[TowerTalk] G5RV vs 40M dipole

[Mike Smith VE9AA]

Hi Dick, 

 

Long time no hear !  It snowed here this weekend, several times.  FLA sounds
good about now. (Even Milo, Maine is warmer I'll bet)

 

As to your antenna dilemma.  I prefer the ZS6BKW, which is quite similar to
the G5RV but yields better SWR curves on more bands. (80m-6m)  Its footprint
is about the same size as your 40m dipole if installed as an inverted vee.

Not sure how a half size one would do (might not work), but I have a couple
full size ones up right now (One is permanent and one I am tweaking to be a
light portable setup using cheap speaker wire and fishing line) and always

put them up inverted vee style.  They work great. They are also somewhat
shorter than a G5RV (94' as opposed to 101')

 

My portable one is setup so the 2 stakes for element tips are roughly 67'
apart and the center of the "inverted vees" apex is ~31' above ground. (this
is just rough guesstimate math- I haven't measured it)

Apex is roughly a 90* angle.  Element tips are a foot off the ground.   I
wager you could maybe fit this in the same spot your 40m inverted vee is in
and get almost all bands instead of your 40m dple which will only get you

a couple (40/15 ?).

 

One caveat to the ZS6BKW is you won't be able to operate 15m nor 30m...so I
have added a small 15m inverted vee joined to the 'BKW apex to cover that
band.  I don't normally use 30m, so I don't worry about that band.

 

Although there are many pages on the net about this versatile antenna, A
great resource is:

 

www.w5ddl.org/files/Zs6bkw_vs_G5rv_20100221b.pdf

 

Gl Dick !  Stay warm, 

 

Mike VE9AA

 

Mike, Coreen & Corey

Keswick Ridge, NB