[Elecraft] K1 - KAT1 FD OCF dipole ...

[Fred Jensen]

Steve (et al): FWIW -- I have used a sloping Vee antenna for a number of 
years on 30m and below with mixed results.  It is balanced, fed with 460 
ohm "window" line.  The balun in my MFJ-989C got hot at QRO, and 
bringing the open-wire line into the shack was a disaster at anything 
over about 50W (keying the irrigation sprinkler valves was one of the 
disasters)  I finally used EZNEC-4 and TLW (N6BV's nifty transmission 
line program in the 20th ed. ARRL Antenna Book) to find leg and feedline 
lengths that, with a 4:1 DX Engineering balun at the end of the 
open-wire line, gave me acceptable SWR on the coax into the shack.  It 
worked so well that I worked out a portable version for my K2 and KX1 
with a smaller HB balun and the ATU's handle it just fine on all bands. 
  The DXE balun is a 10KW current balun with insulation up to a 12KV or 
more, and seems to be very efficient (and cold) even with a KW.

I really would stay away from any unbalanced antenna if you can (except 
possibly the random end-fed wire with counterpoise radial I sometimes 
use with my KX1 when I can't get the dipole up).

As I said, FWIW

Fred K6DGW
Auburn CA CM98lw

Mike Morrow wrote:
> I guess my question is:  Why choose this type of antenna?
> Baluns of any type especially warrant avoidance if losses
 > are of concern.