[TowerTalk] Interpreting symptoms

[Jim McDonald]

I have a 4L SteppIR.  I'd guess a bad coax or something similar too, but you
can easily check the EHUs from your shack with an ohmmeter, and you can
measure the voltage output of the controller.

I use a Top Ten Devices band decoder to switch a remote antenna switch on
the top of the tower.  It works on all bands with my antennas except I have
to manually switch to the SteppIR on 6M.

When I forgot to do that I got an SWR of 2.4, and varying the driven element
length didn't do anything either.  The coax was disconnected at the antenna
end until I manually switched to the correct antenna.

Jim N7US


-----Original Message-----
My SteppIR is exhibiting high SWR at all frequencies. Varying the length of
the 
driven element does not affect it.

If I plug only the center conductor of the coax into the rig the noise level
is much 
higher than when the shield makes contact. Any SWAG's as to what this means
the 
problem likely is?

73, Mike NF4L