Tim Wescott wrote:
billcalley wrote:

We are all told that VSWR doesn't matter when using low loss
transmission lines, since the RF energy will travel from the
transmitter up to the mismatched antenna, where a certain amount of
this RF energy will reflect back towards the transmitter; after which
the RF will then reflect back up to the antenna -- where the energy is
eventually radiated after bouncing back and forth between the
transmitter and antenna. I understand the concept, but what I don't
quite understand is why the reflected RF energy isn't simply absorbed
by the 50 ohm output of the transmitter after the first reflection?
For the RF to bounce back and forth, wouldn't the transmitter's
impedance have to be very, very high (or low) when the reflected RF
energy hit its output stages? I know I'm missing something vital
here...

That's assuming you use an antenna tuner. The tuner will transform the
transmitter's output impedance* just as it transforms the line. Were
the transmitter output impedance actually at 50 ohms, on the other side
of the tuner it would have the same VSWR as the line when everything was
tuned up.

Having said that, the VSWR _does_ matter somewhat when using low loss
lines, both because the line loss is low but not zero, and the tuner
loss will tend to go up as you correct for higher and higher VSWR.

* I am _not_ going to start the Big Transmitter Output Impedance Debate.
sed denizens -- just don't comment on what a transmitter's "actual"
output impedance may be, lest you start a flame war.

If you want a quick lesson in high vswr find a ham with an old tube
transmitter and see if he will hook it up to a mismatched load. The
cherry red plates are the reflected energy being absorbed. Transistors
will just turn to smoke under the same conditions.

Dave WD9BDZ