On 8th October, it was written:
"... In Ontario, you must NEVER tell Ontario Hydro (Power) that you are a
HAM or they will ignore you. Tell them you are a disgruntled television
owner and chances are they will give you more attention..."
***********************************
I have to disagree with that statement, based upon my own first-hand
experience in that regard...
A couple of years ago I started getting an S-9 PLUS buzzing noise on
40-meters. The ONLY time it would "cease & desist" was on wet, rainy days...
Cruising the area in my car, with the AM radio tuned to a dead spot on the
band, I traced the source of the racket to be a hydro pole at the end of my
neighbour's driveway.
I phoned Ontario Hydro on a weekday morning, and was assured that someone
would be at my place that very same day! Sure enough, a few hours later,
there's a white & orange "cheery picker" parked out front, with two
servicemen visually scanning the poles along the street. I brought one
fellow into the shack, & showed him first-hand what the noise sounded like.
While he listened, he was in communication with his partner outside via a
walkie-talkie radio, as the latter hammered each pole, one by one, with a
huge hammer.
No change in noise.
Finally, I directed them to where I thought the noise was coming from, and
one of the crew went "topside" in the cherry-picker to see. Sure enough,
when he opened the knife switch that connected the main line to my
neighbour's drop line, the noise stopped.
Examination of the switch revealed corrosion, which was the result of
prolonged arcing. They installed a new switch, & I confirmed that the noise
had completely disappeared --- with my deepest of thanks.
I later wrote a letter of appreciation to the local head office of Ontario
Hydro, expressing my gratitude...
On the other hand, LOCAL utility companies here fall into the "...Hams are
on the back-burner" category of PR. That's why, when we lived in the city
and street lamp ballasts would go awry, causing all sorts of mayhem on the
low bands, I would call & complain that the intermittent operation of the
pole lamp was of concern to the citizenry walking their dogs after dark.
It worked every time.
~73~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
_______________________________________________
RFI mailing list
RFI@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
|