K7ITM wrote:
The Smith chart, to me, remains a very valuable _visualization_ tool.

Here's a recent posting of mine from eHam.net:

someone wrote: There are very few people out there that
use the Smith Chart.

I'm not suggesting that they actually use a Smith Chart - just that they
learn how to use one and keep the Smith Chart in their heads as a
conceptual tool. With a conceptual image of a Smith Chart in their
heads, they not only know what the input and output impedances are but
also the path the impedance took to get from one point to another. Did
the SWR spiral cross the 50 ohm circle or the 1/50 mho circle during its
transition? If so, matching to 50 ohms is a one component piece of cake.
--
73, Cecil, IEEE, OOTC, http://www.w5dxp.com