1:1 balun for 6m - will "HF" rated model work?

[montyhouse]

Awhile ago, I built a 6m dipole using 1/2" EMT conduit as radiators. I was considering adding an inexpensive 1:1 balun even though the SWR is acceptable (~1.4). Since I didn't want to spend much, I found a "mini" 1:1 balun on Amazon for about $15 but it's considered to be for HF (as is the small, much-more-expensive 1:1 balun at DXE). Is there a significant issue with using this >30 MHz?

 

[merlin]

If the ferrite mix is intended for up to 30 Mhz, you will have a significant loss at 50 Mhz.
The ARRL antenna book can give you a better idea for making your own balun and inexpensively.

 

[K7MEM]

Is there a reason that you want to add a balun? Are you having problems with the antenna?

A 1:1 Balun is not intended to make your SWR better. The balun is intended to assist the transition from the "unbalanced" coax to the "balanced" dipole. This helps keep common mode currents off of the coax. The common mode currents can be the source of interference with other devices.

Maybe all you need is a choke balun. They are pretty easy to build. Just do a Google search using "diy balun for 6 meters" to get lots of information.

 

[prcguy]

The only way to know if the HF balun is useful at 6m is to test it and that can be done on a 2 port vector or scaler network analyzer or inexpensive Nano VNA. The cheap Amazon balun probably has some choking effect on 6m but you can do much better for about what you paid using a single 61 mix or 52 mix ferrite toroid. I don't have specific winding info for 6m but I would expect something like 6 to 8 turns of small dia coax around an FT-240-61 core or a few more turns around an FT-240-52 core should choke the heck out of 6m and isolate the antenna from the coax very well.