1:1 SWR – The Myth That Just Won’t Go Away

Ask almost any new amateur radio operator what they're aiming for when they put up an antenna, and you'll almost certainly hear the same answer: "A 1:1 SWR." It gets repeated on forums, in club meetings, and in YouTube comments with the confidence of gospel truth. There's just one problem - for the vast majority of antennas, a 1:1 SWR is not only unnecessary, it's actually a sign that something…