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Reviews For: Van Gorden Engineering

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

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Review Summary For : Van Gorden Engineering
Reviews: 30MSRP: $14.99
Description:
HI-Q Balun 1:1 and 4:1
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00302.9
W6TH Rating: 2004-05-10
Passing The Test A+ Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just bought the 4:1 balun and used it with a six foot of RG 8X through the window frame to the balun and then to the 450 ohm ladder feed line to a center fed zepp. Ran the 600 watts through it and worked very well with no noticeable heatng on CW. I mentioned previously I would buy this balun and try it for test results and found my article is no longer listed here. I noticed that my 3KW tuner, tuned much sharper with the use of the balun as compared to not having the balun. Also, I was able to tune to the 30 meter band which was not possible before. A good balun for the price and now will put it on eBAY for another person to try and use at a much lower price.

.: W6TH
KB0GU Rating: 2003-09-29
Never Again Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Purchased one of the 1:1 types and am very dissappointed! Was up on my beam antenna only a few months when SWR shot high on all three bands. Spent the better part of several days isolating the problem. When taken down and hacksawed apart here is what I found. Full of water, coil is enamled small guage wire wrapped on a smaller diameter piece of PVC tube inside. I admit I did solder the connections to the provided lugs and I did not seal around where the hardware entered the unit. So if you are going to use one of these make sure you don't solder to the provided lug as the heat affects the seal and connectivity inside. And make sure you seal around all connections in and out as well as the hanging hardware eye hook. I did have coax seal on the coax connector into it but that was not enough. Just be aware of what you are putting up. I did not have much info on the unit prior to install, but now would not purchase another one. Went with a lifetime warranty Centaur instead.
W6TQA Rating: 2003-08-18
failed Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My HI-Q balun spent about 8 years outdoors, followed by 3 indoors waiting for reuse. As I went to recycle it, I notice a crack in the top of the PVC case (a pipe cap). I found no DC continuity from the input terminals to the outputs or between the input terminals. I sawed the case open, found the parts dry and uncorroded inside with continuity among all terminals. Corrosion of the machine screws, nuts and solder lugs at the outside end of both input terminals had disrupted continuity.
KG4VBR Rating: 2002-11-19
WORKS WELL Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Got the 1:1 balun set up as an inverted v for 20 meters.With about 150 watts it works quite well.Top is at 20' and the ends are 12'.Its fed with 50' of rg-213.I also run a drake mn-4 tuner with a tr-3.Tuns up at less than 1.5:1 in the middle of the phone section.We will see how long it last,but for the price you can't beat it.


J PATRICK KG4VBR
W4ARM Rating: 2002-11-19
Excellent Performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I put up a Van Gorden Eng. 20 dipole with 1:1 Balun and ran 500 watts into it for the Sweepstakes contest last weekend with flawless performance. Made 440 contacts and 76 sections in about 11 hours on the air. The apex of the antenna is at 30 feet in an inverted vee configuration. Very wide band coverage. This also took care of my RFI problem by not have the feedline radiate. Best move I have made. W4ARM
N6XVO Rating: 2002-09-23
HAD A BAD ONE Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Purchased a 1:1 balum and used it for approx. 3 to 4 months. Then for no reason begin to experience high SWR's. I replaced it with another mfg. and sent it back to Van Gordon with a letter of explantion explaining what the problem was and gave them the option to either replace it or do nothing at their option. Well it's been over a one and half years now and haven't heard anything from them. At least they could have sent a letter or made a phone call. I don't plan using their JUNK again.
K8DXX Rating: 2002-08-20
I got a bad one! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased a 1:1 unit for occasional testing/resonating of antennas around the house. My unit arrived with an intermittent connection inside. It caused me and a work crew to waste a lot of time. The dealer wanted me to ship the defective unit back before he'd replace it (understandable, I guess). Given the cost to ship VS cost of the product, I threw it away.

73 de Bill / K8DXX
VO1HP Rating: 2002-08-20
4:1 Balun rusty h/w Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have a Van Gorden 4:1 balun that was installed near the ocean. With in one winter the eye bolt h/w has been coated with rust. The washers and nuts are the same. So they didn't use SS at least on the one that I have .....Electrically it worked fine but now its an eye sore and I hate rusty antenna h/w.

Frank
VO1HP
KE6BGH Rating: 2002-06-29
Good light duty balun Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have the 1:1 version, and have used it with a couple of different dipoles and inverted Vs. A couple of years ago I used it for a field day multi band dipole.

Not especially robust, but for a light duty application without a large amp, it works just fine.
KG6AMW Rating: 2002-06-11
Good Product Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've used this balun for 2 years and it functioned well under the following parameters (500 watts with SWRs up to 4 to 1, principaly SSB). While this is not a heavy duty balun, it performed well and consistenly remained water tight. For $14.99, its a bargin.