What all this amounts to is having some knowledge of what you are trying to do, and how to use the equipment you have. That means RTFM, Read The FURNISHED Manual, or if no manual, ask how to do it. Nothing about 'radio' is 'plug-n-play', it requires some knowledge. Getting that knowledge isn't difficult at all, but it does require some work. You've made a very good decision, you've asked what the @#$$ you're doing wrong. Now you get to do that 'work' part and find out.
Most SWR meters have to be adjusted to give a meaningful reading. When you find out how to do that, then you get to find out how that 'reading' can be interpreted, what the #3\\ it means. When you've got that idea solidly impacted between your ears you can figure out how to make adjustments to your antenna to lower that SWR, which means matching impedances with the feed line and radio.
{This is where you start wondering why the #3\\ you even thought radio would be a nice thing to do, right?}
It 'do' get worse, but it ain't no 'biggy', sort of. And it's better/easier than trying to learn to knit socks!
[Aside: learn to knit dental floss thongs! You wouldn't believe the market for those things, male/female!]
After you go thought all these posts and weed out the 'poo-poo' you will take up knitting, it's profitable!
- 'Doc
(My only excuse is that it's very early, I ain't had no coffee yet, and if you can't laugh at it you really got problems. Unfortunately, when you boil all this **i* down, it's mostly true. Oh well...)
