RFI
[Top] [All Lists]

[RFI] Power Line RFI... Solved (I think)

To: RFI@contesting.com
Subject: [RFI] Power Line RFI... Solved (I think)
From: Kim Elmore <cw_de_n5op@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:26:00 -0500
List-post: <rfi@contesting.com">mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
I appreciate all the advice you've all given -- it has been very 
informative. With all of that said, I must admit that I think I wound 
up solving the problem quite unintentionally. In fact, I have to 
admit that I'm completely amazed.

Many suggested that the source was conducted RFI from either within 
mu home or outside of it. That's easy to check, because I have the 
ability to completely disconnect myself from the grid because I have 
a 13 kW standby generator connected to a 400 A  transfer switch. 
First off, the say check: start up the generator and transfer to it, 
off of commercial power. I do so and voila'! The noise is gone! 
"Wow!  That was it!"

Happy with my discovery, I transfer back to commercial power and 
decided to check again, knowing the noise would be back. But... It 
wasn't!  So, I transferred to generator again. Quiet. Transfer back 
to commercial... Quiet.

All I can figure is that somewhere within the switch itself, a tiny 
bit of corrosion had formed and that there was some rectification RFI 
going on.  It doesn't get exercised often, so I suppose it's 
certainly a possibility. The contacts are pretty big (400 A), and 
it's spring-loaded so that they cannot be "teased." Has anyone else seen this?

If anyone has an additional explanation, I'm all ears, However, the 
problem does indeed seem to be solved!

73,

Kim Elmore N5OP

_______________________________________________
RFI mailing list
RFI@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>