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Re: [RFI] RFI source found!

To: Brian Davis <bdavis73@comcast.net>, rfi@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [RFI] RFI source found!
From: Pat <wa4tuk-rf@comcast.net>
Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2016 21:03:50 -0400
List-post: <rfi@contesting.com">mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
Brian:

Another data point and a brand to avoid.

Thanks for reporting the results. It may help someone some day.

Congratulations to you and Ken!

Pat
wa4tuk





On 8/27/2016 12:15 PM, Brian Davis wrote:
I am relaying the event of my ham friend, Ken, W9IE, who has been plagued with serious 
RFI spurs on all bands 20 meters and above.  It bothered him for several years.  It 
made some frequencies on two meters unusable including 146.94 FM.  It varied in 
frequency in that it slowly drifted across the FM repeater channel.  Using a portable 
receiver it was determined to be outside his house (he did pull all the breakers in 
his house).  Next suspect was the Comcast distribution amplifier high on a pole 
outside his house.   For some reason he followed the cable drops radiating from the 
pole in each direction using his radio to track the noise.  One path took him to the 
next door neighbor where the noise got quite loud.  Ah ha…he says.   The 
neighbor was very cooperative and they systematically opened breakers in the power 
panel.  When they got to the family room the noise in the portable radio stopped.   
Trouble was, there was little in the family room except reading lights.  On a hunch 
Ken asked what was on the other side of the wall.  It turned out to be the garage 
powered by the same circuit.  A quick survey reveled a Hitachi 7.2 to 14 volt 
Ni-Cad/Ni-MH (model UC-14VFA) cordless drill battery charger that was plugged in all 
the time.  Testing showed RFI anytime the charger was plugged in, battery or not 
caused serious RFI.  Ken took his neighbor to a local big box store and bought the him 
a new Dewalt cordless drill system.  Ken joked he was glad that the noise did not come 
from a washing machine or flat screen TV. Neighbor rewarded for being cooperative and 
the was problem solved!  73, Brian W9HLQ
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