Nightmare CB issue solved

The problem started with what could be described as a bad RF gain knob (I couldn't hear anything unless you were next to me). I took it in for repair $5 for transistor, and thought it was just a big radio broadcast too close. NO, I key up and I blow it again. So its my own radio/antenna destroying itself...

The radio was repaired again with a new diode, relay, and transistor. At this point I know its gotta be something on the antenna/coax side doing the damage. Visual inspection showed no signs of a problem, SWR meter pegs over 4.0. Replace fibreglass antenna with pre-tuned Francis, still over 4. Replace antenna stud, still pegging the meter. Grrr... New coax from antenna direct to swr meter 4.0 OMG this can't be right!

Reading the package of the Francis says to trim the coax to 19' <--- are they nuts, they only sell 18'. I could trim the coax three times and still be too short. So, until they find a way of growing my coax they can have their antenna back. I don't honestly believe with a well grounded setup coax length should matter, but I read it so many times "it does", "it doesn't"... Not important to me, I was more concerned with the horrible looking seal from the outer jacket to metal base.

So I replace it again with a K-40 tunable fibreglass, and nothing changed. At this point, I just walked away before I started breaking things. Wow, how incredibly frustrating! After a few beers, and much thought I returned with power tools, DVOM, and more ground straps... STILL no change, OMG I'm out of my mind angry!!! A few more beers later it got ugly, and I broke the swr meter. <--- best thing I ever did!

Slept it off, and returned with a fresh mind and just my DVOM, I ohm'd the old coax vs new and found a short of 6 ohms difference between ground and conductor. I then remove the old coax and found some rodent type marks have been gnawing at it inside the firewall (great way for squirrels to sharpen teeth I guess?) But why the bad SWR readings with new coax?

I bought a new meter to find out I was within 2.0 and was able to adjust it down to 1.3'ish. I don't know what made the old meter go bad, but funny it was from RatShack. My point of this post, IDK?... maybe beer kills off weaker brain cells (thus making you smarter), don't use cheap meter's, or the laws of radio are constant and you can find the issue through ordinary deduction? or just take some joy over my self imposed torment.

 

Magnum s-6 radio. 2.0 swr didn't hurt the radio, that reading was after I bought a new meter and replaced everything. I don't know if the RatShack meter @ over 1:4 was accurate, but with the rodent marks it may have been?

 

I shouldn't be so down on RadioShack, the meter was cheap, and did its job for 10-15yrs but like your link states I have no clue how accurate it was. But it was clearly bad before I had my way with it.

Bought this one below off a friend for $10, receipt inside the box was for $40 original purchase price.

Any thoughts on its accuracy?

 

Well I'd like to murder the rodent too LOL. The rodent ruined my radio, the meter ruined my weekend... meaning it was bad also, it still read 1:4 even after everything was replaced.