On Nov 3, 5:25 pm, "Stefan Wolfe" wrote:


I guess in my case, the G5RV is the best I can do. I live in a restricted
PUD but I have a 'relatively' large attic. I could fit a bent 80m dipole up
there or a bent G5RV that is just a few feet shorter. But with the G5RV, I
do get some good performance on several ham bands and I think it is more
efficient than the 80m dipole because the ladder line also functions as part
of the antenna (as you know, according to G5RV theory).

It's not more efficient, but there are cases where the feed radiation
could help if there is a need for some vertical polarization.
But... thats just another of what I consider a problem.
I don't want any feedline radiation. If I want vertical, I'll
run a vertical.
But I realize you are limited on room, so not a perfect world.. :/
If you are using the usual G5RV setup with the tuner to coax to
choke to twin lead, you would actually be better off running the same
antenna, but using only the tuner to twin lead all the way to the
antenna.
In cases of limited room, I usually prefer "Z" dipoles fed with coax
if for single band use. Here at home, I can't run a full length 160m
dipole on this lot. So I used a "Z" dipole fed in parallel with my
other usual dipoles.
I did tests comparing the Z dipole with loaded dipoles, and the Z
dipole always won. This was even with using heavy fat wire coils,
and optimum coil locations on the elements.
If I used a Z dipole for all band use, I would feed it with ladder
line
the whole way.. Or twin lead.. Twin lead is fairly decent indoors as
it never gets wet.
I have a 40m dipole in my attic for emergency use when it's real
stormy. I feed it with twin lead so I can run 40-10. Being it's half
size on 80m, and fed with a T-net tuner, the efficiency is poor on
80m. Lots of tuner loss..

But I also must defer to yourself and others
because this is a technical group where we get into more than "how stuff
works.com"...I participate if I think I can contribute in a certain area.
Thanks for your comment.

Ya gotta use what you can fit in.. I have no problems with anyone
using any type of antenna. If it works well enough for you, that's all
that really matters.
I'm just warning of losses you may not notice if you don't have a
coax fed dipole to A/B test them to compare..
BTW, I don't just pick on the G5RV's.. :/ I also am not crazy about
most windoms either if they are fed using the tuner to coax to choke
to wire scenario..
I did a A/B test against one of those one time on 40m.
The windom seemed to be working just great. They could hear
stations, and make contacts, and all was well in the world.
But then I hooked up a coax fed 40m dipole, and used an
antenna switch to be able to quickly A/B.
The coax fed dipole brought "everything" up 2 S units.
Noise floor, signals, the whole ball of wax.
I kid you not. The windom guy almost fell over..
He had no idea he was losing that much.
Some may say, well 2 S units ain't much..
But when you consider that the usual change of
running 100w vs 600w usually amounts to about 2 S units
on most run of the mill S meters, thats quite a
bit of loss..
It was like I was getting the effects of a free 500-600 watt
amp vs the windom..
But to each his own, or to his room.. I'm not trying to
be an antenna snob, I just jibber jabber about them..
MPG will vary..
MK