"Jerry Martes" wrote
I have no understanding of why you find it important to state things
that
are not true about VSWR.

===================================
Jerry,

It is important because the SWR meter is EDUCATIONAL. It is more than
a pair of red and green LED's on our automatic tuners.

All along I have stated that the name of the so-called SWR meter
should be changed. Other more technical statements have been made to
convince they whose state of mind prevents agreement.

Remarkably few people disagree with my technical statements but offer
no reasons for disagreement or prove me to be incorrect.

SWR meters are by far the most prevelent topic on amateur radio
newsgroups. It appears time and time again in contexts which
demonstrate it to be a source of misunderstandings, arguments and
general confusion.

I maintain that the instrument's name is the root cause of the
problems. It does not do what its name says it does. This inevitably
leads people, not just novices and CB-ers, into incorrect channels of
thought which become deeply ingrained. It unnecessarily introduces
SWR into discussions which actually have nothing to do with SWR. And
worst of all, when operating equipment, it causes people to have
problems which either don't exist or are different to what people
imagine they are. Mis-education is the keyword.

Re-naming should begin in amateur radio handbooks and similar
publications. Editors should be the first to be educated.

SWR meters are seldom mentioned as such in professional text books.
They are given other more correct names. Terman manages very well
wthout them. But there's nothing wrong with his bibles. (Yes, I know
they probably hadn't been invented in his day.)

Perhaps when our Chinese friends enter the amateur radio market,
manufacturers' wisdom will allow the light of reason to shine through.
But they will have to get a move on. I can foresee the time when
automatic tuners are universal and the only meter on black boxes will
be the S-meter.

I don't doubt that you thoroughly understand how the so-called SWR
meter works. But even the present discussion is enough to demonstrate
that a simple change is needed. In the end it all reduces to
economics and survival of the fittest argument.
----
Reg, G4FGQ