In this case they had all the gear but still claimed they couldn't find the
noise. Both me and Ed Hare and Mike Gruber from ARRL offered to come out with
them but they always found a reason not to and then show up when we weren't
aware and claim no noise. It turns out they had no budget as the problem was
very systematic over many miles of line because of poor workmanship by a
contractor who reconductored the runs two years earlier. We got them (with both
FCC and the Congressman) to fix 6 towers leaving only one still problematic
because of a dispute with a ROW issue. But that one I fix with the MFJ1025
nuller. This power company did every thing they could to deny the problem. ARRL
did want to pursue exposing that however because they felt problem solved good
enough. And why scare off others. I had to swallow hard not to press this but
ARRL was right in keeping tensions low.
Sent from my iPhone
On Dec 21, 2011, at 6:24 PM, Herb Schoenbohm <herbs@vitelcom.net> wrote:
> On 12/21/2011 7:02 PM, David Raymond wrote:
>> If the power company has any competence whatsoever with regard to locating
>> noise, they will have one of the high freq audio noise locating devices. In
>> some cases, if you're going to chase noise on behalf of the utility (and
>> locate their problem), they may loan you the equipment. Incidentally, some
>> of the super acoustical devices do have a laser for aiming. Also, remember
>> when you get in close it can be helpful to pinpoint the noise during
>> darkness and when it is quiet (quiet as in traffic noise, not electrical
>> noise). You can sometimes either see the arcing or hear the noise coming
>> from it.
>>
>>
>>
> Sometimes you can find an offending pole with a small shirt pocket audio
> amp (available from MCM and other kit providers for next nothing) and
> while wearing some headphones, physically place the microphone on the
> poles you suspect. Wood transmit sound better than air as sound is
> transmitted better by solids than by air. Remember the tin can and long
> string telephone you tried as a kid?
>
> I know it sounds crude but you would be amazed at the types of sounds
> that emanate from a power pole especially if there is any arcing of
> hardware on it.
>
>
> Just a simple solution for a complex problem but something you can do on
> your morning walk until some observer calls 911 and reports there is a
> nut case acting strangely by trying to listen calls. Sometimes it may
> be advisable to wear a yellow traffic vest and a hard hat with lightning
> bolts painted on with a magic marker. That should avoid the problem.
> Hey don't laugh it happened to me once in Minnesota when during a
> contest it was reported to the police that some crazy man in the middle
> of the night was beating up on a power pole with a sledge hammer.
>
>
> Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
_______________________________________________
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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