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| Reviews Summary for W5GI Mystery Antenna |
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Reviews: 33
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Average rating: 4.4/5
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MSRP: $100
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Description: Design by John W5gi. This antenna is a collinear array and resembles a G5rv with lots of gain on 20m. Kit form is available from " The Wireman " and is very easy to build. Works on the low bands with a tuner and out performs a G5rv on 40, 80, and 160m. It has 6 lobes broadside, and gain is amazing. I also built a 17m version of this antenna, and compared to my hygain vertical, is as good or in some cases better. If you live in a restricted area and have a way to put up a wire antenna that is 100 ft in total length, and has 6db gain on 20m, this is the antenna for you. Please visit www.w5gi.com and look for the link to the " Mystery Antenna "
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More info: http://www.w5gi.com
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G4WIE
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 20, 2008 02:17
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Proof of the Pudding!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Hello. I am living at my father in laws house in Edinburgh Scotland . Very restricted garden size for antennas. Theres even a phone pole in the garden at the back of our qth so antennas cannot be very high in installation. Tried all sorts. Made up the "Mystery Antenna" today it really does perform better than my trusty f/G5RV. It is installed the same as the 5RV bent around the garden! It has much lower SWR and stations can now here me! I only ever run 50 watts ssb. Soooo the proof of the pudding as they say!
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KI4NQM
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 16, 2008 09:34
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A Great Antenna
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This is the first antenna the I have built,and suprise the darn thing works GREAT.I have it set up as a inverted Vee up 50 foot.
Jon I just want to thank you for your antenna design W5gi Mystery. I have built it and it works GREAT.
Again thanks God Bless You.
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W7CXA
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 15, 2008 06:45
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Replaced a loop with the W5GI antenna
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Just installed the Mystery antenna, in place of an 80 meter loop. The antenna, without a tuner, was 1.3 to 1 on 20 meters. I compared signal strengths with my tri band beam, and they were comparable, which surprised me! I then used the antenna tuner and tried it on 75. It worked great! I worked Hawaii on 75 and got a 5/9 report running 100 watts. It also works well on 40. I have also tuned it on 30, 17, 15, 12, 10 with good results.
I did make a change in the construction. I used RG8 for the coax pieces instead of RG8X. I also used #12 stranded insulated wire. I used 31.5 feet of 450 ohm ladder line, fed with RG8 coax. Works great! I feel the signals are stronger with this antenna than with the loop I had up.
This is an easy antenna to construct, and is excellent for home or field day installation.
Andy W7CXA
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KC4TM
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 28, 2007 08:38
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Works great
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Antenna performs great. Easily constructed and tuned. John was very helpful by email verifying measurements and answering all questions.
Constructed and hung in just over one hour. The antenna's SWR was right in the zone according to the websites listed values. Put in 75 ohm match transformer and brought it down to 1.1 across the 20 meter band. Tunes easily with a tuner on all other bands.
Initial results on first test was a 5/9 report into French Guyana, France from SW FL. He picked me out of a pileup on first call.
Other "local" DX into Cuba, Aruba, Brazil and Costa Rica netted reports of 10+ over nine.
Several stateside contacts gave me 5/8's and 5/9's over a one week period. I know that some ops are pretty free with their 5/9 reports, so I asked several of them for honest reports and they all stuck to their initial reports.
More time is needed for an indepth report, but I would recommend this antenna.
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W8BBM
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 2, 2007 11:48
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Very nice performer
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I printed the instructions from the W5GI website, ordered whatever I didn't have on hand and built the antenna in short order. I found it to work EXACTLY as advertised and the SWR on each of the bands was very usable! I put the antenna up and had great QSOs (including 40m phone DX) on the only bands that were open that day which were 20, 40 and 80. For what it cost to make, you can't go wrong with ease of assembly and ultimately the good performance. To the newbees and veterans alike, I say build it and be on the air effectively on a whole bunch of bands in a nice way.
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KB6HRT
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Rating: 3/5
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Nov 1, 2007 09:28
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Mystery Antenna
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Installed the Mystery Antenna in the same location where a G5RV was installed, was hoping it to perform somewhat better on 20m than the G5RV, there was a difference but it was down from the G5RV on 20M 40M and 80M. This antenna may work for some but at this location it didn't work as well. All tests were done against a reference dipole for AB testing The SWR on the W5GI was 5-1 on 3950 2.9-1 on 7250 and 2.9-1 on 14250. The G5RV, SWR was 3.5-1 on 3950, 2.1-1 on 7250 and 4.1-1 on 14250. Using the tuner on the PW-1 the SWR was flat with both antennas. KB6HRT
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KG4LRU
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 25, 2006 00:25
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The best all bander
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had My mystery antenna up now almost 4 years . I have tried the windom, super poopers ,coiled loaded dipoles,resonate dipoles. Verticals wires. The facts our
1 Oustanding 20 meter performance omni directinal pattern swr 1:5:1
2 full power 1500 watts key down all day all night,you cant burn it up.
3 Best 80 meter dipole bar none 3:1 at the bottom and up too 4:1 on the Top .
4 Best 40 meter dipole 2:1 swr
5 As it turns out the antenna has some great dx take off on 80 meters . I never worked into europe on 75 now if I can hearem, I can work them. Just the other night on 75 meters we had breaking station on 3905 The station was from Maui HI there were 4 of us running the w5gi and several others that decided they wanted to workem. all the w5gi worked him on the first call and got reports 5/7 one station in Chicago running a full wave loop on 80 received 5/5 , 6 other stations tried too call him but couldnt be heard.
This antenna is better than G5RV and can built in less than an hour 10-80 no problem It will not work on 160. The only improvement that I would recommened is too use a 1:1 Balun The antenna uses 300 ohm feed line and you switch over rg8x as per the instructions , we have found at the connector solder joints fail and will cause the centers too melt on High power. Also if your install requires the antenna feedline to be suspend to get in to the shack 1:1 balun will do the trick ,it will keep any rf from getting back to the shack and will put the power on the antenna . The wire man offers a kit ot you can buy the componets and build it your self. The antenna work well as a flat top, or as a inverted V Minium height 30 ft. The antenna is unique and is right on target for the ham that has limted lot size. If not running High power you will not need a balun. Most station rigs will tune it fine and we have ham that is using the antenna on His PW1 Icom amp and it tunes all bands . follow the instructions on building and you will have a super all bander that cannot be beat. For the money space and performance. Total length overal is 105 ft 300 ohm feed is at least 31 ft but can be longer with a Balun. If your running power you will need a good Trans match also if you decide to go with a Balun shop wisely I can only recomend the DX eginnering baluns , I tried others that burnt up in less than 2 weeks.
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VE7LFN
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Rating: 4/5
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Sep 6, 2006 22:38
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try it
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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Made one of these myself. I was looking for a multi band wire antenna to get me through until I can get the beam up. I've tried a G5RV in the past with so-so results but this antenna is fitting the bill nicely.
Mine is up in an inverted V; 25' at the middle and 3-4' at the ends. My kenwood 450 does not seem to have any trouble finding a match 80-10.
Take an evening and brew one up or pay the man for a readymade. No... it won't out perform a yagi at 60' (what is it with those guys???) but I don't think you will be disapointed if your expectations are realistic.
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ARRLBOOSTER
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 8, 2006 10:43
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Awsome antenna
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I have used this antenna for almost a year and have found it to be well constructed, and a superb wire antenna. Try one, you will love it. I have used this on 160 with good success and is a very quiet aerial.
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KW4N
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Rating: 0/5
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Jul 8, 2006 06:45
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Outrageous Claims
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Another antenna that fails to live up to the fantastic claims of it's salesman. The marketing is by a charismatic salesman who verifies the effectiveness with testimonials from satisfied customers, but who have no hard scientific evidence of the effectiveness of the antenna. The "CQ Magazine Review" often referred to, doesn't count because it was done by the designer, not an objective third party.
Reference http://eham.net/articles/9546 for the good, bad and the ugly of G5RV antennas.
Unless you have expensive test equipment and a lot of time with a big field, the only way to compare antennas is through AB testing with weak signals. I did this for over a year with the G5RV and the W5GI. Here are my conclusions regarding the W5GI:
1. It's not 'better than' a G5RV.
2. It will work on 160, but a noodle will also if you have the right tuner. It's certainly not "better or quieter" than a G5RV.
3. Both antennas are double extended zepps on 20 meters, so you will get the same gain, about 3dbd.
The lobes will just be in different places. With more gain in one direction, you will give up some in another. Can't get more power out of an antenna than you put into it!
4. This antenna will NOT outperform any 120' to 135' flattop. Ever!
5. My 88' "Cebik Dipole" performed as well as the W5GI on 20m. and significantly better on 40m. I could hear signals on the 88 footer on 40m that I could barely make out or could not hear on the W5GI.
In AB testing over a year, I haven't found any incremental benefits of the W5GI over the G5RV or any emperical evidence to justify the claims.
73's Dave
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