THE RUBBER BALUN

 

It seems to me that no other term is as flexible as the term “BALUN.”

 

Reading comments from many participants of several groups I am a member of, I have come to the conclusion that most hams feel a balun is a balun is a balun.  In other words, any and everything that is called a balun is exactly the same as every other device that is called a balun.

 

Baluns come in many shapes and are based on many designs.  We often hear terms such as:

  • Voltage Balun or Current Balun
  • Ruthroff Balun, Guanella Balun, Maxwell Balun or Reisert Balun
  • Choke Balun
  • Transformer Balun

And then there are the various Balun Ratios:

  • 1:1 Balun, 4:1 Balun, 6:1 Balun, 9:1 Balun

 

With all of these terms describing our Balun, how can it be that so many of our fellow hams put so little thought into the technology of the Balun?

 

I have often commented that a Balun is just an RF Choke.  I have been chastised for that.  Yet how many people can actually describe the difference between a Balun and an RF Choke?

 

 

How many hams could even write a single paragraph telling us what a Balun is and what its primary purpose in our ham radio environment is?

 

 

If  YOU cannot do that, maybe now would be the time to invest half an hour into learning about this important device.

 

 

If  you care to do so, then I recommend you begin by reading an 8-page paper written by Roy Lewallen, “Baluns: What they do  and how they do it.”

 

Download: Baluns: What They Do And How They Do It

 

 

THE DIRTY TRUTH: 

At least 50% written in the Internet about baluns is false.

 

 

I do not profess to know all there is to know about Baluns, but I know quite a bit, just by reading the right sources.

 

 

If you would like to learn more, of course buying and reading Jerry Sevick’s book on “Understanding, Building, and Using Baluns and Ununs” would be a good idea.

 

 

But there are other sources, where you can learn for free.

 

I suggest you see my introduction to baluns, AND THEN read the free information in the links I point you to; links from famous authors such as W7EL, GM3SEK, G3TXQ, W8JI, and K9YC.

(Unfortunately the excellent web site of VK1OD is no longer available).

 

Finally, I have just created a 1-Page executive overview on what baluns do.  See:  WHAT BALUNS DO

 

 

TO BALUN OVERVIEW PAGE  è