How...,

1. For a dipole skip the 4:1 balun - go straight to the coax
-R- Good advise for a Ham using the Dipole for a Specific
Amateur Radio Meter Band - But for a Shortwave Listener
(SWL) who is trying to use the Dipole as a general Antenna
for All-SWL-Band reception the 4:1 Balun gives them more
Listening-ability-across-the-Bands.
REMEMBER - This is a Three Band : 49 & 31 & 22 Meter
Bands Shortwave Listener (SWL) "Receive Only" Tri-Band
Dipole {Wire} Antenna built on a On-the-Fence

2. or use a 1:1 unun.
-R- An UnUn with a Dipole ?
- - - Dipole to Twin Lead / Ladder Line = BalBal
- - - Dipole to Coax Cable = BalUn

3. If you were building a folded dipole the 4:1 balun
would be more appropriate.
-R- Again this is a Three Band : 49 & 31 & 22 Meter
Bands Shortwave Listener (SWL) "Receive Only"
Tri-Band Dipole {Wire} Antenna built on a On-the-Fence
The object of the 4:1 Balun is to intergrate the Signals
developed by the Three Dipole Antenna Elements into
the Single Coax Cable Feed-in-Line and provide better
Across-the-Shortwave-Bands frequency coverage.

4. You can ground or not ground the dipole;
it is a balanced antenna so grounding is a
matter of lightning protection & providing a
path for the static electricity to drain
- a better path than draining to the radio.
-R- Lightning Protection and a Static Electricity
'drain' Path are always two good things to achieve
with any Shortwave Listener's (SWL) Antenna.

5. I guess the dipole that's 1 foot above the
ground is for 'ground wave' reception 8-}
-R- Wave Goodbye "How..."

FWIW - A Dipole On-the-Fence would not be my first
choice as a Shortwave Listener's (SWL) Antenna.
But what can you do - If the ONLY place that you can
build an Antenna is On-the-Fence ? ? ? and you don't
have the Money for a Wellbrook Loop Antenna ? ? ?
Plus someone has convinced you that the ONLY
Antenna that is worth having is a Dipole - because it
is a complete Antenna that does not require a ground
to work. - - - So now all you know is that you have to
build a Dipole Antenna and it's got to fit On-the-Fence [.]


right now i am beginning to feel a little di-pole-er - iane ~ RHF