If you use a Magnetic Longwire Balun, ANY length of wire should present roughly
50 ohms to the receiver. The amount of extra signal will be considerable! I
used 33 feet of wire with a Roberts RC818 some years ago, which worked really
well, but when I added the MLB, there was a vast improvement. These MLBs have a
PL259(actually SO239) connection at one end and a wing nut for your longwire at
the other end. Hayden, W&S, and Maplin all supply them here in the UK for about
£20. A worthwhile investment for the terminally lazy! Otherwise, an ATU is
perhaps a better option, except that browsing a band will require constant
retuning of the ATU. Personally Id suggest an ATU over an MLB because there
will be attenuation of off freq signals that may otherwise cause you problems.
So theres your choice! If you want some help building an ATU or sourcing
parts, E-mail me, but take QRM off my e-mail addy, ...John.