[TenTec] SWR is a DUMB Indicator of Antenna Performance

[Phil Sussman]

"Bottom line -- SWR is DUMB, STUPID, and USELESS as a measure of   
antenna performance."  --> TRUE


"I can LOAD a lightbulb, but it's a lousy antenna. --> NOT SO TRUE
I once used a 60w light bulb as a dummy load. But on 10m it worked JA  
59. --> TRUE

73 de Phil - N8PS



Quoting Jim Brown <k9yc at audiosystemsgroup.com>:

>
>> My Ten-Tec 238 tune my 80 double ext.zepp on all bands 160-10 with  
>> a 4-1 balun 182 ft of 400 ladder line then the 4-1 with 20ft of coax.
>
> No, it doesn't "tune" your 80 double ext.zepp, it creates a match  
> between the transmitter and the FEEDLINE that allows the transmitter  
> to dump power into the FEEDLINE. How much of that power gets to the  
> antenna depends on the mismatch between the feedline and the  
> antenna. It's pretty common to lose 10 dB between the transmitter  
> and an "all band" dipole. 10 dB is 90% of the transmitter power.
>
> I can make my 80M dipole look like 1:1 on 30M to my 200W amplifier,  
> but mismatch loss is determined by the match between the ANTENNA and  
> the FEEDLINE, and I would be burning 180 of those 200W in the  
> feedline.
>
> Bottom line -- SWR is DUMB, STUPID, and USELESS as a measure of  
> antenna performance. I can LOAD a lightbulb, but it's a lousy antenna.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
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