Need help with this crazy beam

[lonestarbandit]

Disconnect the coax from the antenna, and attach a dummy load to the antenna end of the coax. Fire up the radio and check the SWR. If it holds steady, the coax is good and the antenna is the problem. If the SWR goes up, the problem is the coax. Either way, you solve your problem.

- 399 J.J.

Unfortunately I don't have a dummy load other than the one on top of my neck. You are 100% correct JJ. That would have narrowed things down. I'll order one now. Though I already ordered another 75 foot run of coax so we will know once that arrives.

 

[unit_399]

LSBandit -
I was thinking some more about your increasing SWR problem. In a way, it sounds like water has found its way into the coax. If water is absorbed into the dielectric, when the system is keyed up the water will heat up and power will drop and SWR will go up. While you're waiting on the new coax and dummy load to arrive, maybe you can check the coax to see if there are any breaks in the outer jacket.

- 399 J.J.

 

[lonestarbandit]

LSBandit -
I was thinking some more about your increasing SWR problem. In a way, it sounds like water has found its way into the coax. If water is absorbed into the dielectric, when the system is keyed up the water will heat up and power will drop and SWR will go up. While you're waiting on the new coax and dummy load to arrive, maybe you can check the coax to see if there are any breaks in the outer jacket.

- 399 J.J.

You know this could explain why it happens only with power. The SWR is not "good" barefoot but add power its bad and then that bizarre odd creep then mad rush off the scale. I did a cursatory look while I had it down but didn't see any obvious issues. You may have just solved it though. I had a video but it won't let me post here.

 

[snippits75]

Have seen this same thing before especially with the Anytone designed radios. I had the very same problem with the same Lincoln 2+, Anytone Quad 6, and an Anytone 5555 N2. Plug in my Cobra 142 GTL or Cobra 29, and every thing was fine.

Half wave jumper from the radio to the amp fixed the problem every time. CB tech friend of mine made me a jumper of RG-8X that's slightly over 14 feet.

 

[lonestarbandit]

@snippits75 I shall try it. I deleted all the demented madcap rambling but you clearly saw it lol.
Lucky for me you did! Ordered jumper.
Absolutely bizzare. Months and months I've been taking antenna up and down... fiddling.... even swapped all the jumpers Lord have mercy. I sure hope thats it.

 

[lonestarbandit]

Well bullocks. I got the 14ft jumper installed and nothing. No change.
It still hates the beam. Hope the yaesu will play ball when it arrives.

 

[BC Coyote]

Unfortunately, if there is a problem using that antenna on one radio, you will have a problem with that antenna on every other radio. Unless of course the problem is with the radio you are using, but I believe you've tried more than one radio on that antenna and the symptoms were the same right ?

Just out of curiosity are you running an amp ? Is the antenna SWR different with the amp in and out of line ? Only reason I ask is because if that amp is generating harmonics it can create a situation where the antenna shows high/increasing SWR with the amp in line, and low SWR with just the radio barefoot.

That Yaesu likely has SWR protection, but I still wouldn't be hooking a brand new radio up to an antenna with known problems !

 

[lonestarbandit]

You won't believe it. I don't believe it. Last ditch thought before I put all the export stuff in the closet I thew that rebuilt LPF inline from radio to amp input...... now all is well. Has to have been harmonics into the amp..then amp amplified .....but why only the beam and not all antennas? Except I also seem to have a short thats wind dependent. Usually SWR is 1.8 on power with the beam now but shoots to 6 with bad wind gusts then drops back again. So thats a different issue I suppose. Though whether its coax or the antenna itself I don't know I'm inclined to think the antenna to gama match bond as I tested the coax run on the dummy load with no power and it was fine.
Next step is second LPF for amp to antenna. And frigging safety wire that stupid Gama match so wind cant cause a disconnect.