[TowerTalk] Auto tuners, Baluns and open wire feeders

[Wes Stewart]

The man wants a simple, single wire antenna.  How the heck is choking at the 
input end of a short length of open wire significantly better that doing it at 
the feedpoint?

I know you and Dean are buddies, but don't get me started about him.  Since he's 
using his software which has been shown to be in error in the past, "Introducing 
an Improved Version of Transmission Line for Windows Software"  QST, Jun 2014, 
p.39, I wouldn't make bank on the conclusions.  Plus he continues the fallacy 
that a balun on the input of a tuner is better than one on the output.  Shown to 
be wrong by W7EL, W8JI, W9CF among others. ARRL's publication of such an 
unbalanced tuner and pretending it's balanced is a disservice to the community.

I agree with your recommendation of fan dipoles, but that is beyond the scope of 
the OP's desires.

Wes  N7WS

On 7/17/2018 11:32 AM, Jim Brown wrote:
> On 7/17/2018 11:00 AM, Wes Stewart wrote:
>> If your open wire is short, why bother? Replace it with low loss coax, put a 
>> decent common-mode choke at the feedpoint and tune it.  Sometimes the effort 
>> to use open wire simply isn't worth it.
>
> Caution on this. See JUN 2015 - QST (PG. 30) "Don't Blow Up Your Balun"
> by Dean Straw, N6BV
>
> Dean's work clearly shows why it simply is not practical to choke a 
> non-resonant antenna. And, because receive noise is such a major issue for 
> most of us, it's why I don't recommend antennas like this. The random wire and 
> off-center fed wires were great ideas for 30 years ago, but terrible ideas today.
>
> Fan dipoles are a FAR better choice.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
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