Keith Dysart wrote:
I am not convinced. The value is still being determined
by accounting for all the other phase shifts and then
subtracting from 90. I would be more convinced of the
utility if the value could be computed from first principles
and then used, for example, to compute the length of
the whip.

That can easily be done. The s-parameter equations do
exactly that when applied at an impedance discontinuity.
a1, a2, b1, and b2 are all phasors each with an amplitude
and a phase.


b1 = s11*a1 + s12*a2

b2 = s21*a1 + s22*a2

The angle between b1 and b2 is the phase shift at
the impedance discontinuity.

Now are you convinced?

What happened to the missing 37 degrees?

Perhaps, like the missing dollar, it is simply a number
with no meaning.

Perhaps, if you would do the s-parameter analysis, you
would see the phase shift for yourself so it would
have meaning to you.

As an aside, allowing the possibility of this "phase shift" at
the joint, how would you compute the phase shift when a
parallel stub is used, or when multiple parallel stubs are
used to obtain the desired result? And which stub will be
used to define the 90 degrees from which the others are
subtracted?

Please don't complicate things before you have understood
the simple things.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com