Excellent advice given by Callum. I would also check all of the antenna connections: At the back of the radio, at the antenna tuner, and out from the antenna tuner. You want to remove the fittings, and check--if any evidence of corrosion, clean with a nylon pad or bronze wool--and then coat the connection with a dialectic silicone grease and re-assemble. The same is true of your ground connections. You should have a specialized wire like neon or ignition high voltage wire (GTO 15 is a specific wire used) from the tuner to the antenna. Also check for dirt or salt built up on the insullator on the tuner output and the antenna connection. Also be sure that the antenna is not right up next to another piece of metal. I assume that you have a 23 foot fiberglass antenna for the system. Also make sure that the tuner is as close to the antenna as possible, that the ground strap (not wire) runs to your ground system from the tuner. You also want to be sure that there is 12 volts going to the tuner. The tuner, as Callum notes, is critical in making a resonate antenna even for receiving. If there is a ham radio operator near you, you might ask him for help. We usually have the equipment necessary to find out the problem. In the morning about 07:45 Eastern Time you want to listen to the waterway net: at 7,268 mhz lower side band. The 14.300--14 313 will be upper side band. All of your marine SSB will be USB. Be sure that the proper setting is used. (not AM). 14,300 mhz Maritime Mobile service net is listed as 12PM to 10 PM ET. But the stations may be a little off, because of other traffic. Also you may not hear stations in the "skip" area. You will find a fairly up to date list of maritime nets at: http://www.mmsn.org/sailorslinks.htm You may not hear anything on the preprogramed SSB nets. There is often no traffic there. One which occasionally has traffic is: Cruiseheimers net: http://www.bigdumboat.com/network.html A final good resource is Herb Hilgenberg http://www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.htm 73's Bob Austin KA6PKB