[Antennas] Complex Characteristic Impedance of Cables

[Jim Reid]

Ok,  down to "basics".

What is "reactance"?  I don't mean all the engineering and
mathmatical tools and concepts we use to "deal" with
reactance;  I mean:  what is it?

Consider potential and kinetic energy.  I believe that a system
or component,  when operating as intended, is a good "pipe"
for kinetic energy to flow through.  Now,  reactance is some
sort of conveter;  a converter which somehow detours good,
useful kinetic energy off into a resovoir of potential energy.

That is,  energy has been put into the "system" to accomplish
some purpose,  but some of it is sidetracked;  when sidetracked
we have tools to deal with it.  All of that is involved in the 
business of reactance, matching, resonating,  etc.,  etc.

In our radio "systems",  where we have tools which talk about
capacitance and inductance,  these are just words to describe
the characteristic of the resovoirs in which our useful kinetic
energy gets trapped: (1)  in an electrical field which is going
nowhere,  and doing nothing useful -- we call that "capacitive
reactance" or negative jX. (2) If our energy is trapped into
a potential energy resovoir of a magnetic field -- we call
that "inductive reactance", or positive jX.

Well,  I propose going no further with this.  I am in sort of
a funk tonight!  My new radio has not yet been shipped to
me,  and I have wandered off into pity land,  hi.  So I found
your thread about Zo a useful place to toss out some discussion
fodder;  fodder whose resolution will accomplish no useful
purpose whatsoever.  But,  it is a release for my frustration
this Friday late evening.

Just delete this thing and forget it;  it has already served my
purpose.

73,  Jim  KH7M
On a continuing wet and rainy May evening on Kauai to which
the propagation is lousy!