rico was 
on 18.135 running JA stations.  I could hear the JA pile up and it was knee 
deep to an elephant, which is to say, deep with dozens of Japanese stations 
calling.  I played with the two antennas since I now had southeast and 
northwest DX to compare.  The vertical still heard better but I say again, 
the G5RV isn't on the tuner yet.  That will help some, of course.  I mostly 
got the G5RV for low band operations, meaning, for 80 and 75 meters.

Phil.
[log in to unmask]