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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-Coreā„¢ 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
WB4TJH Rating: 2007-01-24
Built like a battleship Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I am using a DXE BAL050-H10-AT balun on a 135 foot dipole fed with 300 ohm windowline. The balun is mounted on a short 4 foot pole driven into the ground and a groundwire from the balun to an 8 foot groundrod next to it. A six foot piece of coax goes thru the wall of the house to my tuner, which is connected by another short piece of coax to the radio. I decided to get the DXE balun after shorting out one of the little MFJ 4:1 baluns with 220 watts from a Swan 350C. The DXE balun is a 1:1 current type, as recommended by DXE for my application. I can tune all bands for flat SWR from 80 thru 10 meters with no problems. Signal reports are great. The DXE balun is rated for 5KW continuous, so I doubt if my 200+ watts will ever even get it warm. They also offer a balun rated at 10 KW continuous. This balun is built like a battleship. Get one, and you will never look back. This is the best all band antenna system I have used, and the balanced feedline, balun/tuner antenna system type has served me well for over 30 years. If you need a serious balun, get a DXE. They will take anything you can put thru them.
PA3DUV Rating: 2006-12-27
massive balun in massive cast box Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Three of these gasketed aluminium cast boxes are used here.

This massive balun is a great addition to any HF station. The 10 kW+ rated DXE-BAL050-H11-C 1:1 balun is used for my coax fed 80 meter dipole and makes a perfect fit to the Emtron DX4 amplifier.

The other DXE-BAL050-H11-C 1:1 balun is used for various antennas at the local contest events. The 1:1 choke baluns are build using teflon coax.

Last but not least the DXE-BAL200-H11-C 1:4 unit (also rated 10 kW+, teflon wire, big ferrites!) is used as step up for the symmetrically fed loop.

These are not your lightweight baluns. The center support of your dipole/flat top has to be sturdy enough to support the heavy balun.

For those using 7/16 DIN coaxial connectors: the DX engineering baluns are easy to modify and offer plenty of space for a 7/16 flange type female connector.

73, Dick
PA3DUV
NE2I Rating: 2006-10-13
well built Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Solved my feedline radiation problem!
Super well built and takes all the abuse I can
manage....
W3BNY Rating: 2006-05-31
Solid Time Owned: more than 12 months.
YIKES!! Yes this thing is a monster and it might not fit up in the air for your dipole... But, I use it (1:1 current balun) to feed my 80m dipole with 450ohm ladder line. Its a bute and will handle more power than I can legally put out. Does its job and well at that.

I also use a 4:1 high power unit (designeed for tuners) with my vertical antenna. As far as I am concerned, these are the baluns I will always use.

Good stuff.

KB4BJM Rating: 2005-07-28
BAL200-ho5-a Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I am using this balun and DX engineering Top Load Kit on my Zero-Five all band Vertical/ Together they work great! The product support and interest that DXE takes is fantastic! Their products are Top Notch and well thought out. They have a life long customer in me. Thanks DXE!
KY6R Rating: 2005-06-11
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I replaced a CAl-AV bead balun with a DXE-BAL050-H10-AT. This is a 1:1 Current Balun, and I wanted something over - rated and also something I could mount to my Cushcraft MA8040V.

I have built a plastic shroud over this balun so the rain doesn't get in, and if condensation forms, it can escape out the bottom of the balun.

I use 16 elevated, sloping and tuned radials, and have modified my vertical to work on 160 - 10M, with a tuner, and this balun seems to be the perfect balun for such an application.

So far, I'm very pleased.
W4SK Rating: 2005-05-15
Perfection Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have three of their baluns in use at this time. I also have one of their vertical/radial plates in use. Impressive products and superior customer service. Highly recommended.

-W4SK
KF3EG Rating: 2005-02-21
a real balun Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
A friend of mine and myself have been kicking around performance in baluns, after doing some testing this is what I found.
I took readings on my system (a loop) with a Radio works 4:1 balun and then a DX engineering DXE-BAL-200-H11-CT. The meter I used was not moved and the test was done in a matter of a few minutes, the field strenght meter was set to mid scale with the Radio works balun in line, then I switched to the DXE and the meter went to full scale. with a rf volt meter the voltage was equal on both outputs on the DXE not the case with the other one.
On the air I know the bands change around, but people I talk to often noticed a improvement in my signal.
Running power with the radio works balun my swr would creep up with 800 watts and it would get hot, the DXE is rated at 10kw and will laugh at 800 watts
SWR and the changes:
old DXE
10m 2.8 1 now 1.6 1
12m 2.6 1 now 1 to 1
15m 3. 1 now 1.9 1
20m 2.8 1 now 1.5 1
30m 4. 1 now 2.5 1
40m 4. 1 now 2.3 1
80m 4. 1 now 1.9 1

160 was not tested since the loop is cut for 80 meter.
Before running 100 watts I had rf in the shack from the shield of the coax from the old balun, now I have no rf in the shack and all the TVI I have had is gone, I can work any hf band now and the XYL can watch TV without a problem , no lines, no buzz.
Thank you Dx engineering for a great product!

73
NC0B Rating: 2004-10-16
BAL050-H05 A++++ Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I tried four different brands of baluns on my Hy-Gain 153BA mono-band yagi, with none giving a true 1:1 transform. When checked on an MFJ or General Radio bridge, all provided an undesirable step up in Z, transforming a 50 ohm resistor to between 75 and 100 ohms on 21 MHz. After living with 1.5:1 or even 2:1 minimum SWRs for a year, I purchased the 1 to 60 MHz DX Engineering balun from W8JI at Dayton. Could not be happier with an SWR as low as 1.1:1 with only the balun change. I do wish it would mount like the BN-86, but I will live with the lashup mounting to get the better match.
WB4M Rating: 2004-09-16
Replaced Hygain BN-86 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I replaced my wimpy BN-86 balun on my TH7DX with a DX Engineering 050-H05-A 1:1 model. This balun is heavy and built like a tank.
The only negative remark would be that it does not come with any type of mounting hardware at all. I fashioned some stainless steel straps that will go around the boom, and using stainless steel screws, fastened the straps to the holes in either end of the balun. Forget about the cheap baluns that rust out in a year or less. Spend a few dollars more and get a total quality product that will last.