cobra 29 lx dead key potentiometer

Which one adjusts dead key wattage on a Cobra 29 LX? Planning to add a Midnight Special 250W linear amp. what would be the best setting for my dead key with this amp? I searched but got no hits.

also in wide open space swr is below 1.3. when parked next to trucks in truck stop swr shoots up over 3. is this normal or did I ruin the antenna when I matched them somehow?

thank you for your time

 

thanks, but......<br>
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I parked my truck recently in a giant open gravel parking lot. I had a few hundred feet of clear space around the truck in all directions. Just out of boredom I did this to check the swr reading i initially got after matching my antenna. I was off the charts! I noticed depending on where the meter was placed and where/how I held the mic that it would dramatically reduce my swr reading. what is causing this? Now I have no idea if my initial reading was even correct. Im new to all this and im already in way over my head on a fundamental aspect of operating a radio. Im very frustrated and about to just say forget it. Can anyone help explain what I've done wrong? Is there maybe a coax problem somewhere? Routing new cable thru my mirrors looks like a hellish task. I think I need to pay someone to do this before I hook an amp to the radio. Also if I hook my meter to the radio both my analog meter and the radios internal meter both top out. But if i just hook the antenna to the radio the radios internal meter reads I'm at 1.3. Could I have a problem with my jumper coax. Could vibration from my truck have damaged my analog meter? I'm so confused!

thanx again

 

ill try it and report back. thanks for your time!

 

ok getting closer to solving this. Made the coil 4 turns w/ approx 6" dia. Alone this did nothing but I noticed something. If I held the coil in my hand and squeezed it, the swr drops, the tighter I squeeze the lower it drops. If I really clamp down on it I get a great reading (1.2:1) the instant I let go boom, right back t0 3+. Is there something I can do to mimick whatever my hand is doing like wrap something around the coil? So weird, what is my hand doing that makes the swr drop? Thanx!!!

 

nope, made it worse,can't even calibrate the meter now. needle wont go all thr way up to the cal mark on the guage and i can't turn the knob anymore. the only time I can get it anywhere near acceptable is if I am physically holding the cable in my hand. Seems like replacing the coax with hi-grade(pain in the butt)
may be a good idea. Wondering if there is a problem w/ the meter itself. This sucks. I really appreciate your help though.