To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 15:23:47 -0400
> From: "Joseph A. Feustle, Jr." <jfeustle@uoft02.utoledo.edu>
> already as about as empty as a debate can get. Why don't we all wait until
> we have the full set of documents in our hands and then we can jump all
> over this thing.
Hi Joe and all,
First of all let me say that I really appreciate hands-on work and
the direct approach used in the antenna tests. I'm not talking about
that one specific test, but rather a lot of "stuff" published or
presented lately. At least this test involved the direct use of
measured FS!
Once information is placed in public, a lot of people jump on the
data as "factual" or "conclusive" and many times mistakes are not
corrected.
There are dozens of examples where mistakes were (and are) made in
methods, yet data is accepted into the mainstream without
correction or "warning". It's common with equipment reviews done on a
test bench (even by the most "professional" of our amateur
radio technical resources), and even more common with antennas where
measurements are more esoteric.
There are countless examples where incorrect measurement designs or
measurement methods fall into our mainstream as accepted methods.
Want specific examples? How about:
1.) Feedpoint resistance being used to determine system efficiency.
2.) Current measurements in one small part of a complex system being
used to determine efficiency.
3.) SWR change being used to determine efficiency.
4.) Bandwidth being used to determine efficiency.
In general terms, it is always better to sort through and fully
understand the measurement method we choose BEFORE releasing data.
Sadly, we almost never do that.
Before using the data released, I'd want to understand what it does
and does not actually tell us.
73, Tom W8JI
w8ji.tom@MCIONE.com
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