Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: W2DU Current balun

Category: Antenna parts, accessories, incl. baluns, hardware, etc.

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : W2DU Current balun
Reviews: 24MSRP: @ 30
Description:
W2DU current balum: I am the original designer of the W2DU current balun, described in QST, March 1983. I made no attempt to patent the device, and anyone can build it. However, some of the companies who manufacture the W2DU balun have come up short on the quality of their product, resulting in poor, and sometimes disastrous reports concerning its service. When properly constructed it will perform as described in the QST article. Some of the problems arise from modifying the engineering and then complaining of unsatisfactory operation. I am familiar with only a few of the manufacturers, but I do know that those who use fewer beads than specified in the QST article get unsatisfactory operation, resulting in the unwarranted complaints concerning W2DU baluns in general. Poor construction in the area of connections to the UHF input connector and the leads to the antenna terminals is responsible for many of the complaints of poor operation of the balun. If you are looking to obtain a product with the highest quality of fabrication, please obtain yours from The Wireman, Press Jones, N8UG. If you are interested in how the W2DU balun came to be, view my web page at www.w2du.com, click on the category "Read Chapters from Reflections 2," and select "Some Aspects of the Balun Problem," Chapter 21 in Reflections 1 and 2, for a downloadable copy of the QST article. Also click on "Preview Chapters from Reflections 3," and then click on "Link to Reflections 3 Preview Chapter 21A." These comments written by Walter Maxwell, W2DU, the designer of the W2DU balun.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.thewireman.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00242.7
W4YO Rating: 2007-06-19
No problem here Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently bought this balun from Unadilla Co. Since the 1960s I had bought their W2AU quads and parts for quads, as well as various baluns. I never had problems with any of their products, which is why I called them to order the W2DU balun. It has been up and working flawlessly for several days, and I am enjoying being on six meters for the first time since obtaining my ham license some 51 years ago. No problem here!!
W9AC Rating: 2007-05-07
Not All Are Created Equal Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I agree with the previous post. Build your own.

With adaquate beading, the W2DU and VE2CV baluns are fine, even down to 160M with ample choking reactance.

It's a shame the inferior commercial versions of the W2DU balun are even associated with Walt Maxwell's callsign. He never intended for others to take his concept and destroy the performance and reliability with inferior manufacturing methods.

K1XT Rating: 2007-01-14
Build your own Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used the W2DU 1:1 design on my yagi antennas for years. I buy the kit from Wireman and use PVC tubing and caps with a pl-239 at the end and then pigtail leads out the other end for connection to the antenna. I use silver based solder because it resists outdoor elements better and is a stronger connection. My total cost is about $20 per balun. I have had no problems and they work well. I don't have to look inside to see how it is built and if there are a sufficient amount of beads used, having built it myself I already know.
KG4HUP Rating: 2007-01-14
do not buy Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought the 1:1 balum and right off noticed the rattling pieces inside. I was afraid to put it into use on 160 meters.I also bought the center insulator at the same time for another project. I thought nothing could go wrong with a center insulator so I will use it. As I screwed the pl259 to this center insulater, it all turned inside, there was no screw to keep it tight. I had to bust it open and use the eye hooks to make one myself out of pvc pipe an caps. $36.00 was a lot to pay and still have to go to hardware store a get parts. Dont buy these things. ABSOLUTE JUNK!!!!
N8BHB Rating: 2006-04-30
Poor Service/Poor Quality Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
If you want to take a chance on the Unadilla version of the W2DU current balun, order it from a ham supplier that will stand behind it. Don't expect much help from Unadilla if you order directly from them.

I ordered mine in February, the inline version from the Unadilla website using PayPal. Instead, they sent the pigtail version by mistake. Initially, it appeared that they would take care of the problem and send the right one. I returned it as instructed via UPS with an account number they provided to spare me return shipping cost. (It was a nice gesture, but note that a month later I received a bill for $10 from UPS stating their account number didn't exist!!!)

The replacement arrived as promised, but was damaged--coax connector was caved in and unit rattled loudly. I returned this at my own expense with the promise of a $5 PayPal credit for return shipping.

The third one arrived with no visible damage. In the meantime, I contacted the company about the UPS bill and the credit I didn't receive.

Several weeks elapsed before I received any compensation. The check--$7.50. They blamed the UPS problem on me (though the UPS bill clearly listed the account number Unadilla gave me). They claim it was more than fair to split the difference and chastized me for attempting to recover the full return postage they had already promised to pay.

I didn't notice the internal rattle until I went to mount it on the dipole yesterday. I've now spent $34 (including original shipping)for a substandard balun and $15 (less $7.50) for returns shipping they promised to cover.

Needless to say, I'm not going to waste any more time or money to attempt to rectify the situation, as they obviously are not concerned about quality product or customer satisfaction.
K9RX Rating: 2005-12-09
very poor construction Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I researched the tower, antennas, coax, everything - I thought... did not research the balun. Bought from Unidilla. They are poorly constructed, the studs cannot be tightened without turning the nut holding the stud to the body (some epoxy on the inside would cure this), the SO239 on one was so loose that simply shaking it a little caused it to rotate! THEN on a 3 stack of tribanders found out one of their baluns was wired BACKWARDS internally so the phasing as wrong. Not worth a dollar let alone $26. I try hard to pass along the benefit of the doubt - but there is none to be had here.
K9YC Rating: 2004-06-23
Lousy Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
One of these came on an antenna I bought from W9INN. The balun is very light weight (which means that the ferrite cores aren't very heavy, and thus aren't likely to handle much power or provide much decoupling), and the coax connector was loose.

Do yourself a favor -- buy a DX Engineering balun. Yes, it's more expensive, but it's FAR better quality, both mechanically and electrically. The DX Engineering balun is MUCH heavier, which probably means that the ferrite cores are much heavier, will handle much more power, and will provide much better isolation.

Just to clarify -- my review is for the Unadilla product that claims to be based on the W2DU design, NOT a Wireman product.
W0JSB Rating: 2003-08-29
So far so good! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Despite the unfavorable experiences by others on eHam.net I've had good luck with the 3 that I have so far. I've had no problems with them and none of them rattled.

I ordered all of them from DavisRF.com.

I purchased the W2DU-823A 1.8-30 6KW model.
W7RY Rating: 2003-01-29
JUNK! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Installed one on my 40 meter beam. It was intermittant. Was impossible to replace as it was on the end of the boom.

Cut it in half when I finally took the antenna down. Where the teflon coax hooks to the eyes in the top of the unit, there was a cold solder joint. Just poorly soldered.

Poor quality control. Use a WX0B balun. Better and more rugged.
N4LQ Rating: 2002-12-30
Great for Loops and Windoms Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have been using the 4:1 version for several years now and just can't seem to distroy it. For horizontal loops fed with coax, this is your best choice. Voltage baluns tend to detune the loop on the higher bands while the W2DU design remains flat. I haven't used more than 500 watts so I can't attest to it's power rating. Highly recommended!