| K6GBW |
Rating:      |
2020-05-03 | |
| Work Horse! |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
I, like many these days, have a compromised living situation. I needed to keep my antenna set up on the low profile side so I began a search for an end-fed design. I also have some 4.8K power lines that run close to the back of the house....gotta love a challenge!
I initially took the lazy way out and bought a pre-made end fed wire with a 9:1 UnUn. The set up worked, but I was never satisfied. The tuning was difficult and after looking at the quality I felt I could do better. Over a period of two years I experimented with probably twenty different end fed wire set ups. All worked to varying degrees, but none were as successful as I wanted. Eventually, I bought the Balun Designs 9135 to build my own 71' wire.
As soon as I got my hand on it I could tell I was dealing with a different level of quality. This thing is heavy duty! It is much heavier than others I've tried, and the hardware is heavy and high quality. I placed the UnUn under the front eave of the house in an effort to get as far away from those power lines as possible. I placed a screw in eye bolt into the face of the eave and ran the 71' wire to a tree in the backyard.
Once at the shack, my Palstar AT2K easily tuned this thing up on all bands 80-10! In fact, on 80 and 20 I don't even have to touch the Input or Output. A simple twist of the Inductor and it drops right down to flat.
How does it work? In a word, outstanding! I have worked all four corners of the country from my home in SoCal and I've talked to Indonesia, Japan, and New Zealand.
When the band conditions are bad no antenna short of a 65' tower and a Mosely will get through. But when the bands work, so will this little wire antenna!
For a very low profile antenna with a barely visible wire I couldn't be happier! I'm planning to buy another UnUn to make a portable antenna. |
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| N9CHM |
Rating:      |
2020-01-22 | |
| EXCELLENT 1:2 UNUN (22ohm:50ohm) |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I built a 160M inverted L which is 121 long (468/1.94), fed at 7' above ground with ~60' vertical and 61' sloping down to 30' at the end. I use 6 elevated 1/4 wave radials (~121' each) due to the difficultly of laying radials through the wooded area behind my house. Since the feed point of this antenna is predicted by antenna modeling to be around 20-25 ohms, and the SWR was ~2.30:1 which supports this prediction, I installed a 1:2 UNUN (22 ohm to 50 ohm) at the feed point.
This was a Balun Designs UNUN (Model # 1232, especially used for inverted L's or other unbalanced antennas) and the SWR was dropped down to 1.40 to 1, as expected. I have 8 snap-on 31mix ferrite chokes (12" total length) over the LMR400 coax (150' total length to the antenna switch) at the feed point into the UNUN to reduce common modes currents on the coax. I use the inv L for diversity RX (FLEX 6600M) as compared to an inv V at 65', but can also switch it inline for TX. I run 1KW and the UNUN allows me to use the antenna for TX without using an antenna tuner. The bonus is that the efficiency of this UNUN is around 98-99%, so almost no lost transmit signal, compared to using a tuner to "match" the inv L, as the tuner has "heating" losses of at least 10%. Signal reports are excellent, the 160M inv L really shines on stations >400 miles from my QTH. This UNUN is another winner from Bob, he makes the best BALUNS/UNUN you can find. |
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| WD4ELG |
Rating:      |
2016-12-12 | |
| Nothing better |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
First, read this:
https://www.dxengineering.com/techarticles/balunsandfeedlinechokes/baluns-choosing-the-correct-balun
Then, read this:
http://www.balundesigns.com/support-downloads/
I realized why I had RF in the shack with by Buckmaster OCF. Nothing against Buckmaster OCF dipoles which are good quality, but after I figured out they use voltage baluns, I decided to install my own OCF antenna version. Got a 4:1 CURRENT balun from Balun Designs (highest quality, great price, correct type of balun for OCF antennas), got a spool of 18 gauge wire from Home Depot, and built my own 80-10 OCF. Sure, it's just a wire. But it's ONE wire instead of a bunch of wires.
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Earlier 5-star review posted by WD4ELG on 2011-09-16
I have purchased several products from Balun Designs. I have also spent some serious "quality time" on the phone discussing my setup and how to use their products.
Bottom line: their products work, and the customer service is TOP-NOTCH. I even had to return a product when I found that my setup was not as I had originally intended. No issues there either (they stand by their published return policy, without any hassles or grief).
I would eagerly do business with this company again. |
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| K0FTC |
Rating:      |
2016-12-12 | |
| Custom RF Power Splitter |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I've got two military single element ELPA antennas that can be joined by the use of a power splitter, increasing gain and directivity according to the manual. That military splitter is rare to be had and just a "T" adapter is not enough according to the manual. I've bought and used Balun Designs QRP and QRO baluns, 9:1, 1:1, Maxi Choke, etc.,with great success, so I am a true believer in their products and trust them. So, I wrote Bob, KZ5R, and discussed how the antenna was supposed to work and that I didn't have a clue how the military splitter was built. He got right on it and I had his waterproofed quality built design in about a week with instructions about it being in phase, and how to take it out of phase 180 degrees if I ever wanted to. I field tested it on a SKCC WES event, checked the individual elements with a meter and the measurements were exactly as I thought they should have been before I started. I then put 100 watts through them and the antenna tuned beautifully from 10 to 80, and I was making contacts on a very marginal day, the furthest being France, but all over the US coast to coast and NVIS. So I am a happy camper. I think this design would be useful for those wanting to run in phase and out of phase verticals that are described in the literature as well. Just as a side note, if you ever want to look at great workmanship and pride in product, just open one of his boxes up. 73, John K0FTC
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Earlier 5-star review posted by K0FTC on 2012-07-01
I've got a random 75'/25' two line wire antenna. Recommended by Balun Designs, this balun does a great job, my tuner tune 10 through 160. It does well with my compromised antenna situation here and allows me to work DX CW. This UNUN is professionally well built, and customer service is outstanding. 73, John, K0FTC |
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| K6CRC |
Rating:      |
2016-10-08 | |
| Top quality and great service |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I have a weird configuration due to my small yard. Robert spend the time helping me optimize for my situation, a remote tuner and an Inverted L. Unun addition makes it all work better, and the tuner seems to be much more stable now.
He clearly knows his antennas and builds top quality stuff.
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| AE5HL |
Rating:      |
2015-09-30 | |
| Got me on the air! |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
Workmanship is impeccable, you could probably drive a tank over the thing without serious damage. Stainless hardware, waterproof, what more need be said.
I was initially reluctant to purchase as I did not believe it would perform well. On a whim, I picked up the model with the 9:1 and 4:1 connections. Put it up, played with it, but no serious attempts to sort it out as I had my end fed working well.
Finally put it up when I figured out I would like to work 75/80 meters. Used about 35 feet of wire under the eave of my house, about 10 feet off the ground. A small length (~5 feet) of counterpoise to a ground rod served to keep most of the rf out of the shack. Feeline length is approximately 10 feet. I did not think it would work and the wire length was not per design but rather some scrap I had.
Surprisingly, it tuned (had a 2:1 swr initially) the upper portion of 75 meters and after I get the length sorted out, looks like it will cover the entire band.
Tuned to around 3916 and checked into the Freewheeler net, with surprisingly great reports. Moved up to 3982 and work a fellow in Sun City, AZ from here in Albuquerque, NM. Received an EXCELLENT report, 10 over 9. Mind you, this was with 35 feet of wire, a 5 foot counterpoise, poor ground, and 125 watts! The fellow I worked was using 700 watts and was doing great into Albuquerque.
Granted, this will not likely out perform a full size dipole well off the ground (but you might be surprised) but it WILL GET YOU ON THE AIR and making contacts! You can barely see mine as the box is mounted under the eave along with the wire.
I intend to put up a longer length of wire, ~72 feet, and see how things go. Almost counterintuitive as it works quite well as it is. I highly recommend this product, particularly if you live in a space restricted community! |
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| K2WO |
Rating:      |
2015-03-24 | |
| 9:1 UNUN a Winner |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I just picked up a 9:1 QRP (300w) UNUN from Balun Designs. It is the Model 9130SW. I intend to use this for portable work at QRP up to 100W levels. It is price competitive with other similar UNUNS that are available. The EARCHI UNUN is no longer available and while it can be built from plans on their site, it would be difficult to build one that would match quality/the price of this one. This one is slightly larger than the EARCHI, but still small enough to be used portable. It is built like a TANK and the parts/materials are top notch. It was shipped quickly and I recommend it highly. |
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| N0YXE |
Rating:      |
2013-10-16 | |
| A GAME CHANGER: 9 TO 1 UNUM |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I 've had a lot of struggles and expenses with antennas in my TOTALLY RESTRICTED neighborhood. I've removed four or five antenna, paid $1,200 to the HOA attorney to drop the court summons, and have dealt with two attorneys, one of which was an unethical ARRL volunteer attorney. I should have reported him to the Kansas Bar. MY neighborhood is full of spies who patrol the streets daily with their dogs, and I would not be surprised if they rented drones to make additional surveys! I have an attic antenna and I even hear foot steps in the roof. I never give up and after over five years I finally found out how to become invisible. I live in a nice one-story duplex and my roof is maybe twenty feet high. The surface area is small. I bought a Balum Design 9 to 1 unum, #9135, installed it on the side of the house, just under the roofline. I attached 36 feet of quality black antenna line, mostly under the shingles and down and around contours of the roof. The antenna is totally invisible from the ground and HOA antenna spotters can't see it. I attached 50' of coax, ran it down and around the bushes in the front, and used a window jumper to access a bedroom. My antenna analyzer shows all bands, 80 through 6 meters with a tunable SWR, using either the on-board or an external tuner. The quality of construction, engineering and design of this balum is excellent. This unit is ideal for the CIA, KGB , MI15, Mossad, etcetera. This product is a real GAME CHANGER. |
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| KD0NFY |
Rating:      |
2013-03-02 | |
| 9:1 UNUN |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
This is my second order from Bob. As usual, great product at a fair price with great service. The 9:1 unun works as described and produces great results for what it is. No magic here, it makes for a compromise antenna but it's a good compromise. The internal tuner on my radio will finally get put to use. Thanks Bob!
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| KC9TNH |
Rating:      |
2012-07-01 | |
| 9:1 UNUN |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Have used Bob's excellent products before. This UNUN was specifically to make a short-length field-expedient end-fed, to fill a niche in the 20-17-15m area. It is used with a manual tuner and the results easily allow a worst 1.5:1 SWR. The short-length end-fed is no magical solution and it's not purveyed as such. It works, it's a light antenna solution; it's about commo, not who has the best +30 over studio quality audio.
It does exactly what it is supposed to do, the quality is outstanding and Bob's easygoing willingness to engage in discussion on a project is always welcome. The UNUN happily took full-boogie out of my amplifier too. I'll probably keep this one in place & see if he can make a less-robust/lighter one based on his QRP enclosure for the rucksack where 100w would be alot.
As with my other current baluns from Bob, everything is top-notch. Pay once, cry once folks. Balun Designs' stuff is worth every penny. |
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