G5RV Orientation

[richardyoo]

I plan on putting up my G5RV antenna tomorrow and I was wondering if there was an opinion to which direction it should be hung?

I'm in Houston, TX so I'm about a bit south but otherwise in the middle of the US...

I was going to hang it North-South... but now I'm wondering if it should be East-West? Or if it mattered at all?

N5YOO

 

[mackmobile43]

Horizontally, if it's center fed I wouldn't think a direction matters.

 

[richardyoo]

Horizontally, if it's center fed I wouldn't think a direction matters.

It will be horizontal... I'm trying to find out if putting it north-south or east-west or any other variation would matter... I know its not omnidirectional so it must matter somewhat, no?

 

[mackmobile43]

It will be horizontal... I'm trying to find out if putting it north-south or east-west or any other variation would matter... I know its not omnidirectional so it must matter somewhat, no?

Mine acts very omnidirectional.

 

[W5LZ]

What bands, or what's the lowest band you'll be using the thing on? They really don't become very directional until something like a wave length above ground. They get 'sort of' directional at about 1/2 wave length above ground.
A lot of things affect the shape of an antenna's radiation pattern, but height does make a difference.
- 'Doc

 

[KB1TPX]

Mine runs NE-SW at a height of 9.144 m. (The ladder line which runs verticaly from the intersection of the two poles is 30' (9.144 m) to the balan.) Works equally well in any direction. I eventually would like to move it further away from the house though.

 

[KB1TPX]

Mine runs NE-SW at a height of 9.144 m. (The ladder line which runs verticaly from the intersection of the two poles is 36' (9.144 m) to the balan.) Works equally well in any direction. I eventually would like to move it further away from the house though.

Actually, 36 ' = 10.9728 m

 

[richardyoo]

I ended up getting the antenna about 30feet in the air with the ladder line coming straight down... its pointed NE-SW... we'll see how it does.

I actually don't have a band preference - this would be my first HF antenna... should I have a preference?

 

[Kamikaze]

I actually don't have a band preference - this would be my first HF antenna... should I have a preference?

Listen a lot for the answer.


That antenna won't have much directivity on the lower bands but will have a pattern on 40/20/10. Maybe someone can post an EZNEC plot for you.

 

[Beetle]

Rather than fret about whether a simple antenna will "work" if installed North/South, or maybe North-northeast by east/South southwest by west, or if it's at 28 feet or 32 feet, or any other such details -- just put the darn thing up and try it. And take notes. Learn from doing.

 

[KB1TPX]

Rather than fret about whether a simple antenna will "work" if installed North/South, or maybe North-northeast by east/South southwest by west, or if it's at 28 feet or 32 feet, or any other such details -- just put the darn thing up and try it. And take notes. Learn from doing.

That's precisely what I did, by utilizing the available trees to hang it from.

 

[RatsoW8]

Listen a lot for the answer.


That antenna won't have much directivity on the lower bands but will have a pattern on 40/20/10. Maybe someone can post an EZNEC plot for you.

Exactly right. At 30' the pattern would be omn.. a big circle.