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High SWR with amp

Supspt454 said:
Thanks for all the replies folks. Sorry it’s been a couple days to reply. Still fighting this flu bug. Anyhow, before I had ever posted anything I was checking the amp with various levels of VP DK. Up to around 4-5 watts and as low as it would go at around a half a watt or so. Nothing really seemed to change anything. DVOM readings at an idle are around 14.8 and when radio is being used during TX it only drops to 14.4. This is measured on a FLIR CM85 DVOM. Amp is on its way back to the manufacture for testing and or tweaking. Also I’ll be hard mounting an antenna soon through the roof. I might have to have a couple drinks before I actually start to drill though.
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Make measurements and mark location for hole "before" you measure yourself the adult beverage. Masking tape over the area of hole.
 
Today is the day to drill. Does anyone know if the roof of a 04 GMC Sierra regular cab is double skinned? If it is then that may cause quite a bit of problems.
 
Super Bowl Sunday update. Wilson 5000 roof top installed. Stock Wilson whip bottomed out in the load had around 1.5 swr on 1 and around 2 on 40 before tuning. Thought before I started trimming I would try a stock 58” K40 whip. Swr went to 1.1 on 40 and 1 flat on channel 1. So I locked it down and going to give it a try.
 
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Update: Everything is back installed and up and running. SWR readings when it’s on is staying low, which I know isn’t a true swr reading rather then showing some reflect right? Anyhow, I hammered for about 15 min to some locals about 7 miles and 25 miles away and they said I jump about 2s units and the audio jumps way up and sounds real clean and clear. Voltage drops from 14.8 at a fast idle to about 13.7 on TX. Dash lights dim slightly but not bad at all. Radio and box both stayed very cool to the touch after 15 min. Driving about 1/4 radio power into it, which that is about where the swr reading on the radio is the lowest. So far so good! Now I just need that Ranger SRA 198 and I should be done with this install! Thanks for all the comments and help.
 
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Supspt454 said:
Update: Everything is back installed and up and running. SWR readings when it’s on is staying low, which I know isn’t a true swr reading rather then showing some reflect right? Anyhow, I hammered for about 15 min to some locals about 7 miles and 25 miles away and they said I jump about 2s units and the audio jumps way up and sounds real clean and clear. Voltage drops from 14.8 at a fast idle to about 13.7 on TX. Dash lights dim slightly but not bad at all. Radio and box both stayed very cool to the touch after 15 min. Driving about 1/4 radio power into it, which that is about where the swr reading on the radio is the lowest. So far so good! Now I just need that Ranger SRA 198 and I should be done with this install! Thanks for all the comments and help.
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I know this is an old one, but did you find the cause of the SWR being so high? Did the tech tell you what he had to do or was it something you changed? I’m having about the same problem with an old Bilateral 4 power DX400 with 2290s. Mine started good and SWR built up and wouldn’t go back down. Took it out, had the tune checked and worked good for a day and SWR built up again. It would jump if there was any modulation. Sometimes to a 2.5 and other times to over a 3. Finally it started keying over a 3 SWR as soon as it was keyed. Weird.
 
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