Chuck W. wrote:
I understand that strictly speaking a G5RV isn't a multi-band antenna,
but my primary use of it is on 20 meters where it works pretty well as
a 3/2 half-wavelength doublet. It's up about 55 feet now as a flat-top
and I've been working plenty of DX with only about 300-400 watts out.

Never satisfied, and always wanting improvement (it's a compulsion!),
I'm wondering whether a half-square like the Windom HSQ listed here
would be an improvement on 20 meters:
http://www.antennasmore.com/windomhq.htm

I've read that at 20 meters and above, there is more benefit to being
horizontally-polarized at a decent height, so maybe I'm better off with
the G5RV?

Thanks for any thoughts.

Chuck
KB5GC


Hi Chuck,

Cebik conclueds the following when speaking of the Half Square antenna.

" Installing SCVs too high, especially half squares, can easily defeat
the main functional advantage of the antennas. Designing them for 20
meters is a marginal enterprise, and above 20 meters, other antenna
types will normally out-perform the SCVs. The SCVs do come into their
own again until the VHF region, where they can be mounted many
wavelengths above ground and their largely vertical polarization
combined with a beamwidth around 60 degrees may be superior in some
applications to Yagis turned on their side.

Except for these very general comments, I have avoided comparisons with
other types of antennas. Although a thorough comparison would be useful,
the amount of material there is to present on SCVs and the shortage of
space within which to present it suggests that this must be (as they
sometimes say in textbooks) "an exercise left to the reader." --Cebik.

you can read the whole article at :

http://www.cebik.com/scv/scv4.html

My best guest is that at 55 feet the G5RV is a better all round antenna
on 20 Meters.

73 Dave Kc1di