It was originally designed to operate as a 32 wavelength center fed antenna for 14 mhz, but amateurs soon discovered it would offer reasonable performance on many other bands. About g5rv multiband antenna construction guide the resource is currently listed in in a single category. The 12 size g5rv is a farce on the lower hf bands, as are most of the reduced dipole antenna arrangements so i wanted something that was a similar size but truly resonant so losses were kept to a minimum. Loading coil construction soldered antenna wire hol ein tub 20swg enamelled wire 40mm 158 inch diam plastic tube 60 turns close wound 100mm 55mm 89 ft 2. The halfsize g5rv or g5rvjnr does not perform in the same way as louis varneys full size g5rv. Acenterfeddipoleandcanbeconstructedasamulfband antenna. Construction details for zs6bkw antenna by chris meagher.
This antenna generally requires the use of a suitable matching network antenna. The method of construction and tuning is essentially the same for both antennas but the dimensions are different. Halfsize g5rv 80m conversion for a small garden also known as g5rvjnr the halfsize g5rv antenna model extended to 80m provided by dl2kq the screen shots show the antenna model current distribution at a height of 8m connected to a 50. In the case of a g5rv you use the tuner to do most of the work. The g5rv antenna system it should now be clear that the g5rv antenna is rather more than just 102 feet of wire. I needed an antenna system capable of the lower hf bands. The g5rv is a 102 ft centerfed dipole fed with 30 ft of 300 ohm twinlead plus coax the rest of the way to the shack. This antenna is cut specifically for an elevation of 16 feet at center and 56 feet on the ends. Antenna plots produced using mmanagal antenna model program 10m plots omitted to save space. How to transform your zs6bkw into an allhfband antenna. The mystery antenna, on the other hand, presents a sixlobe pattern on 20 meters, gain broadside to the antenna, and also low feed point impedance to simplify matching the antenna to the rig.
Installing a g5rv inverted v antenna for hf use on a. For instance, the swr on the coax on 30m is too high to be very useful. Zs6bkw vs g5rv acadiana amateur radio association, inc. A balun is probably unnecessary due to using a well tuned antenna but i would use it anyway. Acenterfeddipoleandcanbeconstructedasamulfbandantenna. A multiband resonant nvis plug and play dipole for 20,20 digital, 40, 40 digital, 60 80 and 80 digital. Since the height is 10m and this is a 18 wave above ground, the antenna exhibits significant nvis properties with a single lobe. Ver2calwire antenna actuallyaver2callyorientated resonate12wavedipolewith theearthbeingthe return half duetopoorground conduc2vitya. Cebik, w4rnl louis varneys g5rv was and is not an antenna, that is, an array of elements. It was designed to cover 80, 40, 20 15, and 10 meters. The halfsize g5rv or g5rv jnr does not perform in the same way as louis varneys full size g5rv. The zs6bkw multiband hf antenna april 7, 2017 this is the antenna for you guys who want to get on hf effectively and havent too much space or cash to throw around.
A sixband, hf windom antenna april, 1997 this windom antenna was marketed in the late 70s and early 80s as smithes windom. The diagram above shows what can happen if you dont include the balun. My first attempt on hf and installing a g5rv wire antenna, i used a 30 foot fishing pole to support the centre section of the antenna, the antenna is a full size hard drawn g5rv from moonraker. The diagram on the right shows what can happen if you dont include the balun. The antenna was modelled at 10m above the real ground whose conductivity5msm and dielectric. It is an antenna system including a radiating element and a length of transmission line designed to present a correct impedance at a design.
The interaction between the radiating section and the feedstub makes the g5rv usually easy to match on allbands from 80 through 10 meters with an ordinary lowcost antenna tuner. Maximum power and voltage transfer occurs when the antenna chain has matched. The azimuth pattern presumes that the antenna wire is. In the mid1980s, brian austin zs6bkw ran computer analysis to develop an antenna system that would match the maximum number of hf bands possible without an antenna tuner, using 50ohm coaxial cable as the main. Multiband antenna covering 10m 40m simply, without a doubt, the best built g5rv on the market this is a very rugged dependable verision of the original classic g5rv jr. I recently replaced the antenna with a carolina windom and have had anecdotally very good results. It also gives construction details so you can make your. The purpose of this article is to present a few technical facts about the antenna and allow the reader to judge whether or not it might be useful for them. Every antenna above real ground has a pattern that is affected by its height above ground by its length, and by its orientation.
Setup is simple and only requires the capability to ensure that the antenna is 35 feet in the air or higher, a lower height than many other highfrequency ham radio antennas require. Many years ago i moved into a house with a small garden of about 45 ft. Zs6bkw g5rv optimized multi band hf dipole antenna poly. Specifically the g5rv is a 102 foot dipole with a 31 foot feeder of 450 ohm transmission line. The mfj1778m antenna is a multiband centerfed dipole antenna capable of. We will look at the elevation plots of the antenna at 33 feet then at 66 feet for the bands 80 40 20 15 10 meters. Where the g5rv is basically a four hf band antenna 80m, 40m, 20m, and 12m the zs6bkw is a five hf band antenna 40m, 20m, 17m, 12m, and 10m. Page 1 introduction the mfj1778m antenna is a multiband centerfed dipole antenna capable of 1500 watts. G5rv multiband antenna construction guide resource detail. Id love to see a comparison of all your antennas with the c. The basic g5rv antenna measures only 102 feet across the top for 80 thru 10 meter operation, and is fed at the center through a low loss 34 feet feedstub.
G7fek antenna revisited i recently came across a simple antenna design produced by mike, g7fek an ideal replacement for your 12 sized g5rv or windom 40 designed specifically for small gardens, it is an ideal replacement for those half size antennas such as the 12 size g5rv and windom 40 51 ft and 66 ft long respectively. This project gives instruction on how to build my version of the g5rv wire antenna that is used on the 1040 meter ham radio bands 28mhz to 7mhz. Ver2calwireantenna actuallyaver2callyorientated resonate12wavedipolewith theearthbeingthe return half duetopoorground conduc2vitya. Reasons to build a full size plug and play tuned nvis dipole.
Using copper tubing open line for matching appeared in the december 1935 collins signal also in the radio antenna handbook 1936 also in the frank c. Zr1dq antennas theory g5rv multiband dipole antenna g5rv multiband dipole antenna the ubiquitous multiband dipole antenna by louis varney g5rv has been with us since 1958. Dipole antennas are very popular among amateur radio operators as a quick and cheap method to get on the air. In fact it was designed to meet the needs of the then bands. Proof read by g3yeu halfsize g5rv 80m conversion for a. I have ignored the warc bands for simplicity but, first, some basic antenna theory. The history and basic theory of this antenna dates back to 1946. Feb 19, 2015 my first attempt on hf and installing a g5rv wire antenna, i used a 30 foot fishing pole to support the centre section of the antenna, the antenna is a full size hard drawn g5rv from moonraker. The zs6bkw is a random length dipole with ladder line acting as a 1. The g5rv multiband antenna by louis varney mid sussex. See the building plans at in the antenna design section.
The g5rv antenna operates over a wide band and is able to provide a reasonable match on most of the amateur radio bands. Documents and settingsbrmy documentsmy picturesg5rv 1. Hi walter, in the comparison, ive ignored radiation patterns. G5rv for 1040 meters hello, i have homebrewed a 4020 fan dipole antenna with a 1.
The construction is designed to withstand severe winds and also provide a high level of protection from corrosion. This link is listed in our web site directory since wednesday dec 29 2004, and till today g5rv multiband antenna construction guide has been followed for a total of 37891 times. Apr 21, 2014 the first antenna i ever bought after gaining my licence was a g5rv. The loading coils and the end wires extend the operation of the halfsize g5rv antenna to the 80m band. The resource is currently listed in in a single category. Conductor loss can then be controlled by optimal choice. Wire antenna construction methods antenna modeling software mininec, winnec, and eznec for windows.
The g5rv antenna is a multiband centerfed dipole antenna capable of 1500. Of all the g5rv antenna system cousins, the zs6bkw antenna system has come closest to achieving the goal that is part of the g5rv mythology. The main category is g5rv antennas that is about homebrew g5rv wire antennas. Note that the g5rv is a variation of a dipole which is 102 feet long and matches best on 20mthe 102 foot length is three halfwavelengths at 14 mhz. In summary, the zs6bkw antenna is an optimized variant of the venerable old g5rv. Construction guide of the g5rv ii, by louis varney, g5rv. But i couldnt complain i got a signal out and had contacts all over europe and the east coast of the states. Sep 02, 20 the zs6bkw antenna is a better match for our bands than the g5rv. Low vswr is achievable on most bands and, with careful construction, up to four bands can be used without atu. The plans call for more wires but i only built the 4020 meter portion.
Soon, the g5rv became a part of amateur radio folklore. Uses simple, easy to find components that can easily be replaced repair. Additionally, the mystery antenna is designed to work at least as well, on the other hf bands as a g5rv. Here is the zs6bkw antenna installed at ak6r fine tuned for the cwft8 frequencies on 4020171210 meters. Im not quite sure how it got its reputation, but if there was ever a national association for the advancement or fair treatment of antennas the g5rv would be the poster child. Collins multiband antenna 1935 collins radio had a very similar antenna multiband 2, 3 or 4 band depending on config. Installing a g5rv inverted v antenna for hf use on a fishing. An effective multiband aerial of simple construction. On 30 meters the mfj1778 g5rv functions as an extended double zepp.
The g5rv antenna system revisited the g5rv antenna system revisited part 1. G5rv antenna notes, and considerations about the g5rv antenna g5rv antenna the g5rv antenna, with its special feeder arrangement, is a multiband centrefed antenna capable of very efficient operation on all hf bands from 3. Professor brian austin zs6bkw remodelled and revised the dimensions of the antenna with improved results and ease of construction. I used g5rv for years 4010 m in the trees and it worked fairly well. Over the last few decades, the g5rv antenna has become one of the most popular and widely used all around multiband antennas in the world. Both are good antennas and will work well in defined situations. The zs6bkw antenna is a better match for our bands than the g5rv. Of all the g5rv antenna system cousins, the zs6bkw antenna system has. Setup is simple and only requires the capability to ensure that the antenna. The g5rv antenna is a type of dipole antenna, and it can be acquired for a very small cost from many ham radio retailers. Doublel antenna for 80160 g5rv multiband antenna hentenna from n4ujw horizontal loop antenna construction isotronant pa0unt joy stick antenna k9ay terminated loop kc2txs rx loops kr1sts magnetic loop antenna. Actually, its a design from zs6bkw aka g0gsf, similar to the g5rv, but it actually resonates on five bands, well 6, actually and doesnt rely on a tuner atu to make it.
The mfj1778m consists of 52 feet flattop fed with 17 feet of 450 ohm matching section ending in an so239 coaxial connector. Even though it is a compromise antenna, it has good overall performance on most hf ham bands when used with an external tuner, and allows coax as an entry feedline to the radio equipment eliminating the need and hassle of ladder line or twinlead. Because its a dipole there are some directional qualities to it. The 34foot transmission line is really the crucial element and so it makes sense to consider the combination of the dipole and the special matching section of line as the g5rv antenna system. The g5rv antenna is a dipole with a symmetric resonant feeder line, which serves as impedance matcher for a 50 ohm coax cable to the transceiver. The g5rv antenna is a popular form of doublet antenna that enables operation on a large number of the hf amateur radio bands. The antenna can be erected as horizontal dipole, as sloper, or an invertedv antenna. Few antennas polarise opinion as much as the g5rv it seems you either swear by it or swear at it. Additional material was added for the following topics. Normally i would put any home brew antenna through the mfj 259 for checking, but the swr readings on the g5rv would not be 1. According to an acknowledged expert in computer antenna design and modeling, l. Mfj1778 g5rv multiband antenna 1 mfj1778 g5rv 160 through 10m antenna introduction the g5rv antenna is a multiband centerfed dipole antenna capable of 1500 watts.
By serendipity, it also covers the 17 and 2 meter bands. The galana software model of this antenna at a height of about m above average ground shows that the antenna only work on 80,40,20,and 12m bands where the swr is between 1. If you have any problem with this unit first check the appropriate section of this manual. Notes, and considerations about the g5rv antenna g5rv antenna the g5rv antenna, with its special feeder arrangement, is a multiband centrefed antenna capable of very efficient operation on all hf bands from 3. The dipole that i have suggested is an allhfband antenna and is, on the average, more. The g5rv antenna is probably one of the most maligned antennas in the world. The horizontal radiation pattern is similar to the pattern of the 40 meter band broadside figure 3 but has four additional minor lobes. The purple lines show the current distribution along the wires. Unlike the windom or g5rv, the fundamental bands can be resonated independently. Radiation resistance is in the range 25 to 200 ohms on all bands, ensuring high radiation efficiency, even with moderate earthing arrangements. The antenna was originally designed in 1946 when the number of bands was much less than it is now. An overview of the underestimated magnetic loop hf antenna. The current distribution of the antenna and matching line is shown in figure 3.
1040 1222 856 433 1214 561 273 1042 1371 1464 1006 244 857 1622 606 735 1297 521 171 1101 78 1539 658 670 122 450 190 568 612 209 757