Dave wrote:

"Reg Edwards" wrote in message
...

Reflected power is a mere fiction. Power which is not radiated from an
antenna never actually arrives there. In fact it never leaves the
transmitter.

but, but, but, i can SEE reflected power! it shows on my TDR, i can see
ghosts in video from it, i can measure it, i can catch it in a circulator!
how can it be fiction?!?!?!

You aren't being literal-minded enough. When you claim to "see" and
"measure" reflected power, you're applying theories that assume it
exists. You are not proving that it does exist.

What shows on your TDR, as ghosts on your TV, and also on a slotted
line, is the interaction between forward and reflected voltage waves.
Likewise a circulator (or a directional coupler) processes the voltage
and current waves. I've yet to see a fully detailed functional
explanation of any of those devices in terms of power waves alone.

That is because "forward and reflected power waves" is a derivative
concept. It depends on concepts of voltage and current waves for its
existence; but it doesn't add anything useful that we didn't already
know.


--
73 from Ian G3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek