[Elecraft] Balanced solution for KAT500 tuner?

[Don Wilhelm]

Phil,

That depends on the exact length of your feedline and the lengthy of 
your radiator.

As I indicated, the impedance in the shack will depend on the feedline 
length, a well as your radiator length.  Would you kindly share both 
lengths with us so we can duplicate your results.
If you are like most hams, the feedline is cut to a length that reaches 
"from here to there", which is fine for an individual situation, but 
cannot be extended to a general case.

In other words, your setup works for you, but it may not work with 
different feedline lengths.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/29/2012 10:07 PM, Phil Hystad wrote:
> I have a Comtek 4:1 and a Comtek 1:1 BALUN (from DXEngineering) that I
> have where I can easily hook up my 450-ohm ladder line to either one.
>
> I have tested both across all the bands that I use on that particular antenna
> which is 80, 40, and 30.
>
> In every case, the Comtek 4:1 gives the better solution as measured by my
> MFJ 459 antenna analyzer.  I do agree that it is not always true that a given
> 4:1 is better then a 1:1 because on a previous antenna (a delta loop), the 1:1
> just so happened to be a little bit better then the 4:1.
>
> In all cases though, I measured impedance right from the shack where about
> 30 feet of coax ran up to the baluns which were mounted outside.  On the
> current antenna, I have close to (but not exactly) 100 feet of 450 ohm ladder
> line to the antenna feed point.  My current antenna is center-fed dipole of about
> 130 feet in total length.
>
>