ok, this is excellent news.
However, I must have misread or misunderstood your original post.  I thought 
you said you had disconnected the G5RV from all other RV feed lines and you 
were still seeing the short...  I also thought you had said you checked the 
RV feed lines independant of the g5RV...if they are connected together, they 
are not independant and a short in one is going to show in the other...
So if I reed this correctly now, you had the G5RV pig tail connected to the 
RV feed point, and you were testing the antenna from inside the rv with the 
connecter at your operating position correct? and that is where you were 
seeing the short?
You had us all thinking you had disconnected the g5RV completely and were 
still seeing the short on the connecter of the pigtail on the end of the 450 
ohm latter line.
I echo the sentiment that if you have issues with your feedline that goes 
from the operating position to outside where you connect the antenna to, 
then it would explain allot about your frustration with the screw driver as 
well.
Remember never to assume something is working as it should until you test 
each link in the chain...in this case, you failed to check the state of the 
feedline between the radio and the outside where the antenna was connected.
And, you kept doing tests with that feed line connected, thus leaving it in 
the chain and causing the testing to be inaccurate.
not a problem though, it's all part of figuring out what's going on.
Did you happen to do a continuity check from the inside of the RV after the 
g5RV  was disconnected at the outside connecter?

73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Behler" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 7:05 PM
Subject: G5RV Update


> Hi, all.
>
> Well, tonight, with a little bribery in the form of an ice cream cone on 
> the
> way out to the RV, the XYL and I took the trip to retrieve the suspect 
> G5RV.
>
> The antenna is now right here in front of me, and guess what I found!
>
> With the antenna taken down, and now free of any connections, there is an
> open circuit across the PL259!  In other words, no continuity across the
> connector!
>
> So, to me, this would indicate that the antenna is sound electrically.
>
> Before putting it up again, of course, I will check all connections, but
> this, to me, is very encouraging.
>
> It also indicates to me that there is a problem somewhere in my feed line
> system, hopefully not in the feed line that runs underneath the RV.
>
> At least, though, I think I've now got the problem isolated in a major 
> way.
>
> Will keep everyone posted, but, unless I'm deluding myself, I'm now 
> greatly
> encouraged.
>
> 73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ