[TVARC] Humor: Does “SWR” Mean Multiple Things?

[Anthony Wayne Hackenberg]

Hi Members of TVARC’s MailList,

My signal has been outstanding for several weeks now as I’ve been making DX contacts like crazy on all the HF bands WITHOUT having to fiddle with my external antenna tuner.  The SWR has been nearly 1:1 for all my recent QSOs using FT8 mode.

So, earlier today (Friday the thirteenth of October 2023), I decided to investigate more closely why my signal has been so potent lately.  When I visually inspected the base of the flagpole antenna (adjacent to the external tuner), I was surprised to discover the “cause” of my excellent “SWR”!  See the attached photos to share in my surprise discovery that SWR doesn’t always stand for standing wave ratio. 😀









Spoiler Alert (read only if the attached photos didn’t already give away the punch line). So, SWR can mean standing wave ratio; but, it can also mean other things (like “snake wiggling ratio”)!😆😂

Seriously, this points out why should always look carefully and thoroughly BEFORE reaching your hand down to connect up your feed line to the tuner (especially if there’s dense foliage or other materials in the way of a clear field of vision).  Apparently, according to a contractor (house power washed today), my snake squatter is a harmless rat snake BUT do NOT take my uneducated word on this (as I need to use these photos to adequately identify this crawling critter usung the internet’s resources).

73,

Tony
TVARC Member
Call sign: K4QR
Sent from my iPad
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