This summer I had a couple of junior year EE interns in the shop to do some dirtywork. They got very very familiar with antenna range measurements by the end of the summer. But I had to laugh when I would ask them to measure the return loss on a new design. They would look confused and then spend time on the phone and google to figure out what I had just asked them. I finally gave them the manuals for the two main types of vector network analyzers we use and told them to read them. So, once they got that down, the next time I asked them to measure the VSWR. Again, confusion, google, phone calls. I was having fun. Third time I asked for S11 measurement, by then they were catching on and it wasn't much of a problem. But then, I asked for impedance. Arrgh, you would have thought I had asked them to re-take a semester of calculus. Calls, google etc etc. They were getting agitated. So I finally showed them where the smith chart button was on the VNA. It popped up showing a nice little arc somewhat near the center. You would have thought I had dropped an ice cube down their backs. They thought that was some ancient method that was never used anymore. Au Contraire... By the end of the summer they finally figured out that RL and S11 and Z parameters and VSWR were all manifestations of the same thing. And they finally accepted the fact that we really do use all that crap they teach in college. This fall they were about to embark on their first semester of electrodynamics, as a parting comment I said "you guys do remember partial differential equations, don't you". Pained expressions... "they told us we would never have to use them"!
Too bad I didn't have a slotted line and crystal detector. But I was paying them, so just as well. They might be still making that first measurement. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jonathan Schmidt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Meanwhile, I'll go back to my Smith Charts, grid dip meter, SWR > cross-needle meter, and TDR equipment that served me so well all these > years. I run a clean shop. > > . . . J o n a t h a n -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
