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Reviews For: DX Engineering Baluns

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

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Review Summary For : DX Engineering Baluns
Reviews: 67MSRP: 29.95-79.95
Description:
High Power Transmission Line Transformers and Baluns with Patent Pending Maxi-Core™ Technology
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.dxengineering.com/search/department/antennas/part-type/baluns-ununs-and-chokes/product-line/dx-engineering-maxi-core-20-baluns-and-feedline-chokes?SortBy=Default&SortOrder=Ascending&autoview=SKU
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00674.9
M0MRR Rating: 2008-04-07
Not all baluns are created equal Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
The DX Engineering DXE-BAL050-H10-AT 1:1 current balun proves a point that not all baluns are created equally. This is one big balun using high quality components. I ordered it directly from the manufacture and it took about a week to arrive to me in England. My station consists of an SDR radio, feeding an Acom amp which feeds a Palstar atu. I have a run of 10ft of coax leaving the shack then into the balun. This balun then outputs to 450ohm ladder line which in turn connects to a 135ft multi-band dipole.

I generally run 50 watts but occasionally go to 300 watts – depending on bands and conditions. I am active from 160m through to 10m. The 1:1 balun has proved to be effective at achieving a balanced load to the ladderline / dipole. It has worked flawlessly and has never over-heated. As I mounted the balun outside, I improvised a Tupperware container for it to sit in – this was to negate any inadvertent contact with the output terminals. When I compare my previous product which overheated and caused intermittent problems, I can happily state that “not all baluns are created equally”.
KE7CRN Rating: 2008-04-05
Great Design, BUT Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I purchased a DX Engineering BAL050-H11C may of 2006. Cast aluminum case with gasket. The Gasket Leaked and the Balun filled with water. I would say good design, but poor quality control in manufacturing. I will be asking for a warranty replacement.
K5SL Rating: 2008-03-27
6:1 -Great Design-Read Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I replaced a homemade 4:1 on my 80m loop with the 6:1. Running a kw I was able to overheat the B-----m. I will tell you this balun is not the donut cores you normally see. After taking the cover off you will see. Very neat work, and well constructed. Guys at work have built their own 6:1 and we always check the balance on each leg. I have the numbers, but let me say the balance is the best we have seen,and it goes up near 40mhz. I haven't been able to get it warm yet. A little more money-maybe, but I am running two 1:1 on my yagi's, and ALL are doing great. The little extra money is worth it. Nice to talk to hams when you call-they back their product also. Buy it and forget it.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by K5SL on 2006-12-26

I just installed 2 of their 5kw 1:1 units. One on a homemade 4 ele 17m yagi, and the other on my TH7. I just mounted it underneath the boom of the TH7 and bent the straps to it. Worked great. Antenna's worked great. If you go to the trouble of putting a serious yagi in the air-use their balun. You can forget about balun problems, or quality.
KG4JJS Rating: 2008-02-13
Fantastic Service Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
First off I had a rather unique setup here using an off resonance loop and called tech support for advice on which balun to purchase.The advice was sound and precise.

The DXE-BAL050-H10-AT which I ordered arrived in fine shape and works very well . I have a way off resonance loop 240 feet of wire only 15 feet off the ground.Tunes up fine using the ldg z100 tuner on all bands and even tunes the 80 meter band except for 3580 which Im sure a little more wire would fix. I have made dx contacts on all bands except 80 10 and 12 meters using phone and only 100 watts the contacts on 80 meters phone have been 59 at around 600 miles at night very acceptable. I would advise anyone to use this company their service and attention to detail is above all others and their baluns are top notch and built to last
Thanks DX Engineering
Oh by the way if you have not tried a loop antenna just do it they work extremely well forget diapoles end fedz g5rvs ect put up a loop you wont be disappointed!
73
Tim
kg4jjs
W2EH Rating: 2007-12-17
Be careful using with OFD Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
A very well built balun, good performance except when used with offset fed dipoles and QRO. I used the DXE-BAL 200 - H10 _ AT 4:1 balun to feed a 137ft dipole fed at the 20% point from one end. Performance was excellent on 80, 40, and 30 meter bands, except that on 80 meters where the VSWR was 1.2:1 the balun would not handle 1475W of CW. For a balun rated at 5KW average and 10KW peak I found that to be annoying. On 40 meters the balun would handle 1475W with no time limit but on 80 meters after about 2 minutes of operation it would go into thermal runaway with VSWR climbing to 5:1.
If you run 400W cw or less, I am sure you will never have a complaint with this balun. If it was feeding a symetrically fed dipole it probably would take 1475W cw. The lower frequencies usually give a balun quite a workout.
QUANMER Rating: 2007-09-27
I got what I paied for Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I purchased the UNADILLA W2AU for Cobra Ultralite wire antenna. The result was not up to expectation at all. It picks up tons of noise and hard to hear the weak signal.

After doing some homework, I go for DX Eng.'s baluns, ( BAL-200-H10AT ), it's like nite & day difference to me! This balun perform like a champ. 60% of noise are reduced, I would buy another one if I would set up another station.
N6NKN Rating: 2007-07-24
They Do Baluns Right. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I too bought the BAL050-H10-AT. I have other baluns, but this is a BALUN!!! This balun is designed to match the DX Engineering balanced line dipoles, and I have mine for their 160 meter version. So far, everything I have purchased from DX Engineering has been bullet proof, but this baby is "really" built to last.

If I need other baluns in the future, I have no doubt they will be DX Engineering baluns.
M0GBK Rating: 2007-05-27
Fantastic service Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I placed an order for the DXE-BAL050-H10-AT, Dipole centre piece and 65 feet of 300ohm window line from DX engineering. The entire transaction was very smooth and the staff were very helpful in ensuring I made the correct choice of Balun. I could not beleive it when the parcel arrived from the states in 3 days, that even beats delivery time from most dealers in the UK. All the items were outstanding quality and far better than anything available in the UK. The balun is built like a tank and superb quality. Installed this weekend with a homebrew 88 foot doublet at 30 feet. My palstar tuner tunes all bands with a 1:1 VSWR, no RF in the shack. Overall fantastic product, fantastic service and highly recommended. I will certainly be ordering products from DX Engineering again
KG6UTS Rating: 2007-05-14
Excellent product Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I wanted a balun to match my Millen tuner, unballanced only, to a ladderline fed 80M dipole. The balun also had to handle an AM signal from a BC-610I or Navy SRT-14/15. Folks at DX suggested the DXE-BAL050-H11-CT for use with the tuner and power/duty cycle. I bought the weather sealed model because we are close to the Pacific Ocean. Good choice, a well made product and great help from the DX staff.
WA4ONV Rating: 2007-04-28
DXE-BAL050-H10-A , It's built like an Abrams Tank ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just got the DXE-BAL050-H10-A high power balun from the guys at DX engineering a few weeks ago. Wow, this thing is built like a brick sh*t house...!!! I'm running an Al-1500 amp which already has blown like 3 baluns and this thing doesn't even get warm at full legal power than some....hi hi. I highly recommend this balun or any of their high quality products. 73....Joe WA4ONV, A1 Op