I was reading a text recently where the author describes that as a small boy he used to dismantle radio receivers. He describes watching the half round plates of the tuning capacitor intermesh as he tuned in different frequency stations. He explains that at this point in his youth, while he had no knowledge of what a capacitor was or how it worked, he did however appreciate and understand that it was this component device that allowed him to tune in different stations or frequencies on the receiver. This reference made me think of the logarithmic curve that is often designed into the rotor plates of many tuning capacitors. I have always marveled at the understanding of the logarithmic area of the capacitor's shape, and how it relates in an L/C circuit.

I recall many years ago, that as a whim, I removed the cabinet screws of an antenna turner "Transmatch" to show the students of the Ham Radio class I was teaching how this device worked. The response I got startled me! The students were enlightened and enthused at the physical nature of the Transmatch's design. They all commented on now seeing and being able to absorb how the device worked. The simple added "tool" of showing them the actual device allowed them to absorb the concept of its operation. This also allowed me to save a great deal of time in otherwise detailed explanation and mathematics. I learned something myself during that experience, it is within simple not complicated demonstrations that the best knowledge is imparted!

If perhaps when we look at radio and try to understand the concepts of resonance, reactance, coupling, and impedance transformation, maybe we would do better to think in terms of the physical attributes these functions describe. The SWR curve that is represented by a properly functioning antenna over the "bandwidth" of its operation is a constant in our physical universe. A Smith chart is a physical geometric tool that describes this process. I wrote an article a few years ago entitled "Why Antennas Look Like They Do". This turned out to be, according to reader response, one of the most popular Ham Radio articles I have written. At the time I was surprised but, now I look at this as the normal occurrence of a natural condition. When a person can literally see and picture the intrinsic operation of a device by its physical nature, it gives that person a tool to conceptualize from.

As I write this article I am merely rambling. I am trying to broadly convey the beauty and ease by which radio work is accomplished! I suspect that many people feel threatened by working with radio as Hams. Some of this may be the same sort of anomic frustration they feel as they try to relate to computers and microprocessor controls. I would bet that they feel, even subconsciously, that perhaps this is the domain and realm of eggheads with calculators, and engineering degrees. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Ham Radio is the domain and realm of the REAL SCIENTISTS and ENGINEERS. These are the ones who research their world by constructing experiments from what is in front of them, and find answers from these physical attributes. We don't have enough tinkerers, thinkers and experimenters in Ham Radio these days. We need more!