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Re: [TowerTalk] Balun dimensions

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Balun dimensions
From: "Jim Lux" <jim@luxfamily.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2025 15:58:21 -0400
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
        


 
I use 31 mix up to 30 MHz (and higher) to good effect. 

The real part of the impedance keeps going up to 1GHz  (that's the lossy 
component)
The imaginary part peaks at about 30 MHz, is decent to 100 MHz, and then falls 
off. (that's the pure inductance)

https://fair-rite.com/31-material-data-sheet/

don't forget that Z is mu*frequency, so even though both real and imaginary 
parts of my start to roll off at 2MHz, the *impedance*, which is what you want 
for a choke, keeps going up.


On Wed, 25 Jun 2025 18:40:46 +0000 (UTC), Kirk Kleinschmidt via TowerTalk 
<towertalk@contesting.com> wrote:

John,
The type 31 material is optimized for 160-80 meters. Type 43 is generally used 
on the upper HF bands.
I use 8-12 turns through FT-240 cores.
Various online cookbooks may weigh in on that, but it has worked well for me.
Regards,
Kirk, NT0Z

My book, "Stealth Amateur Radio," is now available from www.stealthamateur.com 
and on the Amazon Kindle (soon)

On Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at 12:42:19 PM CDT, John Geiger via TowerTalk  
wrote:

The balun I was using on my TGM Communications MQ-26 miniquad died a couple of 
months ago. I came up with the idea today of making one myself since I have 
some extra RG58 I salvaged from a mobile antenna mount. I plan on running some 
turns of it on a FT240-31 ring torrid. Maybe 2 rings, one on top of the other. 
I need it to cover 14-50mhz. Any good idea as to how many turns through the 
ring I need?

I have found some plans using a FT140-43 torrid but that looks pretty small to 
work with.

73 John AF5CC

Sent with [Proton Mail](https://proton.me/mail/home) secure email.
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