[TowerTalk] Inverted V Trouble

[Keith Dutson]

I use an inverted V for 75/80 meters.  It hangs from my tower from about 80
feet and has worked fine using a tuner for the past 6 months.  Last night
the VSWR went out of sight.  After a while trying different tuner settings,
it was brought back to flat.  However, as I began to transmit (SSB) the VSWR
went wild again and I had to settle on listening to the guys on the net.

What problem should I be looking for?  The antenna is an Alpha-Delta DX-80.
I have had it for about 5 years in various operations, including the past
two Field Day operations. It is fed with about 90 feet of LMR-400 plus 50
feet of RG213 connected with a barrel connector.  We have had a lot of
rainy, cold weather over the past two months and I am wondering if the
problem may be caused by resistivity in the wire connections at the center
insulator.

Thanks in advance for your response.

73, Keith NM5G