Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Balun Testing
Is there a means of testing a 9:1 or 10:1 balun to make
sure it is the correct impeadance before connecting it to an antenna or tuner? |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
"Radio Man" wrote in message news:XVo3d.473$C8.256@trnddc05... Is there a means of testing a 9:1 or 10:1 balun to make sure it is the correct impeadance before connecting it to an antenna or tuner? If at a low frequency , put a resistor across the high impedance of the balun equal to the design impedance and check the swr. Frequency does not really have anything to do with it, just it is sometimes hard to get a resistor that is not reactive and is acting like a resistor at the higher frequencies. Build 2 of the baluns and connect them back to back and put a 50 ohm dummy load on the second one, assuming you are going from 50 ohms to the 450 or 500 ohm impedance unbalanced. Then measuer the swr. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Dont know how useful this would be but it might be worthwhile measuring
the RF power on the input and output side of the balun in the back to back exercise. That will give you an idea of loss and as you increase power, saturation. Cheers Bob VK2YQA Build 2 of the baluns and connect them back to back and put a 50 ohm dummy load on the second one, assuming you are going from 50 ohms to the 450 or 500 ohm impedance unbalanced. Then measuer the swr. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
I had not thought of the losses that can occur in terms of db I wonder what
sort of losses occur due to the use of baluns? Art "Bob Bob" wrote in message ... Dont know how useful this would be but it might be worthwhile measuring the RF power on the input and output side of the balun in the back to back exercise. That will give you an idea of loss and as you increase power, saturation. Cheers Bob VK2YQA Build 2 of the baluns and connect them back to back and put a 50 ohm dummy load on the second one, assuming you are going from 50 ohms to the 450 or 500 ohm impedance unbalanced. Then measuer the swr. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
I guess you could say that once they saturate magnetically more power
from that point on will be a loss grin Resistive wire losses as well. ie the balun gets hot (Altho saturation also leads to temperature rise) I am not that knowledible of baluns but note that the number of turns is a compromise of sorts. The Xl is suppose to be some multiple of the Zo and Zi (10x I think is a good number) Too high a number of turns and it saturates at a lower power, too low and resistive losses become a factor.. I am prepared to be shot down on this.. I learn as I need to!. ie When I need a balun I'll read up on them...! Cheers Bob VK2YQA wrote: I had not thought of the losses that can occur in terms of db I wonder what sort of losses occur due to the use of baluns? Art |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Radio Man wrote:
Is there a means of testing a 9:1 or 10:1 balun to make sure it is the correct impeadance before connecting it to an antenna or tuner? Couple ways-- Requires non inductive resistor -- If have a MFJ-259 (ect) or a Noise bridge, connect your resistor to the X9 output side of the balun, connect the input side of the balun to the MFJ, and sweep the frequencies, -- the meter should stay FLAT, at 1:1 (or close to it) over the range it is designed for. or, the noise bridge noise level should remain unchanged (same consider ation). or, (this requires a POWER, NON-inductive resistor), with a SWR bridge, XMIT into it (again on various freqs)!! SWR should be flat over the range you want to use! Jim NN7K |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Couple ways-- Requires non inductive resistor -- If have a MFJ-259 (ect) or a Noise bridge, connect your resistor to the X9 output side of the balun, connect the input side of the balun to the MFJ, and sweep the frequencies, -- the meter should stay FLAT, at 1:1 (or close to it) over the range it is designed for. SWR should be flat over the range you want to use! Jim NN7K That's the way I have checked impedence transformers in the past. I have found that a Variable resistor works pretty good for testing with a MFJ-259. Used it for half-wave coax baluns, as well as wind-it-yourself transformers. Set the variable resistor to the expected value to match, then check it with the MFJ-259, it worked for me - on hf and 2-meters. Didn't try it on the uhf freqs. I used to like to use 300-ohm twinlead because the weight didn't make the dipole sag as much as coax. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.766 / Virus Database: 513 - Release Date: 9/17/2004 |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Parallel balun problem with wire loop | Antenna | |||
Adding a 2:1 balun to a multi-band dipole | Antenna | |||
Balun design / SWR ? | Antenna | |||
Horizontal loop - balun or no balun ? | Antenna | |||
Balun Grounding Question ? | Antenna |