Good call. While it still works.
My take on this problem is that fixing one problem will cause another.
This design has just too much gain. Way too easy to overdrive.
The untuned input the radio is driving into causes the high SWR reading on the radio's meter, but it also reduces the efficiency of the one-tube driver stage.
A tuned input will increase the drive power to the single driver tube.
Probably a bad idea, since it's already on the edge of the overdrive cliff as it's built.
You could add some attenuator resistors between the relay and the tuned input circuit if you installed it. That would knock the drive to the tube back down to where it is now, but with a lower input SWR.
But that's "fixing a fix". More trouble than I would want to go to.
Besides, the tubes would probably sell for more than the working amplifier. More people looking for tubes than are looking for an amplifier.
Get your money out of it now before it pumps out a mushroom cloud.
73
