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[TowerTalk] You think you have line noise !

To: <topband@contesting.com>, <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] You think you have line noise !
From: "Tod-ID" <tod@k0to.us>
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2006 11:20:54 -0700
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
The following appeared on the Minnesota Wireless Association reflector.
Steve Fraasch, K0SF, has been searching for this noise source for four
years! If you have questions he can be contacted at =>  k0sf@arrl.net.

Tod, K0TO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------
>From the MWA reflector:

******  NW Metro MOA Line Noise Update   ***

More good news !
   
  Pat Waddick, Xcel RFI tech, returned to work yesterday.  I called
yesterday am to give him the source location.  He visited the pole and
audibly heard the arc.  Today, he was over at my home to verify that the
pulse pattern was the same; he agreed that it was.  Then he and I went back
to the site.  We were able to actually see the arc this morning (it was
higher intensity today, because of higher humidity, I could not hear the
noise yesterday at home yesterday am).  I could hear the arc from over 500'
this AM as Pat and I walked up to the pole.
   
  The arc is approximately 2 inches long and is between a compression
fixture that attaches the down guy to the pole at the top.  The neutral at
the top of the poles is then arcing to this fixture, which then should be
grounded via the down guy.  Looking thru binoculars, we could actually see
the 2" arc and the blackening of the wood pole.  Pat told me that this is a
345 KV system, not a 130 KV as thought previously.  The down guys are some
90' high and over 100' long.  Since the arc pumps these directly, it is no
mystery why this radiates very far at low frequencies and can be heard on my
AM car radio in Corcoran, Hassan Township, St. Michael, Albertville,
Greenfield, Loretto, Medina, Maple Grove, Long Lake and Osseo ! [a 40 mile
diameter circle !!]
   
  Pat was fully convinced that a repair was required and that I was indeed
affected by it from 3.75 miles away.  He aknowledged that Jim Fielder, KE0L,
and Mark Franklin, K0KX are also affected, as are other hams that may not be
as active.
   
  He said that the difficulty would be getting into the swamp, since the ice
was not strong enough yet to support a truck, but they would try to get it
fixed as soon as possible.  He just called me about 10 minutes ago to tell
me that a supervisor had returned his call and thought he could get a guy to
climb the pole next week without a truck and make the repair.  We will have
to wait and see if that is possible.
   
  At this point, I do not want to make a call to Mr. Abbott or anyone else
at Xcel.  Doing so would diminish Pat's sense of responsibility for taking
ownership of the problem.  Let's have him work with the high tension group
at Xcel.  I am very confident that Pat will do his best to have it fixed.
Xcel certainly doesn't want a pole ruined or weakened by an arc.  There is a
time to keep quiet and nod your head and listen, and while he is supplying
all of the adjectives and verbs, I think this is that time.
   
  The good news is that the source is found, Xcel will fix it, and since it
is a strong arc pumping what is essentially an excellent lowband antenna,
hopefully many besides myself will benefit from lower noise when it is
fixed.
   
  73,
   
  Steve Fraasch, K0SF

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