[TenTec] Bazooka antenna.. More than you wanted to know!

[Steve Hunt]

Just to be clear: what gives a folded dipole a slightly greater VSWR 
bandwidth is NOT the "fold" - that simply causes an impedance 
transformation. It's the presence of the spaced second wire that makes 
it behave like a "fatter" dipole.

You can get exactly the same bandwidth improvement by including the 
second wire but omitting the "fold". What I mean by that is: break the 
second wire at the centre and connect each side to the feedpoint. You'll 
get the same bandwidth improvement, you wont have to worry about 
transforming from 300 Ohms to 50Ohms, and the "fatter" dipole will be a 
slightly better match to 50 Ohms than a thinner dipole.

73,
Steve G3TXQ