If the current is unbalanced, this would mean current is likely to flow
on the coax then? So perhaps the reason a voltage balun is used is to
merely transform the impedance 6:1 and purposely allow the feedline to
radiate? The maker of the antenna (Buckmaster) doesn't indicate any
particular length of 50 ohm coax be used, but I saw a huge change in
SWR and bandwidth on the upper bands when I lowered the antenna by 5
feet. Maybe this explains the behavior I saw.

-Scott

Cecil Moore wrote:
wrote:
But I was wondering what impact using a voltage balun (assuming I am
correct) has? What would be the effect of changing to a
current balun in this design? Does the OCF dipole require feeding with
balanced voltage as opposed to balanced current?

An OCF antenna is designed to be unbalanced. If you balance the
voltages, the currents will be unbalanced. If you balance the
currents, the voltages will be unbalanced. Unbalanced antennas
are unbalanced antennas. As Aristotle and Ayn Rand said: "A is A".
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp