"CW" wrote

Well Jack, I use one too. Yes, it makes a difference. No, you will not
likely get anyone on a ham group to agree with you. It seems that the SWLs
are not the only ones to do this. Drake builds them into their recievers.
Why would a manufacturer include a non functional part?

Hi C, I wish there was easy consensus on the subject, with comprehendible
(to me) science behind why Baluns help. But in the end there is a general
consensus of the unwashed, we non-phd's of radio engineering who desire the
electrical isolation, control of feedline radiation when swr is a bit high,
and agreed upon improvement in signal to noise ratio, which some argue
theoretically cannot be accurate. For our distant worked stations or
mobiles, we seem to have reason enough. I stopped trying to explain to the
very friendly but rigid thinking folks at Radio Works (where my Baluns come
from) - that I enjoy the configuration of a random wire end-fed with
one-half the balun shorted to ground. "That cannot work" they tell me, yet
not only did a real Doctor of Electrical Engineering release this
noise-limiting design in an old issue of "Proceedings", but I have worked
aircraft 3,000 miles away with reports of "loud and clear" (exactly how they
sounded to me). It's one of the best antennas that doesn't work I ever had!

At least there have been friendly and interesting comments offered by all on
this topic, and something to learn as the gurus weigh in ;-)

Jack

-end -

"Jack Painter" wrote in message
news:4XPnd.8198$D26.7997@lakeread03...

You know Howard, it's mostly amateur radio operators who have read too
much
and worked too little that make statements like "a balun for receiving
is
just for the balun makers benefit". These hams have little idea how
hobbyists who have special interest in DX, especially utility, and have
tried and tested numerous receiver antenna systems over the years. As I
said
earlier I too use ICE equipment on one receive-only antenna. I could
care
less what a stuffed-shirt thinks that does for my receive ability, as I
used
it first as a hobbyist and then professionally. It certainly does
improves
my digital and analog signal reception. I have that Ice box impedance
set
to
favor the lower bands on the wire and it at times outperforms a matched
dipole in reception. The compromise is that I lose usefulness of that
wire
much above 6 mhz,which is ok as it does it required job superfluously.
Now
the 4:1 current-type balun use on another wire-set antenna provides
quiet
listening as well as excellent transmit abilities from 2182 Khz through
11000 Khz. And of course I use a 1:1 current-balun on a long dipole.
Would
I
"have" to? Of course not. Does it improve the antennas abilities in
listening as well as transmit? You bet it does. Do what works for you
and
God help anyone who argues with that.

Jack Painter
Virginia Beach VA