[Amps] tuner anomalies

[Dan Sawyer]

Vic,

Thanks for the comments. Last one first, the signal is clean, pick up in 
a spectrum analyzer shows the spurs are well below 40 db down.

Is there an rf conducting grease that should be used on the contacts?

I haven't checked the ground. It is simply a copper stake driven in 
about 6 feet.

Thanks - Dan

Vic K2VCO wrote:
> Dan Sawyer wrote:
>
>> The background: I am tuning a long wire, about 100 feet long. 
>
>> The issue is: When a small about of power, a watt or less is applied 
>> things work well, the SWR is close to 1:1. However if more power is 
>> applied the 'tune' point jumps a couple of hundred kc and the SWR 
>> jumps accordingly. 
>
> One possibility is that a large amount of RF on the 'grounded' side of 
> the tuner is upsetting the SWR measurement. You say it worked before 
> -- have there been changes in the path from the tuner to ground, or to 
> whatever is serving as the counterpoise for this antenna?
>
> Another possibility is that your transmitter is generating a spurious 
> signal at a frequency close to the operating frequency when the power 
> is raised above a certain point.  I've had this problem with 
> sold-state amplifiers.