Best vertical HF antenna

[e350]

ok , will get a temp whip something like the super stick ? so I can also use this summer when I'm off to Italy , but as a fix base antenna will post photo of my back garden and perhaps some one who has a bit of time to help me out.. on how to install the g5rv or similar . thank you

I'm off to Waters & Stanton tomorrow to get the rig , g5rv , etc...

[mangina]

try and get a pic of the garden up or at least a sketch of the space available , Can't shouldn't be a word associated with antennas

[NoiseBoy]

Don't get a G5RV! you can do so much better!!

[mangina]

Don't get a G5RV! you can do so much better!!

can do a hell of a lot worse also .. i hear some cracking sigs off half size G5's on 40m ..

The thing with the G5 is it doesn't pretend , it is what it is . it doesn't boast low swr across the HF bands, nor does it boast it will get you that rare DX so many other antennas hint at . It's cheap , easy to get on the air with little that can go wrong .

I think they should be sold with a decent choke though at the ladderline/coax connection point as many people don't fit one and then have issues ..

[JGR]

If you want to get on HF effectively, and haven’t too much space or cash to throw
around then this antenna will probably offer you what you need.
It was a design from ZS6BKW (aka G0GSF) and an advancement on the similar G5RV, but it actually resonates on five bands, (well 6, actually) and doesn’t rely on a tuner (ATU) to make it work (although I still recommended tuning up. T
It’s only 90 ft long (27.51 metres), with a 40 ft (12.2 m) 450ohm feeder.
If built correctly then it will not require an ATU on 40, 20, 17, 12, 10 and 6 metres.

Best in-band frequency: SWR “R” at feedpoint notes:
3.380 MHz (80m) 7:1 20 tunes easily with ATU
7.000 MHz (40 m) 1:1 40
10.10 MHz (30 m) high needs atu
14.06 MHz (20 m) 1:1 40
17.85 MHz (17 m) 1:1 50 below 1.3:1 in 18MHz band
21.00 MHz (15m) high needs atu
24.69 MHz (12 m) 2:1 100 OK, even without an ATU
28.62 MHz (10 m) 1.3:1 60
50.27 MHz (6 m) 1.3:1 60

[mangina]

90 foot is no good for someone with not enough space even for a 52 foot G5 though plus it will probably only show acceptable swr readings on the bands it does IF its flat top with the feeder ( little less than 40 foot) coming off at a right angle to the wire . i bet it wouldn't show the readings it does inverted or bent about ..

[JGR]

90 foot is no good for someone with not enough space even for a 52 foot G5 though plus it will probably only show acceptable swr readings on the bands it does IF its flat top with the feeder ( little less than 40 foot) coming off at a right angle to the wire . i bet it wouldn't show the readings it does inverted or bent about ..

That is true but with out really knowing the size and shape of what is available it makes it a little difficult to judge what will fit, we need a picture and measurements.

[NoiseBoy]

Don't get a G5RV! you can do so much better!!

can do a hell of a lot worse also .. i hear some cracking sigs off half size G5's on 40m ..
.

I bet i could get a cracking signal to you on 40m using a lightbulb and a tuner. When we the last time you worked ZL on with a G5RV on a band other than 20m (or 10 if its half size).

[mangina]

Don't get a G5RV! you can do so much better!!

can do a hell of a lot worse also .. i hear some cracking sigs off half size G5's on 40m ..
.

I bet i could get a cracking signal to you on 40m using a lightbulb and a tuner. When we the last time you worked ZL on with a G5RV on a band other than 20m (or 10 if its half size).

Never , i don't own one , i meant RX sigs ...

You have just nailed it there , "other than 20" where a wet fart will bag you DX , It's all about conditions , if conditons are good even **** little antenna cut it especially on 20 up , when they are bad they are bad and that's when the better antennas come into play

ZL ? no one mentioned they wanted or needed to work across the globe , he want's to get on the air and the fact is he could do a lot worse than a G5 .. Fact... unless of course you have some proof otherwise backed up with figures and not just opinion ..

[MrWeetabix]

Horses for Courses. One man's miracle antenna is another man's expensive fishing rod!

It's called Amateur radio because we all experiment and tinker, pushing the envelope etc etc. Other wise we'd all buy stock antennas and be done with it.

The Best HF antenna FOR YOU will depend on YOUR circumstances.

Life on a Farm? Bash out a huge long-wire, live in a flat? Maybe a Portable-type antenna best-suits you.... Want to work DX on 40m? Forget anything short, but if you just want inter-G, then chuck out some wire and tune it up.

I have an HF360 vertical and it works "OK", but the Windom out-shines it on ALL BANDS. I have the luxury of getting a Windom up, others do not

Maybe asking the question "which vertical HF antenna do you think is suitable for me", then showing pics or diagrams of you garden/house/space available would be a better one?

[e350]

hello, I'm back , got the rig yesterday plus a G5RV-XH Half Size G5RV with 450 Ohm Ladder
my garden is 16m long for 9m wide , I still got the g5rv packed as it is to cold here in Newport and don't have anyone to help me out .
Forgot to mention that I also bought a portable whip and I got that connected to the rig till the other one is up. The portable MP1 super stick comes with radials got outside today tuned for 40m and I managed to have couple QSO's .
Thank you all .

[JGR]

Very glad that you have had few QSO's with the set up.

[e350]

only two ..tried very hard but is either they don't want to talk to me or is the setup !
Im still on 40m now hoping for some one to return my call ...

[mangina]

The MP1 is a cracking little antenna for what it is .. put a few more radials down than supplied though would be advisable , if you can get hold of a few more extension bars do so to make the section under the coil as long as you can without making it too flimsy this will make it more efficient than out the box.

Don't get too disheartened , that antenna is very small for 40m although you shouldn't have too much trouble making contacts EU or inter G with it ..

re the garden , you should get the G5 in that ...

[JGR]

What frequency are you on? I will try and give you a shout but we need to be quick as the band closes fast for me up here.