"Reg Edwards" wrote

A 1" long connector WILL produce an SWR of 1.03:1 around 3 GHz
but no worse. If you can reliably measure it.

AND

Connector salesmen (and no doubt ladies) have the habit of exaggerating
the
importance and magitude of SWR ON THE LINE associated with the precision
of
connector manufacture. The habit transfers itself into magazine articles
without any supporting practical experiments.
______________________

REG: Please consider this.

Most TV transmit antenna systems have an adjustable RF transformer installed
at the antenna input connector. This transformer consists of 4 or 5 brass
"pins" of about 5/8" diameter spread evenly across a 90 degree section of
rigid transmission line. These pins can be inserted radially into the space
between the outer and inner conductors of that line section. When the pins
are withdrawn fully, they have no affect on the natural impedance of that
line section, but can produce a spatially discrete SWR as function of their
insertion distance into the line.

I, personally, and many other broadcast engineers have been involved in the
adjustment of such RF transformers to optimize the match between the main
transmission line and the antenna input [including its elbow complex(es)],
at the frequencies used in commercial VHF/UHF television -- which start at
54 MHz.

This requires (1) purchase and installation of the transformer, (2)
deployment of a tower crew to adjust it, and (3) use of a qualified field
engineer in the tx bldg with the appropriate test equipment and field
experience to direct the adjustment of that variable transformer.

Obviously, these processes are not inexpensive, and would not be undertaken
if there was no reason. The reason: to optimize the match between the main
line and the antenna, and thus to transmit the "cleanest" video.

This PRACTICAL experience illustrates that an impedance change even in a
54-60MHz TV channel occurring within a physical space of less than one inch
can produce important and commercially supportable system benefits, despite
your statements quoted above.

I invite you to post the contrary result(s) of your own "practical
experiments," and/or those of others.

RF

Visit http://rfry.org for FM broadcast RF system papers.