"Dave" wrote in message
news:nlktk.864$UX.475@trnddc03...

"dbc254" wrote in message
...
Everyone makes fun of newbies buying ready-built dipoles on eBay, but
nobody can direct you to where to buy baluns? Searched hi and lo
online, and what I found, was more expensive than buying a ready-made
dipole! I'd like to buy a balun, and attach my own cut-to-length
wire, but can't find cheap baluns ANYWHERE.

Where are you Elmers buying your baluns?

you have coax? split one end, connect center conductor to one wire,
shield to the other. wind a bunch of turns (there is a web site somewhere
with numbers) around a piece of pvc pipe, and voila, instant balun. you
want to pay for off the shelf stuff, expect to pay for the ferrites that
can handle 1500w all the way down to 160m, plus construction, packaging,
shipping, and marketting... that stuff is more expensive than the rest of
the antenna.


Price the 20 or 30 feet of coax to wind the balun (choke) and it may be
cheeper to buy a balun.

I don't see wasting time or money on a balun for just a simple dipole .
Sure it may make the patern vary from the normal textbook, but who cares
most of the time. Most people have to put the antenna up wherever they can
and lots of time it is not in the desired direction anyway.

NOw a beam or some other antenna design is differant.