We Waited on Purpose — 18 Articles for April 18
We could have sent this issue on April 15. We did not.
Not because the mail server forgot us. Not because the ferrites were still cooling down. And not because someone somewhere was still insisting that a perfect SWR curve proves everything that matters.
We held this one back for World Amateur Radio Day on April 18 — and if there was ever a good excuse to break our usual rhythm, this was it. So for once, the number is not marketing fluff: 18 April, 18 articles.
Normally we distrust neat numerology in RF. This time, we allowed ourselves one carefully controlled exception.
Why Broadside Does Not Really Add Much in a Compact 4-Square Receive Array
A useful correction for anyone expecting broadside mode to unlock hidden magic in a physically compact receive array.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/why-broadside-does-not-really-add-much-in-a-compact-4-square-receive-array
9-Circle vs 4-Square on 160, 80, and 40 Meters
More elements do not automatically mean better results. This compares two serious low-band receive concepts where geometry still rules.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/9-circle-vs-4-square-on-160-80-and-40-meters
Fixed 45° / 90° Hybrids in a Receive 4-Square: Choosing the Right Spacing for 160, 80, and 40 Meters
Phasing networks do not rescue bad spacing. This one gets into the geometry that actually decides whether the array behaves.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/fixed-45-90-hybrids-in-a-receive-4-square-choosing-the-right-spacing-for-160-80-and-40-meters
Front/Back and 0°: Why Phasing Still Needs a Convention
When a phasing discussion starts without a reference convention, confusion is guaranteed. This article restores some order.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/front-back-and-0-why-phasing-still-needs-a-convention
SD Antenna: Clever, Compact HF Receive Beamforming — But Not Magic
A thoughtful look at a smart receive concept that deserves engineering respect, but not mythology.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/sd-antenna-clever-compact-hf-receive-beamforming-but-not-magic
Why My Trusty Hytera Still Wins the Hotspot Test
Sometimes the “older, boring, reliable” radio still beats the newer options where it counts: actual audio and actual usability.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/why-my-trusty-hytera-still-wins-the-hotspot-test
Escaping SMPS Hell: Cleaning Hotspot Audio with a USB Filter
Switch-mode noise keeps finding new ways into small stations. This is a practical fix for a problem many people misdiagnose.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/escaping-smps-hell-cleaning-hotspot-audio-with-a-usb-filter
Where to Measure a Multiband Antenna with an Antenna Analyzer
An analyzer is only as useful as the point where you connect it. This article explains where measurement starts helping — and where it starts misleading.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/where-to-measure-a-multiband-antenna-with-an-antenna-analyzer
Characteristic Impedance Is Not a Resistor
A basic idea that somehow keeps getting flattened into the wrong mental model. This one untangles it properly.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/characteristic-impedance-is-not-a-resistor
Tools Every Ham Radio Operator Actually Needs
Not the fantasy bench. Not the influencer bench. Just the tools that genuinely earn their place.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/tools-every-ham-radio-operator-actually-needs
Beverage vs BOG: The Real Differences, the Pros and Cons, and What Works Best in the Field
Two antennas that get compared casually but behave differently enough that the details matter — especially outside the brochure.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/beverage-vs-bog-the-real-differences-the-pros-and-cons-and-what-works-best-in-the-field
The Antenna That Hates Good Ground: Why a Beverage Dies at the Beach
A perfect example of why “better ground” is not always better antenna performance.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/the-antenna-that-hates-good-ground-why-a-beverage-dies-at-the-beach
Why 120 Radials Still Lose to an Inverted-L EFHW in the Real World
A reminder that heroic radial fields do not automatically beat smarter current distribution and better geometry.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/why-120-radials-still-lose-to-an-inverted-l-efhw-in-the-real-world
Stop Asking One Antenna to Do Everything: A Better 80–10 m Strategy
One of the healthiest habits in station design is giving up on universal solutions before they waste too much of your time.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/stop-asking-one-antenna-to-do-everything-a-better-80-10-m-strategy
The FCP on 80 Meters: When a Counterpoise Gets Mistaken for an Antenna
Another elegant example of how naming the wrong part of the system leads to the wrong conclusions.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/the-fcp-on-80-meters-when-a-counterpoise-gets-mistaken-for-an-antenna
John Portune’s Window Line Argument Fails at the Foundation
A good example of how a persuasive-sounding argument can collapse once the basic assumptions are examined.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/john-portune-s-window-line-argument-fails-at-the-foundation
Finding the Best Feedline Length for a Doublet with an Antenna Analyzer
Yes, feedline length matters here — but only when you understand what the analyzer is really showing you.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/finding-the-best-feedline-length-for-a-doublet-with-an-antenna-analyzer
GaN Polar Modulation: Why the 100 W Amp Pitch Falls Short
A sober look at a modern-sounding pitch that still has to answer to the same old RF constraints.
🔗 https://shop.rf.guru/pages/gan-polar-modulation-why-the-100-w-amp-pitch-falls-short
Prefer to celebrate the day by watching the measurements, hearing the reasoning, and skipping the magical claims?
Mark covers many of the same themes with calm explanations, practical demonstrations, and a healthy resistance to RF folklore.
🔗 Watch the featured videos from our collaboration
If this issue makes you a little more suspicious of miracle arrays, perfect ground, analyzer shortcuts, and one-size-fits-all antennas — good.
That is exactly the kind of mindset amateur radio deserves on April 18.
73,
Joeri – ON6URE
Founder – RF.Guru
https://rf.guru/