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While it looks very similar, it's not the same. I prefer the Optima. The Optima is not an AM screamer but it is far superior on SSB, particularly with an Icom HM-36 mic. As well, the Optima is far more user friendly, frequency-wise.

Old Mk2 problems are solved. 50W PEP SSB, (I saw 50W on a whistle), 15W AM and FM.

A bypass capacitor is one which is in parallel with the DC line. Typically between the + line feeding in or out of a device, and ground. A typical bypass cap would be .01uF

Bypass caps are always good.

Are you using the Icom HM-36 mic on it? I am, and find I get superb audio reports.

I've been a ham since 1969. I use "export/10M" (2510, Optima) radios on 10M all the time, both mobile and at home. Convenient and cheap, and they get the job done. If anyone doesn't like the rig I'm running, they can kiss my a$$.

Yup. Hy-Gain

This is the type of inverted-Vee antenna I'm talking about. Your antenna, (whatever it is) has some peculiar characteristics that present a 1:1 match in your case.

I'm getting it from Fred Terman, John Kraus, Edmund A. Laport and 45 years of experience. Oh, and the ARRL antenna book.

SWR on dipoles. A horizontal (or vertical) dipole exhibits a 70 ohm impedance. 70 ohms is the natural Z of a half-wave dipole, so you will see a typical SWR of 1.5:1. An inverted-Vee exhibits an impedance of 50 ohms. so your SWR will be a flat 1:1.

Yeah. What he said.

The MFJ-259/269B is indispensable. I have one, and could not do antenna work without it.

Hmmm.... OK. You really don't need a balun, unless you're anal retentive about balance and perfect patterns. With that gizmo, I wouldn't worry about a balun. Yup, run that MFJ-915 in line, and it should be OK.

Nope, that MFJ-915 is a line isolator, and won't do the job. Same for those coax chokes. Those are simple common mode chokes and are not baluns. I recommend the MFJ-918 for your dipole application.

Since a normal half-wave dipole is approximately 70 ohms, or so, a standard 1:1 balun should do fine. Make sure it's a current balun (MFJ, Radio Works sells them).

Not quite. With skywave (skip), you have the phenomenon of "Faraday Rotation" where the action of traveling up to and bouncing off the ionosphere causes the signal to rotate or twist at in an unpredictable and unknown way. Thus, the receive signal can be any polarity, vertical or horizontal...

What radio(s) are you using on it?

I agree. Good (but not great) conditions. Band is open all over. SSB is active as is FM, but I'm not hearing too much AM, unfortunately. As usual, I'm always monitoring 28.420.

Imagine what an AL-82 would do? :wink:

Houston, Texas, eh? You must not get a lot of snow down there. That Enforcer would be useless up north in the winter. Snow packing the coil would detune that thing and make it useless. Even my Hygain Penetrator changes SWR with snow. Even a hard rain changes it too. Those Macos...