[TenTec] Re: Al Gavenas' position on Front-End atenuation

[Gene Buckle]

> For decades there has been the notion that unless a feedline shows as close
> to 1:1 SWR as possible, the antenna is no good. Folks have literally spent
> months pruning, trimming and trying arcane things trying to reduce an SWR
> from 1.2:1 to 1:1. And for no good reason . . .
>
I suppose it's like asking why dogs chase cars.  Because they can. :)
Personally, I think they should be going the other way and try to get
1:1.2 out of it. *laughs*

I recently built a pair of copper j-poles based on the QST article that's
on the ARRL website.  I'd never soldered copper in my life and was totally
shocked when the SWR meter didn't even twitch when I tested them.

> r-f gain. In those days, that was the only way to receive CW. Nowadays our
> modern receivers have distributed, multi-loop AGC systems that can far
> surpass the ability of a human - most of the time! - to control gain in the
> receiver.
>
So it basically boils down to a knob that while not doing much, is
required in order to sell the radio to people that expect it to be there?
:)

> Hope this answers your questions, Gene. Thanks for asking!
>
Great answers George, thanks!

g.