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Reviews For: W2DU Current balun

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

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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
W4YHD Rating: 2002-10-14
Had Problems With Internal Connections Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I ordered a W2DU current Balun with my new W9INN 5-Band dipole antenna. After only 1 month of operation the antenna SWR became unstable. The problem was traced to the W2DU Balun and an easily measured intermittent connection between the input SO239 connector and one side of the Balun output. Also, the center hang-up eye hook came loose, and the Balun has a little rattle inside when you shake it. This design places ferrite beads along the outside of a high quality internal teflon coax, and is a very robust and effective approach to creating a current style Balun. Therefore, the quality control in manufacturing and parts selection must be the problem here. I replaced the Balun with a Radio Works B1-5K Plus model and everything is fine. The W2DU current Balun design should be just fine, however manufacturing and quality conrol are key here. Maybe I just got a bad one.
3W2EA Rating: 2002-10-10
Rattles. Lost Money. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.

I ordered a W1DUI HF 1:1 Balun from RADIOWARE AND RADIO BOOKSTORE and on receiving it by DHL it rattled. Unadilla Antennas confirmed by immediate email response that it should not rattle, and suggested I return it. My QTH is Ho Chi Minh City, and DHL cost more than the product.

Furthermore the Unadilla label says its the VHF version (20-300MHz) which is no use to me.

Leaving aside the rattling inside, it looks and feels cheap. The female coax plugs are mounted on plastic and look pathetic. It is certainly not something I would feel safe attaching to my Mk-V and Quadra.

I am obliged to put this Balun in the trash bin.

If given the choice, better build an rf choke from 7, 20cm diameter, turns of coax.





W1TE Rating: 2002-05-27
No problems at high power Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Several installed on 160 - 40 meter antennas running at 1KW. Never had a failure of one even with excessive mismatches. A great product for the price.
KA3POY Rating: 2002-04-22
quality balun Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have a garage full of badly corroded, cheap baluns that rattle when you shake them.

Bought 4:1 and 1:1 W2DU type current baluns from the wireman that look, feel, and operate like quality items. Hardware looks much nicer, balun should last much longer than the garbage items.

Used for several months so far no problem.

KA3POY