Hi; I suggest you concentrate on one antenna or the other and once you get one working then move on to the next. The r7 should give you a narrow section on 40 meters where the swr drops to usable levels. I don't think that polishing up the antenna in general will make a big difference but the points at witch two metal sections fit together might be worth investigating. When was the last time this r7 worked? Any idea how old it is? Rich