Why the station behaves this way
Its velocity factor and characteristic impedance depend on conductor spacing and dielectric. Nearby metal, wet surfaces, tight bends, and asymmetric routing disturb the balance and impedance.
A common wrong turn
Routing ladder line against a mast, coiling it on the ground, or connecting it directly to an unbalanced tuner without the proper interface gives up many of its advantages.
What to do at the radio
Keep it spaced from conductors, preserve symmetry, avoid sharp bends and uncontrolled transitions, use a suitable balanced tuner or current balun arrangement, and provide strain relief.
Use current equipment instructions, legal operating limits, the exact signal path, and observed conditions. A connector, software label, transformer ratio, or forecast value does not prove complete-system performance.
