"Old Ed" wrote
A common-sense question would be: Why would Varney design
a single-band 20m doublet that is bigger and more complicated
than a single-band 20m dipole, unless he was looking for some
added benefit--e.g., multiband operation?

The reason Varney used a G5RV in preference to an ordinary dipole was
because of its clover-leaf radiation pattern on 20 metres. He is quite
clear about this. He could work Europe and N.America from S.America
without changing antennas. Otherwise, for 20 metres, he would have
chosen the better antenna - an ordinary halfwave dipole which also
can be used multiband over an openwire line, the line being
conveniently of any length.

The reason the G5RV became popular with amateurs was because of its
theoretical attraction when Varney published it. The ideas of
cloverleaf and 1/2-wavelength feedline, combined in one simple system,
were quite clever, easy to understand and therefore intellectually
attractive. Also, 20 metres happens to be the best all-year-round,
day and night, DX band.

And so began the bandwagon. With a little forced imagination on the
part of dealers, multi-band operation (on which it is weak) soon
followed.

Even its name, The Famous G5RV, sounds very nice. If Louis Varney had
had a call like BF6POX nobody would ever have heard of it.
----
Reg.

Reg Edwards wrote:
The reason the G5RV became popular with amateurs was because of its
theoretical attraction when Varney published it. The ideas of
cloverleaf and 1/2-wavelength feedline, combined in one simple system,
were quite clever, easy to understand and therefore intellectually
attractive. Also, 20 metres happens to be the best all-year-round,
day and night, DX band.

If Varney didn't intend to use the antenna on 80m and 40m, why
didn't he just feed it with coax? 1/2WL of twinlead doesn't change
the feedpoint impedance on 20m but it does wonders on 80m and 40m.
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp

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Cec sed,
" If Varney didn't intend to use the antenna on 80m and 40m, why
didn't he just feed it with coax?
=================================

He was averse to feeding a balance antenna over an unbalanced line.
Went against the grain.

Coax was rarely used in his day and age anyway. Too heavy and
expensive.

Everything was open wire. Home made. Couldn't buy it.

Transmitters had tuned tanks and link coupling to openwire line.

And he didn't like RF in the shack. Or radiation from the feedline.
TV's used 45 MHz - the 3rd harmonic of 20 metres.

But most likely, it didn't occur to him.
----
Reg.

Reg Edwards wrote:
Cec sed,
If Varney didn't intend to use the antenna on 80m and 40m, why
didn't he just feed it with coax?

He was averse to feeding a balance antenna over an unbalanced line.
Went against the grain.

But he wasn't adverse to feeding a balanced feedline
from an unbalanced source? :-)
--
73, Cecil, http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp


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"Cecil Moore"
But he wasn't adverse to feeding a balanced feedline
from an unbalanced source? :-)
--
============================
Regarding the G5RV, what is always forgotten, the balanced openwire
feedline is halfwavelength long for both balanced and longitudinal
modes.

What is the input impedance of the line when in longitudinal mode?

I'll allow you and the other experts to figure out what happens
relative to the unbalanced source. ;o)
----
Reg.