[TenTec] Zepp?

[Don Jones]

Gosh I think I just beat a hornet's nest with my 10 lb balun... HI HI.
I did not go into a lot of details because this topic is a bit "off 
topic" for this forum.
I did not give a lot of thought to balun selection when I grabbed that 
4:1 balun and installed it. I will give the 1:1 version of the DX 
Engineering balun that I have on hand a try today.
I have tried a CM choke with 10 or so large fair rite beads slipped over 
a 24 inch long piece of RG-213. The beads are about 1.25" long and 1" in 
dia (or so). Please do not bug me about the core numbers, I do not know 
as the duct tape has pealed off the labels. Anyways with that CM choke 
at the feed point of the 4:1 balun, it did not help either. From the 
sounds of things, that was my mistake right there. I should have 
connected the CM directly to the ladder line. My bad.
K4TAX is correct about the MFJ 929 tuner not having a balanced output.
I only use the 34ft doublet on 20M and above - but it does "tune-up" on 
30M. I have a very nice pair of qtr wave verticals for 80 & 40 meters.
Regarding the 12 ft coax cable the measured VF is .66. I used a spectrum 
analyzer and tracking generator to measure the VF of the coax off this 
reel of cable.
I am well aware of the potential folly of using something close to a 1/4 
wavelength and did so deliberately to get the antenna to play "nicer" by 
deliberately jacking up the Z the tuner would see. My dirty sleazy trick 
worked. Sounds like something an EMC engineer would do - oh yea - I am 
one! HI HI
As far as for which band I was on when the MFJ 929 locked up, I believe 
it was 15M. The week before last I was attempting to quickly slap 
something together to play in the CWO contest that ran Friday and Saturday.
I would like to be able to place the tuner at, or very near the feed 
point of the balun.
It would be interesting to see what a real network analyzer has to say 
about that mess of an antenna I was trying to use. But then my director 
of engineering would not be to pleased with me dragging home a $50,000 
network analyzer. I guess I will settle for what my MFJ 259 (non A, B, 
or C) says.
Guys, once again thanks for the input, I will install the 1:1 balun and 
report back in this afternoon.
VY 73, Don KO7i