[Elecraft] G5RV medium power Balun

[Nancy and Bob Widmaier]

I recently purchased a "5K watt" PVC balun from a very well known supplier of wire antenna and baluns.  This supplier has a G5RV antenna that they are marketing with this balun.  

I believed the vendor that it would work on my G5RV; particularly because I am running medium (not high power) of 600 watts from an AL 811-H.  The balun saturated in 1 hour of operation and failed.  The "expert ham and marketer" at the vendor did not call me or e-mail me when I asked what the balun power specification is at the G5RV ladder line SWRs which vary from 1.9 to 8.2.  I operated in the 1.9 to 6.0 range.

I also emailed 2 other well know more expensive balun vendors asking them what the specifications were for their baluns at the above SWRs.  Not one of them would e-mail be back in spite or their recommending that I buy their balun.

It appears that none of these baluns would work and that the only solution is to use a coax choke (one balun vendor did tell me this).  G5RV indicated this in his write up of the G5RV many years ago.  Is this correct?  What are your experiences?

73,

Bob Widmaier

K3JOP