That's an interesting observation, Ed. To tell the truth, I had never tested the correlation between sweep frequency and HV level. But it stands to reason that changing the sweep freq also changes the duration of the retrace/'fly-back' spike from which the HV is derived via resonance (or near resonance) with the secondary winding (the 'tire').
But as you demonstrated, there's only a moderate peak as you tune through it, not a continuous ascent.
Re. the SS stick, I was referring to the HV rectifier type, not a damper. Replaced enough of those in CTC-22s. Gaak.
oc