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Topband: High Efficiency Furnace RFI?

To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Topband: High Efficiency Furnace RFI?
From: <donovanf@starpower.net>
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2011 11:43:37 -0500 (EST)
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
In the last few weeks a new strong variable frequency 100% duty cycle RFI 
source suddenly appeared on 160 meters, radiated from a home one mile southeast 
of my QTH 24 hours per day.  The RFI peaks in the 160 meter band on variable 
frequencies mainly between 1801 and 1834 kHz.  Yes, its the perfect RFI storm 
on 160 meters!

Its source is a home with a recently completed major addition.  At my QTH the 
RFI affects only 160 meters and the AM broadcast band above 1600 kHz. If you 
place an AM receiver close to the home generating the RFI, the RFI extends only 
from 1270 kHz to 1970 kHz.

The RFI has amplitude peaks and valleys at 1801, 1804, 1818, 1823, 1827 and 
1834 kHz; however, all of those RFI peaks are not present at the same time. The 
RFI abruptly switches among those frequencies a few times per minute, 
apparently caused by some sort of variable speed controller.  If you listen to 
the RFI with the receiver in the AM mode, the RFI has a continuous AM 
modulation of approximately 1 Hertz.

All of the above -- especially the one mile distance from my QTH -- suggests 
that the source may be a new high efficiency heat pump with a variable speed 
motor controller.  

While I can probably use my DX Engineering NCC-1 noise cancelling controller to 
completely null out this RFI source in every direction except SE, I would 
prefer to eliminate the RFI source entirely!   

Has anyone else experienced this type of RFI?  If so, have you been successful 
in resolving it?

tks

73
Frank
W3LPL
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