On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 12:05:15 GMT, "W. Watson"
wrote:

...Maybe I'm thinking of (hoping for) some grand
unified radio or telescope (and methodology) that
sucks up any EM wave one can throw at it. One size
fits all. Apparently, we've got a long way to go
on that. :-)

The methodology (and perhaps the viewpoint) you are
looking for is... Optics.

From an Optics viewpoint, you're born with two antennas
in your head (that you are using to read this).

From an Optics viewpoint, a hole in a piece of cardboard
is an antenna (an aperture).

From an Optics viewpoint, radio antennas (monopoles,
dipoles, yagis, Sterba curtains) are just minor
peculiarities one encounters when wavelength becomes
"human-sized".

From an Optics viewpoint, we've been at this for an
awfully long time. Maxwell's equations and quantum
mechanics are just frosting on a very large cake. A
great deal of Physics has been devoted to studying
electromagnetic radiation over the centuries.

Unfortunately, the study of Optics is not for the
faint of heart. It leads directly into the heart of
the Physical Universe and things tend to get very
messy, and very mathematical. However, even from
the periphery, the insights are rewarding. Every
time you pick up a camera, you think "antenna".
Every time you see an incandescent lamp, you think
"antennas" (jillions of them). Every time you see
a satellite dish, you think "telescope". And so on...

Jim, K7JEB

K7JEB wrote:
From an Optics viewpoint, we've been at this for an
awfully long time. Maxwell's equations and quantum
mechanics are just frosting on a very large cake. A
great deal of Physics has been devoted to studying
electromagnetic radiation over the centuries.

In particular:
An understanding of how RF reflections can be eliminated
by a 1/4WL series matching section can be had from
understanding how a 1/4WL layer of thin-film on glass can
eliminate coherent light reflections from the surface of
the thin-film. The irradiance equations which predict the
power distribution of light waves undergoing interference
can be used to understand RF energy flow in a transmission
line with reflections. Staring at oneself in a mirror
should convince any skeptical RF engineer that reflected
energy actually makes a round trip to the reflection point
and back and doesn't flow directly from the image-source
to the eye (or to the circulator load resistor). :-)
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp