Smoke & Mirrors: Tales from the RF Underworld
Smoke & Mirrors: Tales from the RF Underworld
Where theory meets creative interpretation — and common sense takes a coffee break. Wander the alleys where coax gremlins whisper sweet SWR lies, endfeds defy physics (barely), and backyard gurus swear by coat hangers and moon phases.
For readers with a wicked mindset, a soldering iron in one hand, and a raised eyebrow in the other.
Start Here — Editor’s Picks
The Magical Mystery Wire
End-fed folklore vs. physics.
From “flat SWR salvation” to ferrite barbeques — a confessional of the EFHW congregation and their box of dreams.
OpenReciproke or Go Broke
“Universal” antennas, universally optimistic.
A lovingly snarky send-off to Swiss-army radiators that promise everything and deliver brochure poetry.
OpenNECtasy & the Perfect Polar Plot
Pretty lobes, messy reality.
On falling in love with immaculate simulations—right up to the moment copper meets wind, rain, and neighbors.
OpenThe Common Mode Conundrum
When physics meets folklore.
Choking is caring: why feedlines radiate, ferrites smoke, and comment sections combust.
OpenRelated reading: New here? Start with the fundamentals behind the jokes: Ham Radio 101 — The RF Engineering Behind the Signals
All Dispatches
- The Magical Mystery Wire: Confessions of the End-Fed Believers The EFHW revival, the 49:1 fairy dust, and why “1:1 everywhere” can still mean “ERP nowhere.”
- Reciproke or Go Broke: Why Your "Universal" Antenna Belongs in a Museum Retiring the one-size-fits-none radiator to a museum of optimistic brochures and dashed hopes.
- NECtasy and the Myth of the Perfect Polar Plot Polar plots so clean you can eat off them—until weather, height, soil, and coax say hello.
- The Cult of Reciprocity™ – CMR is a Conspiracy, RDF is Elitism and Patterns are Truth A playful heresy against “it’s the same on RX and TX”—in the real world, the environment votes.
- Still Listening Linear on NVIS? You propably like QSB? If you enjoy QSB rollercoasters, keep it linear. Otherwise, pattern control is your friend.
- A Vertical Follows the Propagation with it's built-in GPS A mock infomercial for the self-aiming miracle stick that magically knows where DX is tonight.
- The Modern RF Engineer and the Ohmic Oracle Where resistance is futile, impedance is destiny, and the multimeter is a crystal ball.
- The Cult of the Mirrored Bifilar Choke: Where Symmetry Goes to Die Because nothing says “balance” like copying the mistake twice and calling it symmetry.
- The Sacred Copper Rod: A Love Letter to the Most Useless Piece of Metal in Your Shack A romantic ode to the rod that solves nothing yet appears in every guru’s “ultimate fix.”
- The Common Mode Conundrum: When Physics Meets Folklore Folklore says ignore CMC; physics says enjoy RFI, skewed patterns, and a fried LNA.
- HamRadio: The Faith-Based Wireless Religion A tongue-in-cheek sermon on testimonies, miracles, and the sacred SWR screenshot.
- The Sacred Faraday Blanket of Saint QRMbert Wrap it around your router and behold: thou shalt smite QRM (or at least feel warmer).
- Resonance Is Bliss: The Cult of the Perfect Match When “1.0:1” becomes a lifestyle brand and efficiency quietly slips out the back door.
- Noise is the New DX – The Urban Operator’s Guide to Misguided RX If your S-meter reads 9+ all day, congratulations—you’re hearing everything except signals.
- When Your Antenna’s “Wideband” Isn’t Wide Anything Portable dreams meet physics: wideband claims, narrow outcomes, and the hungry camper logbook.
- Height Is Might — Until Your Noise Floor Is King Yes, height helps—until your feedline becomes a noise antenna and the neighborhood joins the QSO.
- No sacred cows. Especially not copper ones.
- Evidence beats anecdotes. Punchlines beat both.
- Simulations welcome. Real-world plots preferred. Unicorn baluns discouraged.
Got a spicy tale from the shack?
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Joeri Van Dooren, ON6URE — RF engineer, antenna designer, and founder of RF.Guru, specializing in high-performance HF/VHF antennas and RF components.