On Mar 21, 3:06 pm, (Richard Harrison)
wrote:
Bird says of its Model 43 Wattmeter: "Experience using the "Thruline"
Wattmeter for transmitter tune-up, antenna matching, etc. (i.e. on
operating problems), shows that the power ratio is as useful in practice
as the VSWR."

One can see reflected power disappear at the transmitter terminals as a
match is made to the transmitter load. That eliminates stress on the
transmitter from reverse power.

I suggest that a more accurate description would read:
"One can see the indication on meter go to zero at the transmitter
terminals as the match is made to the transmitter load".

The scale on the meter could be labelled "furlongs per fortnight" and
this would still be true.

After exploring alternative explanations for the various phenomena,
the explorer will be ready to understand what a directional wattmeter
really measures (as opposed to what its meter scale claims to
indicate)
and truly understand what inferences can be correctly made from its
indications.

Reverse power is as real as its Bird Wattmeter indication.

I absolutely agree with this.

....Keith