These questions are relative to your antenna system and might help you understand more
about that SWR reading you, without question, trust and believe.

   I spend most of my time reading technical books that relate to hundreds of subjects. Many of them regarding electronics and radio, but I have also read and studied several books on welding, mechanical design, auto body repair, race engine building, high performance suspension and chassis...and others related to sports like baseball and football. I also enjoyed reading biographies written in first person. I rarely read a book I did not like, but then I rarely read fiction.
   I read a book for the third time just last week...yes for the "third" time I read Reflections by M. W. Maxwell (W2DU). Mr. Maxwell was an antenna genius. His biography is expressed in a few words as a "technical marvel". He wrote an entire series for QST and the ARRL that referenced for us , over decades, the properway to read understand and deal with antenna design and in one case "reflections". The book was based upon Walter's understanding and teachings about the one subject that is most commonly miss-interpreted subjects on our Ham Bands today.
   Walter Maxwell as a Ham and like most of us "old farts" he did not waste his knowledge on himself; as a technical advisor for the ARRL he wrote several articles for QST and eventually for the Radio Handbook and the Antenna Handbook. God Bless Walter Maxwell...his lectures, white papers and magazine articles have become my personal "elmer".
   The following pages, including the questions here and the results on the following pages, are all from Mr. Maxwells teachings. These are not "opinions', but are fact that you can take to the bank. Understand these principals and you will understand all that it takes to enjoy your favorite hobby. I mean, if you follow carefully and apply what you comprehend, your ability to "receive" and "transmit" will be forever enhanced.

     And now, 30 Questions, about SWR. You should not fail these questions.
     Anything less than perfect should not be tolerated.

   I was not motivated to do this paper after reading Walter Maxwells book "Reflections ~ TRANSMISSION LINES AND ANTENNAS". While I totally endorse Mr. Maxwell and give him 100% credit for this questionnaire, I was not motivated by him, or his writings. I was was however, motivated by individuals I have listened to on the HF bands like 160, 75 and 40 meters. Some of the comments and suggestions (actually they are lies) given to operators are not only insane or misunderstood, many are down right dangerous. If you read W2DU's articles, you will find out that not much information has changed since Walter wrote his articles for QST, but what has changed is the "level of testing" required to become an Amateur Radio operator. Even if you "ace" the element IV testing, you will probably miss most of these questions. These "true or false" questions are general information that most of us "old farts" took for granted. However somewhere in the past decade or so, these "facts" have been forgotten or some how changed...
   The "appliance operator" has taken all this for granted. To many of these "memory rendered Hams", radio is not some technological break-through like computers. Actually Radio and it's technology lead to computers...but certainly not "Twitter" or "Face Book". Real issue, you will not find this information posted on "You Tube" videos, so it must be bogus...well if it is so bogus...then take the test.
Please understand that these questions relate to HF (1.5-30MHz) frequencies and are common knowledge application to most "appliance" based Ham Radio Stations.

Ok, put on that thinking cap...keep your score the old fashioned way...write it down.
TRUE or FALSE:
(1) From an SWR reading, reflected power does not represent lost power beyond cable attenuation [T] or [F]?

(2) Reflected power does not flow back into the transmitter or the tuning device and it does not cause damage to the components there in [T] or [F]?

(3) Any effort to lower an SWR of 2:1, on a coaxial line, is completely wasted from the standpoint of significant increase in power transfer [T] or [F]?

(4) An SWR reading of 1:1 is not proof of a good quality antenna system or any indication that the system is radiating properly [T] or [F]?

(5) Any antenna RADIATING element need not be self-resonant for full "resonant" current flow, and the feed line need not be a particular length, and termination point of radiator and feed line needs not a "perfect match" [T] or [F]?

(6) If a suitable "matching network" (tuner) cancels all reactance rendered in a non-resonant radiator, fed by a  random length feed-line that is mismatched to said radiator, the antenna system resonant [T] or [F]?

(7) The majority of AM BROADCAST tower radiators operating between 540 KHz and 1600 KHz are at heights which mathematically are not resonant at the frequency used [T] or [F]?

(8) The SWR on the transmission line between the radiator and any matching device at the feed line input, is determined by the mismatch at the "load" and cannot be "changed" by the matching device [T] or [F]?

(9) Proper adjustment of a "matching device" for maximum line current creates a "perfect mirror" of termination for the reflected wave incident [T] or [F]?

(10) Total "return of reflection" of any amount of reflected power from the radiator back to the input (caused by feed line mismatch) is the reason such reflected power is not dissipated at the transmitter [T] or [F]?

(11) A good antenna system including a well designed "matching device" feeding an "open wire line" into a 130 foot center-fed dipole at 50 feet does not radiate significantly more power on 75 meters than does an 80 foot dipole at the same height fed with the same power [T] or [F]?

(12) A self resonant dipole fed with RG-8 or RG-11 cut for 3750 KHz does not, at that frequency, radiate more than it does at 3525 or 3985 KHz [T] or [F]?

(13) A 3750 KHz dipole fed with any length of 50 ohm coax and having an SWR of 1:1 will yield an SWR of 6:1 at 3500 KHz and close to 5:1 at 4000 Khz thereby using the coax as a tuned feeder, with no significant loss across the entire band [T] or [F]?

(14) With the use of a "transmatch" at the line input, proper coupling between the transmitter and the tuned-coax feeder (of any length) can be maintained over the entire 80 meter band  [T] or [F]?

(15) When using a DIPOLE antenna above ground, changing the height above ground or lowering the ends of the DIPOLE in order to increase or decrease radiator matching has an insignificant effect on power absorption by the antenna. [T] or [F]?

Take a break now and look over your answers...is there a pattern here? Most of the questions relate to each other and one answer is the same or similar to another preceding question...

(16) A 50 ohm tuned feed line at 3999 KHz can handle 700 watts of CW power within SWR readings of 5:1. SSB input power at this frequency can increase the ratings to up to 2000 watts. A 100 foot feed of RG8 with a 5:1 SWR has an attenuation loss of .78DB (or .46DB due to SWR) which is meaningless in terms of a broadcast signal level. [T] or [F]?

(17) If the length of feed line is critical in order to obtain the proper match, the identical matching impedance  can be obtained using any length of feed line by simply adding a "matching network" [T] or [F]?

(18) High SWR in a coaxial feed line caused by severe mis-match at the load, does not produce antenna currents on the feed line and it does not cause the feed line to radiate [T] or [F]?

(19) High SWR in a open wire feed line at HF frequencies, caused by load mismatch does not produce currents nor does it cause the feed line to radiate [T] or [F]?

(20) Both types of feed line may radiate, although not significantly, caused by re-radiation of energy "coupled" into the feed line from an asymmetrical positioning of said feed line to the radiator [T] or [F]?

(21)  SWR indicators need not be placed at the junction of the feed line to the radiator in order to obtain a more accurate reading [T] or [F]?

(22) The SWR in a feed line cannot be changed, adjusted or controlled in any manner by varying the length of said feed line [T] or [F]?

(23) If the SWR bridge indicator reading changes significantly when moved a few feet along the feed line it indicates "antenna current" is on the outside of the coax or the device is unreliable, or both [T] or [F]?

(24) Any reactance added to a resonant load (purely resistive) in order to compensate SWR readings will only make reflected matter worse, not better [T] or [F]?

(25) Of all common known types of DIPOLE antennas, including folded, fan, trap, coaxial or a combination of such, does not radiate more field (pattern) than another DIPOLE providing each has insignificant reactance losses while fed with the same power [T] or [F]?

(26) RG8 coax used in a HF mobile installation should have the MATCHING DEVICE located at the input to the coax in order to improve operating bandwidth [T] or [F]?

(27) Center loaded mobile antennas of equal size having no input matching device at the coax input, the best efficiency is obtained on units with the LOWEST terminal resistance, not the lowest SWR [T] or [F]?

(28) The RESONANT FREQUENCY of an antenna cannot be determined by probing the input of the feed line using a grid-dip meter or noise bridge, if that device cannot properly measure reactance [T] or [F]?

(29) Placing an SWR bridge at the input to the matching device can offer the same results when placed at the output of the matching device if the unit is read in reverse [T] or [F]?

(30) Tuning the receiver to the highest noise floor, using a matching device yields the same result as tuning the transmitter to the lowest SWR reading [T] or [F]?

There you have it. It is time for you to click here and get the results. There is a page of information explaining just why the answer is TRUE or FALSE. Be certain to have your eyes opened wide. All too many of the so called "brain trust" will miss at least 5 of these questions simply because they have been brain washed into thinking like "appliance operators". You "no tuner freaks" you are in for a serious awakening and the G5RV - Mystery - Bazooka gang, well what have you to say about those compromise antennas now?

Go ahead look at your results HERE. 

W3EUT
Thanks, The RFampGUY.

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