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write your own review of the LDG External 4:1 and 1:1 baluns.
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K7VO
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 5, 2006 22:58
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No problems here for the first year
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I bought my 4:1 balun to allow me to use a wire antenna with a Z-11 tuner. That means mine is indoors in the shack. Nothing is loose and it works just fine one year later. I have no complaints at all. The LDG 4:1 balun is small, compact, and does what it was designed to do.
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W3PH
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Rating: 2/5
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Apr 5, 2006 18:34
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Not the best construction
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I have one of each (4:1, 1:1) - the 4:1 was flakey from day 1 - I opened the plastic case, and indeed the ferrite core isn't secured to anything other than the wires its wound with, one of which had come loose from the SO-239 connector. Soldered it and it's OK now ...
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W9THD
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 5, 2006 17:46
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So far FB
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've had two of the 4:1 baluns mounted outside for almost four years now. So far, I've had no problems with either one, and they do what they are supposed to do. I use them to transition the ladder line that feeds my 80 meter loop antenna to coax for the run through the wall. I did use sealant to cover every crack in the case where I thought water might enter.
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KG4YTL
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Rating: 1/5
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Apr 5, 2006 10:09
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4:1 not worth money
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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As said before, the 4:1 is a voltage balun and not a current balun. Current Baluns are better, but trickier to build. You can find a good current balun on the internet for the same price as the LDG.
The LDG caused my windom to load up funny on my unbalanced windom antenna. Switching to a current solved everything.
I opened up the box at it is a simple torroid that is wound just like the example in the ARRL handbook. (Currents use three torroids). The torroid is attached to the box by sticky tape, and when I opened mine, it was detached from the box and bouncing around.
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KF7K
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Rating: 2/5
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Oct 8, 2005 12:16
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Indoor use only
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I had this balun on the roof, where it needed to be. The instructions say it's not waterproof, but since it's in a plastic case I thought I could at least orient the case to keep water out of the removable side.
About 6 months later I noticed I couldn't tune the antenna anmore, so I went up and looked it over. When it sounded like a marimba when shook, I knew there was something wrong. Inspection revealed that most of the internal hardware was rusted, and that the ferrite core was in hundreds of pieces. I thought maybe a lightning strike had done the damage, but the enamled wires looked normal. I figure it was oxidation of the core.
It worked fine while it lasted, but keep that baby inside!
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AF5U
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 1, 2004 03:05
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Great for the Money
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I purchased the 4:1 balun and tested it for balance and loss. This model is not a current balun! However its loss characteristics were very good with a range from 1 to over 30 MHz. I tested it using a 200 ohm and a 300 ohm load - little difference. The jumper test for balance was about what you'd expect for a voltage balun. However, the 1:1 model is a current balun according to its specifications. If you plan to use this 4:1 balun, I would add a choke to its input either using turns of coax or ferrite beads over coax. Consult your ARRL Handbook for how to do this. All in all, this is a great purchase for the money. I am keeping my power below 120 watts to avoid heating or arcing problems. 73 AF5U
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