Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Reflections III by Walter Maxwell W2DU from CQ publishing

Category: Books/Manuals/Videos/Pod-WebCasts on ham radio

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Reflections III by Walter Maxwell W2DU from CQ publishing
Reviews: 4MSRP: 39.95
Description:
A (roughly) 400 page technical manual that covers mainly transmission lines, SWR, Smith charts, matching networks and conjugate matching information, but also has interesting sections on radio history and antennas. With some (printed) computer programs.
Product is in production
More Info: http://store.cq-amateur-radio.com/Detail.bok?no=183
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0043.5
AA7LX Rating: 2016-05-12
Reflections II Edition Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Yes, I believe Walt Maxwell is keenly talented and respected within the Engineering and Communications field. Reflections displays his talent. I purchased Reflections II when it was first Re-Published(after ARRL Reflections I); being Reprinted by WorldRadio Publishing in 2003. Edition II was the first Publishing since ARRL wouldn't -or- couldn't print another edition. It came with an attached, one-full complete page of errors' with a note saying: Send $1.00 for an updated error list. My check was returned to me because an updated error list had not be printed/sent out. I agree with the Review about it being wordy. Yes, the editing could have been "tighter". Overall, I found the editing and structure of the Book to be unprofessional. I read it once and kept it in my Technical library for many years... I would have liked to receive the updated error listing to update my copy anyway; but, I found the written style and editing to be more like a lecture...Wouldn't recommend this Book to be the mainstay in your Technical library. In addition, some of the Data and Descriptions provided could not and were not backed up further in the Book. I got rid of my Copy last Month.
73383 Rating: 2016-05-11
Not That Great Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This book is long on narrative and claims and short on proof. Far too wordy and many explanations hard to follow, not for their technical content, because there is none, but because of poor writing.
KM3K Rating: 2011-10-12
Two thumbs up. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
1. I consider this book as one of the most important books in my technical library.
Walt-W2DU has material explaining reflections that I have yet to find anywhere else.

2. However, the book does have typos. Interestingly enough, I feel the typos caused me to read the material ever so more critically to prove to myself there was a typo and consequently I think I have a better grasp of the subject matter. One typo Walt informed me had gone unreported since published back in 1973 until I pointed it out to him last year.
Fig. 23-7 is completely wrong; for Figs 23-8 and 23-9, a Legend page was omitted.
I could supply the correct Fig. 23-7 and the Legend page to anyone who would request copies via an email; QRZ has my email-address. I am compiling a list of typos, which does not include chapters 14, 15, and 16; I have not read those chapters since they have material I used almost daily in my professional work.

3. I’d recommend that a reader have a rather solid grounding in transmission-lines and Smith-chart usage prior to reading Walt’s book.
Chipman’s “Transmission-Lines” would be a good start.

4. By its very nature, Reflections III has an unusual structure and the previous reviewer’s comments in that regard have some merit. However, as I’ve stated earlier about the content not being treated elsewhere, I personally tend to dismiss all negative aspects to the book’s structure. The book’s ‘pluses’ far out weigh any ‘negatives’.

5. The previous reviewer apparently has missed Walt’s very clear statement that Chapter 19 applies to only tube amplifiers.

Thank you, Walt.
73 Jerry km3k
AC7ZN Rating: 2010-11-03
Good read but with caveats. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
W2DU is one of the High Priests of ham radio and this book is his latest edition of practical transmission line and matching information that started with the series of articles in QST. ARRL published earlier versions of this book and now CQ publishing offers the latest edition. The book is valuable and accurate when covering transmission line topics, Smith charts, etc. I must respectfully say, however, that some subjects such as conjugate matching (and telling the reader how stupid he is) are overwrought and not always clearly written. Much space could have been saved by skipping critical comments about others and spending more time working on clearly explaining concepts such as conjugate matching once only.
It seems as soon as an author says 'I'm here to dispel a myth' we must prepare for the beginning of another. Maxwell's additional information (added in ReflectionsIII) regarding transmitter output impedance contains, in his enthusiasm to prove a transmitter has fifty ohm resistive output impedance, errors both technical and in applying statements to all transmitters that only apply to tube-type pi network transmitters.
The book, however, is an excellent reference for practical transmission line problems, Smith charts and line matching and has good chapters on antennas and history.