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Re: [RFI] How to proceed?

To: RFI List <rfi@contesting.com>, N4ZR <n4zr@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [RFI] How to proceed?
From: AA5CT via RFI <rfi@contesting.com>
Reply-to: jwin95@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2020 03:25:06 +0000 (UTC)
List-post: <mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
 re: "Any suggestions about how I might go about tracking down the 
source or sources?"


Pete, 


DFing power line noise on 160 (and 80) represents more of a challenge 
than the other bands, in my experience, because, the source can be miles
away and starting off with VHF DF beam can be useless.


My latest tracking effort has located a line near State Highway 121 near
Independence in Plano/Allen Texas, making it about 5 and 1/2 miles 
away!


I had to give up on the chase a few days ago (on account of dark) and
resumed only find the source another mile off in the direction my Direction
Finder continued to indicate. I thought I was close the first day, but 
I wasn't as close as I thought. 

If you can hear it on the car radio, you might find where it dies and 
concentrate on the area *inside* that perimeter with a car-mounted 
Two-meter AM mode receiver, and get lucky. 


For me, I use a special receiver, a "Coastal Navigator" designed to cover
LW, BC and Marine (1.6 - 4.0 MHz) bands. It incorporates a "Sense" antenna
that works in conjunction with the loopstick mounted on top to 
give a beam-like directional pattern called "a cardioid". This resolves the 
normal 180 degree ambiguity, and it REALLY comes in handy when one
passes by the 'source' and one can see the 'direction' swing around to
where one just came from! With a simple loop, one does not see that 
direction change.


Good luck, Jim AA5CT


https://powerlinenoiseallentexas.wordpress.com/df-equipment/

.
. 
 




     On Sunday, January 26, 2020, 8:57:03 PM CST, N4ZR <n4zr@comcast.net> 
wrote:  
 
 Recently, I have experienced constant S8 line noise on 160 meters.  I've 
killed the power in my house and run the radio on batteries, with no 
change, so it's nothing inside.  When I drive down the road a couple 
hundred yards away, which has a 3-phase powerline on one side, with my 
car radio tuned to 1710 KHz, the noise is almost deafening, with 
definite peaks at certain poles, as well as intermittent snapping and 
crackling noises that really suggest something loose or broken..  
However, today I went out with my homebrew VHF aircraft band Moxon, 
hoping to narrow down the noise-maker(s) to particular poles, and to my 
surprise I could not hear anything comparable to what I heard at 1.7 MHz.

Any suggestions about how I might go about tracking down the source or 
sources?  The local power company guy is very willing, but does not have 
much training to go on.

-- 
73, Pete N4ZR
Check out the Reverse Beacon Network
at <http://reversebeacon.net>, now
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