jimg wrote:

Hi. I've heard and read some about ladder line and dipoles.
So what is the basic configuration look like? My impression is
the set-up starts with either a balanced tuner with 400 ohm output
or a 50 ohm tuner with a 4:1 balun to the 440ohm ladder line. The
ladder line then runs to the dipole and that's pretty much about it.

So my EZNEC on my future backyard Vee shows about 60ohm which is about
a 12:1 mismatch at the antenna feedpoint! So do I have something wrong
in the basic config? Or do you all put a balanced impedance
transformer up at the antenna feedpoint?

Just a little confuzed?


12:1 is just about right! What are you worried about? My VSWR on 80
meters is almost 30:1. I get excellent results.

VSWR is NOT bad. I know the Ham Mantra of low VSWR. But, it is a false
mantra. Once the antenna SYSTEM [antenna, feedline] is matched you get
maximum power transmitted to the load.