all depend which band I am on on 80 meters it's empty 3.5mh plus 300kh is 3.8mh were the usable frequency begins. 40 meters not so bad 7.0mh plus 300Kh is full

Frank
Thanks for the video link, Tuned it up with the instructions from this sitehttp://www.k4eaa.com/tune-up.htm on 20 meters (100 watts everything fine) into a dummy load.
I later tried to tune up 40 meters and i started getting arcing?
Guess Ill have to pull her apart and see if I can see what is happening
any help will be appreciated
Oh and yes I have the manual and I even read it a couple of times
Thanks
Again
George

I bought a Kenwood ts530 I am new to using tube type radios, according to the user manual i must dip the plate current, but The plate current does not seem to adjust anything it is very low, but still no adjustment??

Later last night I over drove the radio and it started arcing, any thoughts on what it might be??

Belive it or not I am Having FUN

Thanks
George

Thanks everyone I got it working, someone had used grease at the ground wiper connection. Some fine sandpaper and contact cleaner and it is working perfectly

George

Thanks for the reply's
I pulled the vfo out and cleaned the ground connection were it brushes the rotor and that helped but it is still not right, I could use some more information on installing that wire.
Does the wire just go around the shaft and apply more pressure on the rotor or did you physically solder a wire to the rotor and the case??
Thanks for all the help
George

I just bought a Kenwood 520 it works! the only real problem i see is the radio goes silent when the VFO is tuned to approximately 300. Does not matter what band at 300 it quits. Is this a comman problem with these old rigs or did I just buy a real boat anchor
Any insight would be appreciated
George

Thanks for all the reply's!!
I can tune the antenna in but it is a very sharp In or out. My radio a Kenwood ts 130s it throttles down the output power based on swr. anything above 1.3:1 drops the output to about 25 watts if I get it to 1:1 output is 125 watts. The RF is out of the shack
Thanks
George

It's time for the Friday night dumb question 
I was looking at a old Kenwood ts-830s in the description it says (This transceiver does not have general coverage receive).
I am not exactly sure what that means.
Thanks
George

Well I don't know exactly what the problem was but by properly grounding the shack independently of the antenna, the rf in the speakers was almost gone. I moved the speakers and now it's all gone.
I think I know why my tuner is having so much trouble tuning the antenna. It is trying to tune 3 antennas at once. Why am I worried about tuning below 1.5:1 ?? My radio will only put out 50 watts at 1.5:1 but at 1:1 it will put out 120 watts. Doesn't seem quite right but that's what happens
Thanks Everyone for all the help
73s
George

Tried the 11 turn balun no luck

Tried counter poise 13 feet long no luck

I am off to buy a second ground rod and some grounding wire

Thanks
George

Here's a picture of the Parallel dipole I installed, http://www.alphadeltacom.com/antenna-photos.html I believe it would also be called a fan dipole. But defiantly not like the one in the WB6BYU link ( wish I could though)

Tried completely removing ground from rig (no luck)
Tried undoing my coax wire coil (no Luck)

Going to make a ugly balun and put a second ground rod in closer to the shack. we will see what happens
George

Thanks for Helping
I checked out that web page I understand the concept but an not sure how  to apply it

From the looks of the chart You may be right (13 turns 12 inch diameter)

The choke is in the shack (about 8 feet from radio)

Total length from radio to antenna 102 feet, coax total length 125 feet RG213
elements are at 90 degree to each other, coax is 45 degrees to each element

The following is what I was able to tune, I got 40 meters to tune (Just had to work a little more )

Frequency ----- SWR no tuner ----- SWR tuner
80                        1:1.5                 1:1
40                        1:1.2                 1:1
20                        1:1.3                 1:1
17                        1:1.5                 1:1
15                        1:1.5                 1:1
12                        1:1.5                 1:1.2
10                        1:1.2                 1:1
Looking at this none of these are bad at all
I have a piece of 4 1/4 plastic how many turns do you think?  11??

Thanks for all the help
George

I put my new parallel antenna up and I am having trouble with getting the antenna tuned. or some reason on 17 meters i get so much rf in the shack that when I transmit my Radio speaker, computer speakers all receive my transmission, was so bad I couldn't complete my communication.

So here is my setup: Parallel dipole inverted V 37 feet  high, coax comes to shack ten wraps of coax in circle about 12 inches in diameter 6 feet to rig
MFJ Tuner,

Observation: 80 meters tunes, 40 meters must use bypass mode, 20 meters tunes, 17, 15 meter tunes but RF In shack, 12, 10 meter tunes

Could use some advice Just not sure were to start, did I do the choke wrong?

Thanks
George

Well I got the new antenna up, works much better on 20 - 80 meters  and OK on 10 meters but 17, 15,12 it doesn't work so well. On 17 meters I hear myself over the radio speakers. IT was so bad I couldn't complete the contract. My SWR is 1.6:1.  I got it down to 1:1 with a tuner but still have the same problem. I have about about 12 loops of coax in a tight circle about 12 inches in diameter to act as a choke approximately 6 feet from the rig.
I figure I am making a dumb mistake any Suggestions would be appreciated
Thanks
George

I called by local metal supplier and bought a piece of 1 1/4 stainless steel tubing .065 thick was sort of expensive but it was stronger and lighter than the same sized galvanized steel. Plus I live close to the ocean so steel rusts real quick. I am going to put the fan dipole up this weekend. I will let you know the results
George