[TowerTalk] 135 foot dipole, 300 ohm Twinlead SOLVED

[Buck - N4PGW]

Ok, folk, here is what I did.  I went outside and moved all my incoming
cables to the left of my window except the Twinlead which comes in the right
side.  The Twinlead then goes under my table and is stapled to two
supporting 2X4s.  I shortened it by 4 feet.  I redirected all the other
antenna wiring around the back of the desk where it remains at least a foot
away from the Twinlead.  The Twinlead comes out from under the lip of the
table with a loop that extends about 18 inches toward the floor and then
over the table to the tuner.  The tuner is on the edge of the table where
the Twinlead comes up so it is at the closest point.  The power cable and
the antenna switch cable to the transmitter both come next to the Twinlead
but only for a few inches.  

Prior to this, I could tune 40 and 80 meters with the inductance switch in
the number 23 position and a little fine tuning difference with the Series
cap and Shunt cap.  Now I haven't tuned the other bands, but 40 tunes at
position 9 (out of 45).  Where the caps were at their maximum clockwise
positions, they are now centered between minimum and maximum positions.  

The TVI is gone (at least on 40 where I was last operating.)

Now to test the other bands...

160m tuned very easily with the inductor at position 45, the shunt cap at
maximum (10) and the series cap at 9.  I was weak but readable about 250
miles away.  I wasn't expecting miracles, I just wanted to try it.  It
didn't want to tune 160 before.

80m  tuned extremely easily.  It was a juggling act to get 80 to tune
before.  I had to trim the series a little over then the shunt until they
walked the SWR down to flat.  The inductor was on 23 or 24 to tune 80 and
would not tune on either side.  Now it tunes with the series at position 5,
the shunt at 9 and the inductor can move from 18-21 and still keep the SWR
at minimum. 75 tunes just as easily.  In fact it is flat on both 3989 and
3.570 with the same tuned setting.  

60m tunes with the inductor at 17, the series at 5 and the shunt at 4.  Easy
tuning.

40m tunes like a dream.  I set the series and shunt to 5 and turn the
inductor to maximum noise.  Then when I hit the key, it is already a flat
swr.

30m tunes equally as well as 40.  drop the inductor two counts to position 6
and leave the caps at 5.  flat match!

20m is a little more finicky but it also tunes with the inductor at a low
setting.  I had to walk it a step or two but nothing like I did with 80
before.

17m tunes as easily as 40, except I had to trim the series cap just a bit.

15m tunes like a breeze.  Caps at 5 and the listen for noise on the inductor
and I am set.

12m is about the same, but I have to trim the series cap.

10m tunes easily by ear.  Series and shunt are near 10, but no on the air
tuning, just listen for the noise peak and it is tuned.

6m  Where I used to tune 6 meters, it will now not go below 3:1.  This is
not a problem as I have a 20/6 meter parallel dipole up above this one.  

Thank you everyone for your responses.  Operation is back to normal now and
my rig appears to be happy.  I am.

73 and look for my next question... why 135 feet?

73
N4PGW
Buck