My audio level varies a lot. Depending on the antenna and band, the volume control will be anywhere from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock, always with the AGC ON and RF gain all the way up. I started noticing the scratchy volume control last week so, I guess the time has come to start thinking about the scratchy mod (s/n 2569) John K7SVV K2 #2569, SST 20, Rock Mite 20