TenTec
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [TenTec] SWR is a DUMB Indicator of Antenna Performance

To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] SWR is a DUMB Indicator of Antenna Performance
From: Steve Hunt <steve@karinya.net>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 09:03:37 +0100
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Bob,

Another typical application where this stuff matters is a multiband doublet fed with ladderline. For convenience a lot of folk terminate the ladderline at a balun outside the shack, and then use a short length of coax from the balun - through the shack wall - back to the tuner. If you want to know the real losses in that short coax run, avoid those "added loss due to SWR" tables.

Here's a related "Ham Myth". How many times have you heard the increased loss due to SWR explained along these lines:

"The forward wave - because it's a travelling wave - suffers the matched-line-loss. Part of the forward wave is reflected at the load, and that reflected travelling wave now suffers the matched-line-loss back along the line until it reaches the source where in turn it is partially re-reflected etc etc etc. The total loss under mismatched conditions is then the accumulated individual losses"

As we have seen, that type of explanation is flawed - it predicts that the total line loss will always be higher under mis-matched conditions. It also suggests that the losses are evenly distributed along the line. We know that isn't true - a line with a 10:1 SWR has 100 times the loss at current maxima compared to the loss at current minima.

Steve G3TXQ




On 16/09/2014 00:09, Bob McGraw - K4TAX wrote:
Good explanation and I do see the reference.  Thanks.

73
Bob, K4TAX


_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>