For what it's worth . . . NK7Z posted a panadapter image of a defective
lightning arrestor.
It was 2000 feet from my antennas. I watched them go up and replace it.
Here's the link: infrastructure
<https://www.nk7z.net/rfi-snapshots/infrastructure/>
73, Alan K0AV
On Mon, Jan 11, 2021 at 3:40 PM Mike Martin <mike@rfiservices.com> wrote:
> Chuck there is so many variables that in my opinion it would not be a good
> idea to request them to change out lightning arrestors.
> Lightning arrestors are almost never intermittent and either are
> transformers. I just finished the job in Tennessee where they had been
> working for a year on all kinds of suspected hardware. I found the problem
> to be a faulty transformer we replaced it and everything was good. My point
> here being if you don't know what the source is by all means don't request
> them to change hardware that's unnecessary to change. Imagine it being your
> car, you're taking it to the dealer and they tell you well it's running
> rough we think we need to change the fuel injection system. Are you going
> to tell them to go ahead and take a shot in the dark maybe he'll get lucky
> and then pay for it if they're wrong? That's what you're asking them to do.
> In addition, you're wasting a good opportunity to be correct about the
> problem and score points with your utility. Being right is great being
> wrong hurts the chances of you getting something else taken care of later.
> I don't know what kind of ultrasound dish you have but if it is not the
> radar engineers model 250 or 251 it is extremely unreliable for overhead
> sources. I've used the mfj many times and many times find the source not
> exposed enough to be detected. However, I pull out my radar engineers 251
> and can easily detect it. It's a matter of game. the more gain you have the
> less direct line of sight you need to have to the sparking source.
> If you have a recording of the noise please forward it to me and I can
> possibly tell you if it's a lightning arrestor or a transformer.
> You're welcome to call me to discuss it. 240, 508, 3760. And I'm on
> Eastern standard Time.
> Best wishes with finding your source and again you're welcome to call me
>
>
> Mike k3RFI
> RFI Services
>
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> On Jan 11, 2021, 3:16 PM, at 3:16 PM, "EDWARDS, EDDIE J via RFI" <
> rfi@contesting.com> wrote:
> >Chuck,
> >
> >Besides the lightning arrestor which is an easy fix, other things that
> >can be blocked on ultra-sonic dishes are the transformer itself with
> >internal arcing; and also on top of the transformer there might be a
> >squirrel guard mounted so it's not visible to the ground unless you
> >walk farther away. Squirrel guards with multiple prongs jutting out in
> >every direction can actually start up and get worse with rain just
> >opposite of the other hardware on a wood pole. They act like a Jacobs
> >ladder in the rain until going full out noisy.
> >
> >There are RF quite squirrel guards that work well. So if that's it,
> >get them to install a better guard.
> >
> >If it's the transformer, it'll blow up eventually, but they'll want to
> >replace it before then.
> >
> >73, de ed -K0iL
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: RFI <rfi-bounces+eedwards=oppd.com@contesting.com> On Behalf Of
> >Charles Plunk
> >Sent: Monday, January 11, 2021 1:20 PM
> >To: rfi@contesting.com
> >Subject: [RFI] Pole mounted lightning arresters?
> >
> >READ THIS FIRST! This is NOT an OPPD email.Be very cautious of any
> >links or attachments unless you recognize this sender -
> >rfi-bounces+eedwards=oppd.com@contesting.com and are expecting this
> >email.Please click the "Report it" button if you think this email is
> >malicious.
> >
> >Long Story but will try to keep it to my point. I have triangulated my
> >power line arc to a pole. Fairly typical 3 phase old residential but
> >busy pole. Insulators, disconnects, lightning arresters, a transformer,
> >etc. Pole is a junction as the 3 phase goes off in 3 directions from
> >that pole. Arc is not affected by rain. And I cannot hear it with my
> >ultrasonic dish. In the past I have pinpointed bad hardware on other
> >poles with the dish.
> >
> >I suspect the lightning arresters. There are 3 on there, one for each
> >phase and I assume very little way I could tell which one. Rural
> >utility, knows little about and/or is not concerned about arc rfi other
> >than past dealings with me and TVA (power distributor who does have rfi
> >location capabilities but is rather difficult to get them out to do).
> >
> >And now the arc is intermittent. Today its pulsing about every second.
> >Next week it may get solid for a while or go away entirely. And of
> >course if TVA comes out, it will be gone.
> >
> >What hardware, other than lightning arresters (arcing internally) would
> >not be affected by rain and I could not hear with the dish?
> >
> >Would it be reasonable enough to ask the util to replace the lightning
> >arresters before bugging TVA?
> >
> >Any thoughts appreciated.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Chuck
> >AF4O
> >
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