SWR issues!!! I am about to go insane!!!!! Please help!

[icemanrrc]

I am having a major problem with my Maco V 5/8 base antenna. I am getting a swr reading of 1.2 one day, and over 3 the next day. If you can help me figure out what the problem is or how to fix it, YOU ARE THE MAN! Here is what I started out with.

Maco v 5/8 antenna
100' RG-8/X coax
2 - RG-8/X jumpers (radio to amp, amp to meter)
Galaxy 959 radio from Sparky
stock mic
power supply for radio
fatboy 4 pill base amp
Dosy 3001 SWR/power meter
Base of antenna is 40 feet off the ground. The antenna is on a 20 ft. pole mast that is 20 ft off the ground mounted to a roof, held in place by guy wires.

I hooked everything up, turned it on, no problems. 1.2 swr. I am talking like crazy and talking clear and far. Two weeks later, my swr light comes on my radio. I check it with my dosy and sure enough a swr reading of 3. ???? I haven't touched a thing! What the heck is going on?? I thought I might have accidently drilled into the coax and nicked it while making guy wire holes in the pole mast, so I replaced the coax with 100' of LMR-400 and replaced the RG 8/X jumpers with LMR-400 as well. There was NO nicks or damage to the RG 8/X as I thought there might have been.

I hook everything back up again, yea! back in business with a 1.2 swr. A few days goes by, the swr light goes off on my radio again!!! I check to confirm with the dosy and yes, a swr reading of over 3. What the heck could be causing this? I took another Galaxy 959 radio (out of my truck) and hooked it up. No change. Tried three different mics. No change. ?????? After being fed up and disgusted, I say the heck with it and don't even try to talk for a week or so. Then after a week or so, I turn it back on and 1.2 swr again. ???? Two days later, swr back at 3.??????

At this point, I have replaced every single item that is connected to that antenna!!!!

These swr readings I am getting are with the amp off.

What could be causing this issue????

[lonesome 500]

try with just radio-meter-antenna setup

could be a meter or coax connection prob

[linx]

I was going to say maybe a problem with your actual coax connectors, but it seems like that would be odd since you have replaced your coax. I have only had that happen when coax has had issues...especially with the coax connector bad.

[unit199]

Possibly an errant stray piece of shielding touching the internal core wire ..just barely. This stuff happens when the wind works your line back and forth for a while. Its happened to me twice over my lifetime of runnin base stations. Problem is you never know where the short is. I usually ended up replacing the coax and VIOLA! The problem was solved!

[Flattop]

Iceman where are u located

[icemanrrc]

try with just radio-meter-antenna setup

could be a meter or coax connection prob

I tried with another radio and another meter. No change.

[icemanrrc]

Iceman where are u located

Atlanta

[poboy309]

I'm just shooting in the dark here but what about condensation or rain? are the ends sealed from the weather?

[busman]

icemanrrc, i bought a maco 5/8 wave ground plane and when i seen all those parts i boxed it up and sold it to my buddy at work. i bought a imax 2000. havnt been on the roof since. i only run 11 meter and just shoot the breeze locally and ssb skip, so it works for me. the maco 5/8 is a really nice built antenna but to many parts for me.

[icemanrrc]

I'm just shooting in the dark here but what about condensation or rain? are the ends sealed from the weather?

What do you mean by this? I would say no, since I have no idea what you are talking about. All I did was put the antenna together as the instructions said. No where does it say anything about sealing out the weather.

[ww228kidd]

well that could be one problem

[outlawmobile]

I'm just shooting in the dark here but what about condensation or rain? are the ends sealed from the weather?

What do you mean by this? I would say no, since I have no idea what you are talking about. All I did was put the antenna together as the instructions said. No where does it say anything about sealing out the weather.

They sell a sealing putty type stuff,comes on a roll kinda like tape but its not.Use this to seal up where your coax screws onto the bottom of the antenna.Helps keep moisture out of the coax.Not sure just where to get it off the top of my head but I would venture a guess that at least one of our fine sponsors here would have it.Shawn

[sideways]

I just bought one also, put it up and have had no problems. Got a lot of help from Danzcat who had just put one up. Did yours have the slits in all the pieces of mast and the radials? Mine did not and I put slits in all of them with a hacksaw. I also left it set at 248" instead of setting it at 240" like the chart said for 11 mtr. And for water proofing the connector, I used some tape from **Censored** depot, it does not stick to anything except itself (kind of rubbery feeling. Hope this helps some.Feel free to email or pm me if you have any more Q's.

[poboy309]

I'm just shooting in the dark here but what about condensation or rain? are the ends sealed from the weather?

What do you mean by this? I would say no, since I have no idea what you are talking about. All I did was put the antenna together as the instructions said. No where does it say anything about sealing out the weather.

I was talking about the coax ends. As I said I was shooting in the dark but an idea is still an idea. I understand your frustration and I hope you get it all figured out.

[coondog]

here"s one thats really shooten in the dark,but by chance is your antenna in close proxcinity of any another type of antenna? this did happen to me once with a old broken A99 propped up next to the house close to my newly installed I-MAX.it was just there temporally about 10 ft from the base of where my I-MAX was put up.believe it or not my swr did just like yours until i just happen to look out the window went and got rid of the A99 and low and behold i never had any problems again.

[icemanrrc]

Nope, no other kind of antenna nearby.

here"s one thats really shooten in the dark,but by chance is your antenna in close proxcinity of any another type of antenna? this did happen to me once with a old broken A99 propped up next to the house close to my newly installed I-MAX.it was just there temporally about 10 ft from the base of where my I-MAX was put up.believe it or not my swr did just like yours until i just happen to look out the window went and got rid of the A99 and low and behold i never had any problems again.

[468]

I would check the end of the coax at the ant. and seal it and look around where the wire is that adj. swr to see if it louse may be the wind moving it around.rf parts sell coax seal tape

[hobbz]

Have you checked your jumpers? Put an ohmmeter on them between the center conductor and the shield and then wiggle, bend, and tap on the jumper. On could be intermittly grounding the center conductor. Also if you are using the radio and your swr's go up like that again, immediatly disconnect your antenna coax feed line and check it.

Also check your line voltage in the house at the same plug as your power supply and check the output voltage of your power supply.

Hope this helps.

[209 first class]

sounds like rain/ moisture in the coax. take your old rg, put it somewhere warm for a few days. check it with a multimeter for shorts and continuity.(maybe someone put a pin thru your coax,if they can reach it, its an old trick !) retry the old coax. if it measures good, it must be moisture. if that is true, put the lmf in a warm place for a few days and try it out. radioshack sells silicone tape to seal the coax. water can run over the threads of the connector and seep into the connector, then coax jacket. once its working again, check it daily to see when it starts to go up, and if it goes up all at once or a lil at a time ect due to weather ect. 2zero9

[doctor]

Its moisture as the fellows say, seal around the pl259 which screws into your antenna, also tighten down the ground plane radials, and if handy seal the top of the antenna also, I bet it is water seeping down the tube.
Also you never mentioned your guy wires....is it wire, or insulated wire or what, you should only use nylon rope for a small installation, anytype of wire can pick up stray rf and change the swr settings also.

DOCTOR/795