trash it or fix it?

[Firebird]

I've got a Uniden PC78Elite. It has been operating ok for about 6 months (since I bought it new) with the occasional hiccup. Every couple of months the ANT light will come on when I transmit. This would happen for a couple of days and then go away. when it happens ,the SWR (checked with the radio meter) would peg off the scale.

Recently it happened and hasn't gone away. I put a new antenna on it (wilson 5000) and new cable (mini eight cable) but nothing changed. I grounded the antenna with no luck. I cleaned the stud mount but no difference. I changed mics (weird huh) and the SWR went to 3, then 2, then pegged the meter, then 5, then 4, then 3 etc. Every time I key the mic it would come up with a different SWR.

What would cause this? I tapped on the unit while holding the mic to see if it was a loose wire but it didn't make any difference.

Thanks in advance,

Dave

[Sixx Burning Sky]

Do you have access to a external swr/watt meter you could run inline between the radio and your antenna ? SOME SWR meters inside the radio have been known to be not the most reliable sometimes..

[Firebird]

Nope, don't have access to a meter, but the meter pegging along with the ANT light coming on and the lack of sending or receiving capabilities would indicate to me that there is definitely a problem of some sort.

Dave

[Turbo-T]

As mentioned, the radio's SWR meter is almost useless. You are MUCH better off buying a quality SWR meter and checking it.

It sounds almost like something inside the radio is wrong, like maybe a hairline break in the wire off the back of the antenna jack to the board. But you'd want/need a radio specialist to look into it.

[Ridgerunner665]

Get a new stud mount...the plastic washers sometimes wear out or crack.

[Dodgem250]

Do not under any circumstance use the radios built in SWR meter to set an antenna, those SWR meters are simply there for looks, they serve no accurate purpose. In my opinion, it sounds like you have a a loose connection with a cable, you may want to check the 4 tabs inside of the the radios antenna jack and the tabs inside of the antennas jack and make sure those tabs are snug in the center, the will spread from use and this is the fault of most SWR issues. Also, make sure your antenna cable is new and fresh ever few years, it doesn't take much for coax to corrode even if it looks new on the outside.

Thanks,
Dodgem
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