Exactly!!!
My experience is the same with the Carolina Windom full sized.
It is configured so far off the recommended set up that it shouldn't work at
all...just feet from power lines and telephone/cable feeds, in a heavy Urban
RF environment, and in a horizontal L shape with the vertical radiator
curving from vertical to horizontal from the push up to the house...
It's no 3 element tri bander obviously, but it does amazingly well from 80
through 6M with a tuner and gets me on the air and able to work DX stations
if I can hear them with 100 watts. You can't really ask for more than that
when you have space limitations and a budget to work with...I have a 48ft
tower and 4 element beam with rotator that I have permission to put up if I
want...but it would cost at least 1400 to get in the air including the
concrete bass, upgraded hardware for the tower and beam and a rotator
maintenance, and when you are renting a property, you just don't want to go
through that amount of hassle if you might move at almost any time.
However, for the time being, the Carolina Windom gives me as much fun and
entertainment as can be expected and more and that's good enough for me at
this point.
73
Colin, V A6BKX
From: Lou Kolb
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2015 11:05 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Truths about the G5RV antenna
Well-put, Ron. And I'm thankful that, even in these days of commercial
equipment, we can still experiment with antennas as much as time, space and
ability permit.
As for the G5RV, I must say that even though I knew it was a compromise
antenna going in, the results I've gotten from it have far exceeded my
expectations. I can't explain that but neither will I question. it. As we
all know, especially where RF is concerned, you never really know how it
will work until you try it, regardless of theory. 73. lou WA3MIX
Lou Kolb
Voice-over Artist:
Radio/TV Ads, Video narrations
Messages On-hold:
www.loukolb.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Ronald E. Milliman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2015 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: Truths about the G5RV antenna
> Lou, Et Al,
>
> I am only the messenger and I am not criticizing you or anyone else who
> uses
> the G5RV antenna or anyone who defends it. I shared that information with
> our list members purely from an intellectual viewpoint. I agree that
> antenna
> that works and doesn't burn up your rig is better than no antenna at all.
> Believe me, I've tried and used some pretty crazy antennas in my days,
> e.g.
> bed springs, window screens, barbed-wire fences, among others, and they
> all
> worked to some extent. In fact, the barbed-wire fence worked extremely
> well!. However, I also burned one rig up as a result of the excessively
> high
> SWR when using one antenna.
>
> In my opinion, the most important component of a ham's set-up is his/her
> antenna, and I am constantly studying and experimenting with various
> antennas and antenna systems. I gave up trying to build transmitters,
> receivers, and transceivers, but the one component of my station that I
> can
> still research, experiment with, and build is the antenna. Everyone here
> on
> our list can build an antenna. Some really effective antennas are among
> the
> easiest to construct.
>
> Ron, K8HSY
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Lou Kolb
> Sent: Monday, July 13, 2015 11:09 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Truths about the G5RV antenna
>
> I certainly won't dispute anything "Ole Buck" or anyone else may say
> concerning the efficasy of the G5RV dipole. I use one here because, 1: it
> fits in to my available space. and 2: because it works on the bands I need
> it to, that is, 80, 60, 40 and 20 meters. and, as a bonus, it seems to
> work
> remarkably well on 12 meters too. I don't claim that it is the best of all
> possible antennas. However, having been lectured over the years by hams
> who
> are trying to set me straight, I refer back to my reasons for using it
> (see
> above). Nothing personal, Ron. I completely understand why you posted
> these
> findings. But my bottom line is that I'm on the air, every day, having fun
> in this great hobby. If not for the G5rv, its flaws not withstanding, I
> probably would not be. Lou WA3MIX Lou Kolb Voice-over Artist:
> Radio/TV Ads, Video narrations
> Messages On-hold:
> www.loukolb.com
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dr. Ronald E. Milliman" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, July 13, 2015 11:47 AM
> Subject: Truths about the G5RV antenna
>
>
>> There is considerable debate about the G5RV antenna, e.g. how well it
>> works; is it truly an all-band antenna, etc. In fact, we have had
>> similar exchanges right here on our Blind Hams's email list. In my
>> pursuit of the best antennas to erect in various situations, including
>> the current location of my new home in a highly restricted area, I
>> have studied the G5RV and in the process of my research, I found the
>> following information written by my good friend Buck over at Buxcomm.
>> If you don't know Buck, he is an old ex-marine.
>> He's pretty rough around the edges, as the expression goes, but old
>> Buck tells it the way it is with no BS. Here is what Buck says about
>> the G5RV antenna, which is pretty much the same thing that all other
>> really knowledgeable people say about the G5RV:
>>
>>
>>
>> *****
>>
>>
>>
>> ".About thirty years ago we ran several antenna range tests on the G5RV.
>> We
>> used a high-frequency,
>>
>> National Bureau of Standards (NBS) calibrated Potomac Instruments
>> FIM-41, field-intensity meter. The
>>
>> companion antenna was the HF NBS calibrated measurements dipole.
>>
>> The weather was clear, and the transmitting station was adjusted to
>> 100 watts, into an original G5RV
>>
>> antenna.
>>
>> The purpose for conducting these tests was because we had constructed
>> several G5RV antennas and the
>>
>> performance of each one was, at best, poor! Our findings were
>> despicable on the HF bands, with the
>>
>> exception of 20 meters.
>>
>> Sometime later we came across some of Mr Varney (G5RV) notes. In his
>> notes and description of his
>>
>> G5RV antenna, we learned that he had really designed the G5RV to be
>> used as a good 20 meter antenna,
>>
>> nothing more. Somehow over the years his antenna became (assumed to
>> be), an HF or multiband
>>
>> antenna. This assumption was so far from the truth and from Mr
>> Varney's original design.
>>
>> THE G5RV IS NOT A MULTI-BAND ANTENNA ! The only HAM band where it has
>> a zero
>> (0)
>>
>> current node IS at 14 MHz (20 meters).
>>
>> For several years, we've attempted to give notice to our friends and
>> customers that relate to the G5RV.
>>
>> Most of our findings have fallen on deaf ears, or to the G5RV users
>> who would not hear the truth.
>>
>> Any antenna, (non-resonant long-wire, included), can be tuned to
>> resonance on almost any HAM band.
>>
>> This is why many good manufacturers build and sell antenna tuners. You
>> can confirm this notion each
>>
>> time you use an HF mobile antenna.
>>
>> HERE NOW, IN HIS OWN WORDS:
>>
>> 312
>>
>> After several years, our findings are being realized by some of the
>> leading transceiver
>>
>> manufacturers. To support our findings, on page 8 of several YAESU
>> transceiver
>>
>> manuals, Yaesu engineers inserted a short paragraph that finally
>> put-to-rest these
>>
>> findings. The following text is an excerpt from one of those Yaesu
>> transceiver manuals
>>
>> "ANTENNA CONSIDERATIONS
>>
>> Every effort should be made to ensure that the impedance of the
>> antenna system be as close
>>
>> as possible to the specified 50-Ohm value. Note that the "G5RV" type
>> antenna does NOT
>>
>> provide a 50-Ohm impedance on all HF Amateur bands.
>>
>> Any antenna to be used with the FT-950 must be fed from the
>> transceiver with
>>
>>
>> 50 Ohm coaxial cable. Therefore, when using a "balanced" antenna such
>> as a dipole, remember
>>
>> that a balun or other matching/balancing device must be used to ensure
>> proper antenna
>>
>> performance. etc... "
>>
>> Excerpt from Page 8 FT-950 OPERATING MANUAL.
>>
>>
>>
>> We like to sell antennas, and we like to sell the G5RV (+), however,
>> it is our sincere objective to be
>>
>> completely above-board about this antenna. It is NOT an all-band HF
>> antenna."
>>
>>
>>
>> *****
>>
>>
>>
>> Dr. Ronald E. Milliman
>>
>> Retired Professor of Marketing
>
|
