[TowerTalk] Baluns

[Bill Turner]

I'm thinking of replacing the toriod-core balun on my Cushcraft X7
triband yagi with an air-core coax balun. I've searched the TowerTalk
archives for comments on air-core baluns and there seems to be a mixed
bag.

What I would like to do is eliminate any possible trouble spots. I
would like to run a single piece of coax from the antenna, coiled into
a balun, and then all the way to the transmitter. I don't see the need
for a coax connector up 80 feet in the air, just waiting to fail. Why
not just strip the coax and connect it directly to the antenna,
through the balun? Waterproffed, of course.

I know there was some discussion of solenoid-wound vs scramble-wound
coax baluns, but I don't recall which was considered the best. The
ARRL handbook says "coil it like a rope", or words to that effect.

Another alternative is to slip a bunch of ferrite beads over the coax.
I don't seem to be able to find any beads which will fit over RG-213
size coax, only the RG-58 size. Anyone know of a source?

Comments are welcome.

Bill W6WRT