50 watt amp trouble

You don’t want to check the SWR with the amplifier in line. Remove the amplifier, get the antenna matched to the CB radio first, then install the amp.

 

50w Amp? or you mean 500w Amp?

Not sure on your SWR Meter, but some meters have to first be calibrated before you can check the SWR...)Others do it automatically)...either way, a SWR of 2.5 is a bit-high to also be running a Amp...Need to get SWR 1.5 or lower....Since you said the antenna is mounted on a metal shed, it may-not have a good ground, or just needs some more tuning.

Another problem could be with the Amp itself...If it's fried, that can cause the SWR to spike when checking with Amp turned ON...Might just Key-up and go "AUDIO" and look at your watt meter and see if it's putting out any power...only problem doing this, is if the Amp is-not fried, keying-up and talking could fry it, if SWR is through the roof because of a bad ground...Think first thing to do would be to try and get SWR to 1.5 or lower...

 

Quote: "When I key the mic, the watt meter on swr is 2.5."

This type of statement is misleading. It probably originates because of the combination SWR-Watt meter you seem to be using.

I would suggest that when discussing the use of the meter, that you refer to only one value at a time being read to avoid confusion: either the SWR or the Wattage. It is of no importance to know that the meter can read two values and is a combination SWR-Watt meter, and referring to it as such can lead to confusion.