Tom,
Seems to me that if there is a short somewhere in the coax line, you 
will see it anywhere you test along the coax, the ladder line or even 
at the top of the line where the horizontal elements connect.  My bet 
is, and I am a bit of a betting man, that if you disconnect the coax 
and measure it "free standing' you'll see that short big as 
life.  How much of that bet would you like to cover!!
Good luck chasing it down.
Pat K9JAUAt 06:54 PM 8/19/2012, you wrote:
>     Colin:
>
>When we put the antenna up, the connection was completely sealed.  It felt
>strong to me underneath the shielding, so I assumed that it was ok.  Once we
>discovered the problem with the antenna, I took the seal off, and found the
>following:
>
>One side of the ladder line was soldered to the center conductor of the
>PL259, while the other side of the ladder line was soldered to the braided
>shield.  Both connections seemed very solid to me.  The connections were
>about an inch and a half apart, and I don't think could have been squeezed
>together during installation.  This is what is so confusing to me.
>
>I then did a continuity check across the ladder line from one side to the
>other, and once again found continuity.  From what everyone has told me,
>this is not supposed to happen either, which is why I'm at a loss about
>where the short is coming from.
>
>Man, I wish I had brought the antenna home!  (big smile)
>
>Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Colin McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2012 4:52 PM
>Subject: Re: G5RV Disappointment
>
>
> > can you describe the connection point where the latter line feeds into the
> > two wires?  IE, how far apart are the two sides, and could there possibly
> > be
> > a short at that point?
> > Seeing as your manager, obviously a great guy in my mind already, isn't a
> > radio guy, could he have somehow set the connections against some metal
> > and
> > shorted the end of the latter line where it connects to the wire elements?
> > There should absolutely be no continuity between the center and the shield
> > on a dipole or balanced type antenna.
> > The only time you should get continuity on an antenna is if it's using
> > some
> > kind of matching circuit that has less resistance than the resistance
> > tolerance of your continuity checker...which is usually 30 or 40 ohms.
> > you'll see continuity on the connecter with 5/8's wave antennas due to the
> > matching network...
> > But any dipole type antenna or balanced antenna should be wide open.
> > So, if you take the antenna down and bring it home, and everything shows
> > as
> > it should, that is open and no continuity between the center and shield,
> > then you know it was something about the install that was causing the
> > problem.
> > Ok, first try, see if you and this helpful dude can come up with something
> > else or some other configuration.
> > 73
> > Colin, V A6BKX
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Tom Behler" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2012 12:07 PM
> > Subject: Re: G5RV Disappointment
> >
> >
> >>    Pat:
> >>
> >> I also had the continuity reading across the connector with the original
> >> PL259, so temporarily replaced it with one of those Shakespeare
> >> solderless
> >> connectors from West Marine, Inc., and still got the continuity reading
> >> across the connector.
> >>
> >> When I checked each side of the ladder line where the connection to the
> >> short piece of coax cable is made, I got continuity too across the ladder
> >> line connection.
> >>
> >> So, I am not quite sure what to think here.
> >>
> >> Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Pat Byrne" <[log in to unmask]>
> >> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >> Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2012 11:59 AM
> >> Subject: Re: G5RV Disappointment
> >>
> >>
> >>> Tom,
> >>> I will check my antenna for continuity today but I would expect that
> >>> you shouldn't have continuity at D C.  So perhaps there is a short in
> >>> the PL259.  Also my antenna recommended a lot of coax after the twin
> >>> lead, either fifty or seventy-five feet, I don't recall which.  So
> >>> perhaps you would have a jumper around that you could incorporate in
> >>> to the system next weekend.  The height should be good - don't give
> >>> up on it just yet.
> >>> Pat, K9JAUAt 10:48 AM 8/19/2012, you wrote:
> >>>>Hi, all.
> >>>>
> >>>>Well, I tried the G5RV out at the RV over the week-end, and alas, no
> >>>>joy.
> >>>>I
> >>>>have some theories about what the problem was, which I'll get to
> >>>>shortly.
> >>>>
> >>>>First, the good news:  The camp site manager had absolutely no problem
> >>>>with
> >>>>my putting up the antenna, and in fact helped with our initial
> >>>>installation.
> >>>>So, at least I know I'm good to go if I want to try something else out
> >>>>there.
> >>>>
> >>>>Since the guy was nice enough to help with the installation, I decided
> >>>>to
> >>>>go
> >>>>ahead with his initial suggestion of putting the center on top of his
> >>>>RV,
> >>>>which is about 50 feet from ours, and much higher than ours.  The legs
> >>>>of
> >>>>the antenna then went across his roof on each side to adjacent trees.
> >>>>He
> >>>>did wrap one part of one leg  around the railing of his RV ladder to
> >>>>keep
> >>>>things in place.  The ladder line then came down from the center of the
> >>>>antenna on about a 45 degree angle to the PL259feed point connection on
> >>>>my
> >>>>RV.  I'd say the center of the antenna was up about 30 feet, with the
> >>>>legs
> >>>>up about 15 to 20 feet on adjacent trees.
> >>>>
> >>>>Overall, my SWR's must not have been good, because the only band I could
> >>>>get
> >>>>the TS480 auto-tuner to tune it on was 10 meters.  Everything else gave
> >>>>me
> >>>>the SWR no-tune reading.
> >>>>
> >>>>As for what might have gone wrong, I eliminated a number of
> >>>>possibilities:
> >>>>
> >>>>1.  I checked my feed line on the RV, and all other jumper connections,
> >>>>for
> >>>>electrical integrity, and they were fine.  I then physically checked the
> >>>>connections on the G5RV itself, and they  looked fine.  I had my XYL
> >>>>confirm
> >>>>this visually as well.
> >>>>
> >>>>As for what could have gone wrong, then, my theory is that perhaps the
> >>>>roof
> >>>>on the manager's RV was metal, or had metal in it, which served to
> >>>>de-tune
> >>>>the antenna.  Wrapping one leg around the RV railing for a turn or two
> >>>>also
> >>>>might have thrown things off.
> >>>>
> >>>>Finally, I did one thing in the way of continuity checking that I want
> >>>>to
> >>>>be
> >>>>sure of with you G5RV experts out there.  When you do a continuity check
> >>>>of
> >>>>the G5RV on the PL259 end, is it correct that you get electrical
> >>>>continuity
> >>>>across the coax connector?  In other words, when I took my continuity
> >>>>checker, put one lead on the center conductor, and the other on the
> >>>>outer
> >>>>shield of the connector, I got continuity.  I assume this indicates that
> >>>>I
> >>>>have an electrically complete antenna.  Please correct me if I'm wrong
> >>>>on
> >>>>this.
> >>>>
> >>>>All in all, it was a rather disappointing situation, but if we can get
> >>>>out
> >>>>to the RV next week-end, we'll try something else, perhaps in nearby
> >>>>trees
> >>>>if we can figure out a way to get the center up at a reasonable height.
> >>>>
> >>>>73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
> >>>
> >