What happens to power lost in a feedline?

Power lost in a feedline is converted into heat due to the resistance present in the wires of the feedline. When radio frequency (RF) energy travels along the feedline, some of that energy is dissipated as heat due to resistive losses. This phenomenon increases with longer lengths of feedline and can be influenced by the quality of the cable used. Consequently, the more power that is lost, the more heat is generated, which can lead to inefficiencies in your transmission system.

Understanding this process is important for ham operators because it highlights the significance of using high-quality, low-loss feedlines to minimize power loss and maximize the efficiency of their systems. This conversion of power into heat does not inherently affect the Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) directly or cause distortion, although it can impact the overall performance of the transmitter by reducing the effective power available for the antenna.