Have you checked the battery pack?
Bob

Try setting the capacitance to minimum, then adjusting the roller for the most noise on an antenna, then adjust the cap--like adjusting the pre-select on a tube rig.

That should get you close so that you can send a low signal thru the tuner to adjust for minimum SWR.

I "Googled" QRG to try and figure out what you were asking.

Here you go, Index of QRG:

http://www.anal0g.org/qrg/

What have you done to try and track down the noise?

When you rotate your beam, does the signal strength vary?

If you disconnect your coax, what happens?

"Google" AbiWord for a free word processing program with a good spell checker.

Bob

HyTower is really an 80/40 antenna.  They hang stubs on it, most make it 3/4 wave length long, for the other bands.

Yes.  There were Lefty Bugs; even vertical bugs.

Sounds like an SWL card.

Just confirm you were on the air at that time and frequency, that he actually did hear you.

73
Bob

PS: Just imagine! A non ham learning CW!  ;-O

At one time, input power was regulated (nice pun?).

The manual for my TR4C explains how a Novice can tune this rig to stay within the specified input power.

On the HF bands that allowed use of an amp, we were limited to 2KW input.

If we got on a Novice sub-band, we were limited to Novice level input.

For a good run through of input and output power, check out the W6TH's current article, Power Estimates of Amplifiers.

Bob

Seems as if there is a Contesting Forum on this site:
http://www.eham.net/forums/Contesting
73
Bob

Sometimes life is easier and more fun if you make your first antenna simple one, one that resonates on one band.

WHat are you going to do for the coaxial run to either your HF antenna(s), or vhf antennas?

If you are going to solder on PL 259s, then it is time to  learn how to solder.

73
Bob

<It seems like a vicious circle of tuning the transmitter than the tuner and back to the transmitter ad. infinitum>

Adjusting the xmitter does not effect the tuner/swr.

Well.  You have to be able to copy what any station is sending.

If a DX station is only sending 599, BK, QRZ, up #s, and calls, that is all you have to copy at high speed.  That is much different than having to hold a QSO at the same speed.

Once you listen to a pile up, you will know if you can copy fast enough.  Plus, once you are in pile ups, you will understand how important it is to find where the DX is listening, and where the DX will listen next.

You can read a book about cooking, but it isn't the same as cooking.

73
Bob

DX has to be with respect to DY

If you are doing well with the Tech questions, time to start going through the General material, especially if you enjoy learning.

You should be warned at this point that ham radio instills curiosity about geography, cultures, mathematics, electronics, the sun, the atmosphere, 3-D representation of the Earth, and travel.

73
Bob