tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480750694693825336.post1837476039136655288..comments2024-03-21T00:59:58.137-07:00Comments on G0KYA's Amateur Radio Blog: The W5GI “Mystery Antenna”Steve Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03564402221894277279noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480750694693825336.post-80071237739517005002019-07-22T11:37:52.640-07:002019-07-22T11:37:52.640-07:00I built mine in 2008 for use at my cottage and it ...I built mine in 2008 for use at my cottage and it worked outstanding as I carefully built, reinforced, insulated and waterproofed everything. Just this year I had to take it down due to losing 33 trees at my cottage due to Ash Bore disease and decided I would move it to my main QTH. I went through the entire antenna again to check every connection and reinsulated and waterproofed everything yet again. It is up and performing wonderfully with SWR low on all bands supported. The antenna didn't take THAT long to make to begin with and considering I am using the exact same antenna and materials from 11 years ago I would say it has certainly been durable if built to spec with common sense installation. Haters can hate but I love mine.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02225116097081512703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480750694693825336.post-36862371286935405462018-12-10T12:37:49.410-08:002018-12-10T12:37:49.410-08:00I'm using a 202' long version of the W5GI....I'm using a 202' long version of the W5GI. Works very well despite high SWR on some bands.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05340929124068780635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480750694693825336.post-82560734673676003532015-01-18T16:55:53.320-08:002015-01-18T16:55:53.320-08:00I have two W5GI antennas up in different areas of ...I have two W5GI antennas up in different areas of the property. One is roughly N-S and the other roughly E-W. They are both about 30' high. I work 40-10 meters regularly with good reports and 100 watts. Works much better than any G5RV or other wire that I have used. I did do some bolstering of the connections of the wire to the coax along with a DX Engineering center support. So far it has all held up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480750694693825336.post-44735903456964447292014-11-24T00:31:47.028-08:002014-11-24T00:31:47.028-08:00Hi, i think the W5GI works very well on 40m and 80...Hi, i think the W5GI works very well on 40m and 80m, and isn't too bad on 20m as long as the station you wish to work is on a lobe. I'm not so impressed as you go further up in frequency. You may be better off with another antenna for 20m-10m, which is what I do.Steve Nicholshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03564402221894277279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480750694693825336.post-53995272261201135542014-05-25T10:19:33.760-07:002014-05-25T10:19:33.760-07:00Steve - Any updates with experiences and the W5GI?...Steve - Any updates with experiences and the W5GI? I have had one up at about 25-feet (center point) oriented mostly NW to SE and the ends down at about 15-feet. I'm considering orienting it more to an inverted V and may also try to raise my center mast a few more feet. It is currently clamped to the chimney on my single-story home, but also have to be sure to properly 'guy' to prevent any untoward fold-overs. I've had reasonably good response with the W5GI. I switch between it and a Butternut HF9V and signals vary (obviously) with stations and propagation. I'm always seeking to improve/tweak things for better performance. I'm about to be fully retired and as always have to keep a close eye on the limited funds available approaching retirement!! ;-) 73, Nolan Kienitz - KI5IO, Plano, TXAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480750694693825336.post-78258524935310447332013-05-05T08:53:06.160-07:002013-05-05T08:53:06.160-07:00Just download the report linked to in the story ab...Just download the report linked to in the story above - it is towards the end.<br /> Steve Nicholshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03564402221894277279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480750694693825336.post-15447098036835389672013-05-04T16:18:33.853-07:002013-05-04T16:18:33.853-07:00Where is the PDF of the original CQ article you sa...Where is the PDF of the original CQ article you said you have included? Link?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480750694693825336.post-12993338373581646482011-11-20T20:04:09.018-08:002011-11-20T20:04:09.018-08:00I built and tested the W5GI antenna. It soon beca...I built and tested the W5GI antenna. It soon became problematical. Coax would corrode, the length of the flat lead to get it to work seem to be a mystery. It sagged more. Wound up trashing it. Now I use a simple 110 ft center fed Zepp fed with 450 flat lead along with with an antenna tuner. This works much better overall and no maintenance problems.Wrangler Waynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13838346637825796048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480750694693825336.post-15971052692043591372011-09-14T00:24:22.596-07:002011-09-14T00:24:22.596-07:00People who are used to coax have a lot of problem ...People who are used to coax have a lot of problem understanding open feeder. It took me a while to work it out but once I got it, everything clicked. <br /><br />I set up a doublet at the local club which turned out to be poorly located and really not long enough and unfortunately the perception was that the feeder was rubbish. I heard comments such as "Why are we using this crap?" and "We should take this sh*t off and feed it with coax". I will add that we were using a true balanced feed tuner.<br /><br />The whole balanced/unbalanced thing can be quite difficult to understand. The natural way to look at open feeder is that "it must be rubbish because it's not screened, coax is screened so therefore it's better" but of course that's not true.<br /><br />Try getting that across though, it's a real uphil struggle. I'd explained it fully before I put up the doublet but still got those comments above.<br /><br />73<br />Keith.Keith, G6NHUhttp://qso365.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480750694693825336.post-51045811073665434642011-09-07T01:27:36.731-07:002011-09-07T01:27:36.731-07:00Very true - people seem to want to shy away from d...Very true - people seem to want to shy away from doublets and open wire feeder. I think it is because of the increase in automatic tuners with unbalanced output. <br /><br />Steve G0KYASteve Nicholshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03564402221894277279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480750694693825336.post-20806365633892802612011-09-06T14:29:25.377-07:002011-09-06T14:29:25.377-07:00One would save a lot of time and headaches just pu...One would save a lot of time and headaches just putting up an 88' doublet fed with window line or even 300 ohm ribbon, especially on 20 meters.<br /><br />73!Casey Bahrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01638230726171327005noreply@blogger.com