Best Line To Feed 80 Meter Doublet ?

[KA7NIQ]

Ok, is it best to use 300, 450, or 600 ohm Ladder Line or Twin Lead to feed an all band Inverted V 80 meter doublet used with a tuner.
What line will give the best overall results ?

[WA8FOZ]

You are not likely to notice any difference in most applications. There could be some slight differences in tuner settings, but almost any tuner in use today will do fine. The main issue is mechanical: the smaller lines are lighter, the larger ones are heavier but may be more durable. The 300-ohm line sold by DX Engineering and others will hold up fine in most locations. Radio Shack TV antenna line - not so likely.

One caveat: if you use 450-ohm line, make sure that you get stranded rather than solid conductors - the solid copper wire will break much sooner.

IMHO, this remains the best all-round all-band HF antenna. I have had one of these up in multiple locations for nearly 40 years. When I can only have one antenna, this is the one.

Have fun!

[KA7NIQ]

It would be helpful to see an impedance vs freq chart for the 80 meter doublet operated on all bands, to see what impedance line gives the best overall match w/o a tuner ?

[K7MH]

IMHO, this remains the best all-round all-band HF antenna. I have had one of these up in multiple locations for nearly 40 years. When I can only have one antenna, this is the one.

Yup. I have a 102ft doublet fed with 450 ohm line that I use primarily for 80,40 and 30 with a manual tuner. Wish I'd put it up for those bands a long time ago.

[KA7NIQ]

Yup. I have a 102ft doublet fed with 450 ohm line that I use primarily for 80,40 and 30 with a manual tuner. Wish I'd put it up for those bands a long time ago.

Sure beats a G5RV, EH ?

[K7MH]

Sure beats a G5RV, EH ?

Yes it does. More useful. I had a 102 ft. G5RV up in the same place and I like this better. The G5RV was ok and I chased down a lot of DX on 40 and 80 with it. I think it would have been easier with this doublet. 40 doesn't seem much different but I think it hears a lot better on 80 and 30 than the G5RV did. It could be that it was just that propagation was changing but I noticed it right away. I have no complaints.

[G3VZM]

I have to agree with K7MH:
The 102 ft top with balanced line all the way to a balanced atu does appear to outperform the G5RV which was not really intended as an all band antenna.

Having said that: if it radiates rf use it but don't stop trying ideas.

73's Fred G3VZM

[G3TXQ]

On 30m, a typical G5RV will have an SWR of about 45:1 on the coax section. Depending on the length of that section, losses could be very significant: for example 6dB loss in 100ft of RG213.

To the OP: true open-wire line will likely suffer less attenuation when wet, and will maintain tuner settings better.

73,
Steve G3TXQ

[W8JI]

The G5RV is good on 80, 40, 20, and 12 meters,

On other bands it can be good or bad depending on length of coax section and type of coax used.

With a short section of coax, or low coax loss, it is as about good as any other doublet.

As for the other lines, how well they work out will also vary with several things, including feeder length and the type of tuner and balun.

73 Tom

[AF6LJ]

One consideration is the amount of power you are going to run into your doublet.
Some balanced lines are only rated for fhundred to five hundred watts. If you are running the legal limit this can be problematic. So double check the power handling capability of the transmission line you choose.