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Re: [TowerTalk] Tuner SWR won't stay down

To: w7why@frontier.com, towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Tuner SWR won't stay down
From: TexasRF--- via TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Reply-to: TexasRF@aol.com
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2015 12:25:34 -0500
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
So Tom, did you replace the SO239 rivets with screws yet?
 
I think I saw two posts saying they had seen that problem/solution.
 
73,
Gerald K5GW
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 1/2/2015 9:11:20 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
w7why@frontier.com writes:

I have 7  antennas here.  It will drift on every antenna.

There seems to be  some confusion on my first posting.  This is what I  
asked:

"Hi

I picked up an MFJ-989C tuner that has a problem  (don't want to hear 
about 'mitey fine junk).

The problem is that  the SWR goes down and then slowly creeps back up.

I got a new roller  inductor and installed it and the SWR still doesn't 
stay low, even at low  power.

I took the roller inductor out and put in a switch/coil combo to  
eliminate the coil problem.  SWR still climbs up.

Bypassed the  SWR circuitry and ran the input from the antenna directly 
to the  capacitor.  Still won't stay low.

I thought it might be the SWR  circuitry but I put another tuner in front 
of this one and when I tune the  SWR down with the other tuner, it stays 
down, so don't think it should be  the SWR circuit.

This really has me puzzled.  Can't see anything  left to check.  Any 
ideas?  Thanks and 73
Tom W7WHY  "

I would think the fact that I can tune the SWR down and it stays down  
with the other tuner would mean the jumpers and coax are all OK as the 2  
tuners are in series with each other.  There is definitely a problem  
with the bad tuner, but just can't figure it out.

But - I did put  the output of the tuner into the dummy load and it still 
drifts at low  power.  Maybe it's time to strip out the parts and build 
it into  something else :-)

One last thing I'm gonna try is borrow one of those  heat sensors from a 
friend of mine and shoot it at all the components and  see what is 
heating up.  It has to be that what is causing the  problem. 73 and 
appreciate all the suggestions.
Tom W7WHY


On  1/1/2015 10:10 PM, Jim Thomson wrote:
> Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2015 18:56:58  -0600
> From: "Bill Aycock" <billaycock@mediacombb.net>
>  To: "Charles Farr" <cefarr@hughes.net>,  <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Tuner SWR  won't stay down
>
> I'm puzzled that no one has mentioned the  FIRST and most helpful trouble
> shooting test-- substituting a dummy  load for the antenna.
> Bill—W4BSG
>
> ##  agreed  !   We don’t even know what ant he is using.  Is it a yagi,  
or
> an OCF dipole, or is it a dipole fed with open wire line, OR  coax.
> What band or bandS  does it drift on. Do you have some kind  of
> defective balun at the feedpoint of the ant ??
>
>  ##  Since it drifts, even with low power, you gotta real  problem.
>
> ##  Run ONE good coax, directly from the output  of the tuner.... to a 
dummy load.
> Don’t even mess with a wattmeter, or  anything else between output of 
tuner
> and input of dummy  load.
>
> ##  Then try and.... match the dummy load..and do  it on every band, IF 
it doesn’t
> drift, your tuner is not the  issue.
>
> ##If it does still drift, the tuner is the  problem.
>
> Jim  VE7RF
>      
>
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