Thanks again to one and all for this excellent discussion. Let me continue
to add to my description of the noise(s). Right now the noise is going full
bore on 6M. It peaks S9 with my beam pointed S-SW (which is odd because the
peak used to always be E). Maybe two sources? (Actually, the noise is
louder than I've ever heard it before on 20M through 10M, peaking about
South. I hope this isn't a new source!)
I didn't mention it, but I occasionally hear the noise on 2M. I have a
5-element Quagi antenna, and the noise is peaking right now at S7, but the
direction is E-NE. (Again, S7 is louder than I've heard noise before on 2M,
so I wonder what's going on.)
The consensus I'm getting out of the discussion is that I should "just do
it" (since I can't get my power company to do it) and do some DF'ing of the
noise source on VHF or UHF. My Yaesu VX-5R HT can receive AM on most
frequencies from below 1 MHz to 800 MHz or so -- I think it'll make a good
portable receiver for my RFI hunt.
So, now I'm wondering what I should do for an antenna. Should I go up and
take down my 5-el 2M Quagi, and do my DF-ing on 2M? That antenna is kinda
big. I could manage, but something smaller would certainly be easier to
use.
Which brings me to my next idea. I have no beam for 430 MHz, and since I
have a Yaesu FT-847 I've occasionally thought about getting one to try out
some 70-cm SSB/CW work. So maybe I should use this as an excuse to buy a
70-cm beam. Doing this would have two advantages: 1) I wouldn't have to
take down my 2M beam, and 2) I would end up with a 70-cm antenna to use for
general hamming after its RFI duties were over. But, it would mean I'd have
to do my RFI hunting on the 70-cm band, and, since I don't have a decent
70-cm antenna now, I don't know if I can hear the noise here on that
frequency.
73,
John W1JA
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