[TowerTalk] What am I missing....balun

[Herbert Schoenbohm]

QST also exposed the so call Max-Com balun that claimed when hooked to a 
dipole (length not specified) it would give less than 2:1 from 1.8 to 30 
Mhz.  And they were correct since that's what it did.  Only problem was 
that inside the device was a toaster elements that sort of replicated a 
light bulb load or dummy load inside a potted box.  QST refused to 
advertise it after they showed an X-ray of the wires inside the potted 
box. Before the word got around the company out of Florida was selling 
them like hot cakes. The hook up was exceptionally quiet and did produce 
QSO's with the attached dipole radiating some of the residual RF. But 
the buyers didn't when they weren't getting out all that good.  
Important lesson that many hams still don't seem to understand:  There 
is nothing you can connect to the end of your coax (except an expensive 
automatic antenna tuner and enough ferite chokes to stop feed line 
pickup and radiation) that will increase your radiated signal.

Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ


On 2/17/2017 8:07 AM, W4AAW at aol.com via TowerTalk wrote:
> Some years ago I noticed an advert in QST by the purveyor of a soundcard interface that claimed it could allow FSK RTTY through your soundcard!  Of course this was AFSK and clearly, the advert took advantage of newer, less experienced hams.
>
> I called Steve Ford, WB8IMY, the Managing Editor of QST who immediately grasped the scam.  The ads were never again seen in QST.  The League is still on watch for false advertising.  I am not sure there is similar attention in any Canadian publication but none of my VE friends like wool pulled over his eyes.
>
> I hope this gets reported.
>
> Mike W4AAW