Just to point out, because it's bothering me way more than it should...
But the electric and magnetic peaks align with each other's valleys, not with each other's peaks.
this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2026
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If two waves of the same frequency align with each others' valleys, they align with each others' peaks. Do you mean they should be aligned peak to valley? I don't know how you're deciding which direction of the axes is positive and which is negative though.
The above comment should have said "the other's valleys", not "each other's valleys" but most will get that.
Uh, no?
I get the reference to the original meme. I don't understand the EM spectrum component, though.
They wish they were in an antenna and going out as radio waves, but instead they’re in a dummy load. 50ohm is a common antenna impedance.
Thanks. That puts me on the right track.
https://www.onallbands.com/ham-radio-101-dummy-loads-smart-idea/
Had to go get my radio-tech spouse. His reply "Oh, that's the dumb name for a terminator...."
Apparently "dummy load" isn't what they call them in the USAF
i might be wrong here but i think a dummy load is different from a terminator, they both 50 ohm, but a terminator is more like a connector cap, while a dummy load is designed to dissipate heat and can often take many watts of power over extended time without starting glow
That's my understanding as well. I've seen dummy loads used when testing transmitters at power so that nothing gets too hot. They usually have a big aluminum heat sink.
They can't wait anyways because they do not experience the passage of time.