One thing I don't see mentioned here is the effect of reflections.
I was chasing a source that was causing garage door openers not to work all
of a sudden. First out I thought it was a house angled across the street,
strong signal but as I got closer it was the car in on the street in front
of the house. Nope, as I walked around the car it was the house next door
instead. And then as I walked up to their driveway, it was the next one
instead. OK, it had been several cars in front until I got nearer them and
several houses in a row as I was nearing them, what gives? OK, will go
behind to the next street. Nothing, anywhere, not even back toward the
houses I had thought from the front. I then decided to walk basically
circling the location. Nothing and then walked down each street a half
block or so. About the third street I started to pick up something
generally back toward the house that had called me. Getting closer, I
started to pick up individual houses but trying to walk around instead of
directly toward them, I found that it would change houses again -
REFLECTIONS....! OK, what is the direction that would be reflecting from
them. Strong once I was out from behind the houses on my side that was
blocking my reception from that direction. Got it, a garage I was looking
at the back of. Headed that way. Much stronger. Bet I can even tell where
it is inside the garage. Walking alongside the garage, nothing! Back to
the end, nothing until I got back in the direction where I had it before -
it is a reflection again - turn around - YES. It had been another reflection
from the end of another house. Headed over. OK, landscaping light
transformer - nope, lighting in the flower bed, nope, box on the wall with
cable going into it ARRIS - YES. Went back down to the fellow who called me
and his he really couldn't walk so his neighbor and some of the neighbor
kids who had thought I was weird waving the beam around until I told them it
helped me hear radio stations and showed them, all came along. I explained
it all to the adult neighbor and when we could see the box and I showed him
the signal, there was no question in his mind what was going on. The faulty
resident was not home. I left and called a few days later.
Bottom line - all is well now.
Reflections will drive you crazy.
73, Jim KG0KP
_______________________________________________
RFI mailing list
RFI@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
|