[Antennas] Only dumb question is the one not asked

[George, W5YR]

Mike, you got me curious . . . what do you notice as a difference by using
the balun which lets you ground the driven element to the boom? Is it a
performance or pattern difference? Or a transmission line SWR difference?
Or a common-mode current situation that is improved?
Static or lightning protection?

Are you driving the radiator as a balanced dipole with the center grounded
("plumber's delight") and using something like a beta match?

I apologize for being nosy but your comment intrigues me as to just what it
is that you found to be improved with the balun. BTW, I am not one of the
anti-balun crowd!   <:}

Frequently, a choke is used on the feedline to a ground-mounted monopole or
1/4-wave vertical in order to confine ground return currents to the radial
field. While I have not noticed any difference one way or the other, I have
always used a current choke in the feedline to my verticals.

73/72/oo, George W5YR - the Yellow Rose of Texas         
Fairview, TX 30 mi NE of Dallas in Collin county EM13qe   
Amateur Radio W5YR, in the 56th year and it just keeps getting better!
QRP-L 1373 NETXQRP 6 SOC 262 COG 8 FPQRP 404 TEN-X 11771 I-LINK 11735
Icom IC-756PRO #02121  Kachina 505 DSP  #91900556  Icom IC-765 #02437

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Mike J Maloney wrote:
> 
> Would not a transformer on a monopole be more for the purpose of
> impedance matching than as a choke?
> I can envision certain lengths(like 1/4 wave)  of coax giving more
> problems with unbalanced current than others without a balun.   I can
> sure tell a difference with a coax balun on my tribander yagi that
> permits me to bond or "ground" the driven element to the boom and mast
> rather than to leave them floating up in the air.
> Mike, AC5P