Is my amplifier working?

something ain't right...static should stay the same...unless the Amp has a "pre-amp" switch, but if it did, then when the amp is turned on the static would get even louder...Best thing to do is get a SWR/POWER Meter and hook up so you can see if your watts go up when transmitting...

 

Are you switching from calibrate to swr? That’s probably why it’s pegging the needle. You key up, use the swr knob to max the needle to the far right, then switch to the swr button. If you don’t have a direct short it should drop back and show you the actual swr number. 3 to 1 is direct short range.

 

Meter on the radio won't tell you if the Amp is working or not...It just shows what the radio itself is doing...You need a in-line SWR/POWER Meter that you hook-up between the Amp and antenna...You would also need a short jumper coax (3' jumper coax is about standard what most people use) to hook it up,

Something like this...This one is good up to 100w's.
WORKMAN SWR-3P CB RADIO ANTENNA SWR / TEST METER WITH 3` JUMPER COAX 714833145288 | eBay

 

More than likely the keying transistor in the keying relay circuit. Do you hear a faint "Click" inside the amp when you power it on?