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How to Make a Super Antenna

Amateur radio operators are typically searching for a super antenna -- an antenna that is versatile in its frequency range and wavelength characteristics, easy to construct and operate, is portable, can be built for minimal expense and is an efficient radiator of high-frequency electromagnetic radio wave signals. The G5RV is just such an antenna. Designed by British radio operator Louis Varney, G5RV (1911-2000), the G5RV antenna has served several generations of amateur radio enthusiasts with its simplicity, versatility, efficiency and performance.

Things You'll Need

2 52-foot lengths of No. 12 insulated stranded copper wire
3 ceramic or plastic heavy-duty insulators
Wire stripper/cutter
450 ohm ladder line
10-inch heavy-duty zip tie
Silicone caulk
3 83-foot lengths of of 1/4-inch nylon rope
Soldering iron and solder
Trans-match antenna tuner
High-frequency (HF) amateur radio transceiver

Instructions

- 1
  Secure the two 52-foot lengths of No. 12 insulated stranded copper wire to each side of a heavy-duty plastic or ceramic electrical insulator, leaving about 6 inches of wire on each side for looping and knotting to the insulator. Strip the end 2 inches of insulation from the two wires after double looping and double knotting them to each side of the center insulator. Each side of the antenna should be 51 feet in length.
- 2
  Secure the two remaining insulators to the remaining ends of the two copper wires using 6 inches of wire at each end to form a double loop and several tight knots. The total distance from end to end should be exactly 102 feet, including the center insulator.
- 3
  Strip off 2 inches of insulation. Join the wires mechanically by twisting and solder the two conductors at one end of the 450 ohm ladder line to each half of the G5RV antenna across the center insulator. Wrap the ladder line once around the insulator and attach it firmly to the insulator with a 10-inch heavy-duty zip-tie. Apply silicon caulk liberally to all of the exposed copper wire and soldered connections at the center insulator.
- 4
  Strip 2 inches of insulation from the other end of the 450 ohm ladder line and run this balanced transmission line to your operating position. Connect it to the balanced line terminals on the back of the transmatch antenna tuner.
- 5
  Use one nylon rope to raise and lower the center insulator, antenna and twin-lead transmission line to a height of 30 feet or more. Leave excess rope attached for lowering and modifying the antenna later. Attach the two end insulators to ropes and raise or lower them as needed from tree limbs or pulleys on buildings or from a pole mast. Raise the new antenna as high as possible before testing.
- 6
  Transmit a low-power signal and adjust the tuner settings for minimum standing wave ratio (SWR) on the desired operating frequency on each of the various high-frequency (HF) ham radio bands, and find and record the three tuner settings for minimum SWR on all of the favored HF operating frequencies. Sweet spots are typically found on and throughout every HF amateur radio band where 1:1 SWR readings are measured through the trans-match antenna tuner.

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