CQ Amateur Radio

Antenna Misconceptions

“It ain’t what we don’t know that gets us in trouble: It’s what we do know for sure that just ain’t so.”1

Words that ring so true to understanding radio antennas. I’ve had the “knows” listed below most of my early adult life, and in a continuous quest, a thirst, for more knowledge on the subject, have found misconceptions that I share here. Am I the final arbiter thereof? Hardly. As a challenge, convince me that I’m wrong …

1) SWR: A lecture about antennas began with an ice breaker, a simple question: “What’s the most important thing about a radio antenna?” A bit of fishing among the raised hands got, within three attempts: “SWR”.

Really?

Much of the dummy load rose from beneath the lectern, with the statement, “Lecture over. Thank you all for coming.” ()

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