I am trying to get my
Icom IC-M802 and
wiring back in shape, having splashed the
boat after seven months
on the hard. The symptoms I’ve been dealing with are no power/low
power on transmit based on the
power bar display on the 802.
The Dynaplate is clean. The conductor to the Dynaplate is via 3 inch copper strap, and the connection between the two was sanded shiny and sprayed with Boeshield T-5. Same with the AT-140 ground/copper strap.
The house bank is charged.
The GTO-15 to backstay
antenna connection is sanded shiny and sprayed with T-5.
The AT-140
antenna post is clean and sprayed with T-5. I noticed the ring connector crimp missed a few strands that had been cut roughly a year ago when I stripped the GTO-15 lead, so I cut an inch off the GTO-15 and crimped on a new ring connector.
The above got me to the point where I was seeing 4 bars on transmit, vs ‘SWR’.
I think this is the interesting part: I pulled the GTO-15 off the tuner and replaced it with 10 AWG twin lead, taped to stand off the lifeline and with the far end hoisted to just below the spreader. This temporary antenna was 50 feet long.
When I keyed the mike in FSK mode, I saw 8 bars of transmit power.
I decided (wrongly) that the GTO-15 was internally corroded, so I replaced it. Back to 4 bars!?
I don’t have an SWR meter to use for test. Anyone have suggestions to isolate this?
Thanks for the help!