RFI
[Top] [All Lists]

[RFI] Terrible RFI

To: <rfi@contesting.com>
Subject: [RFI] Terrible RFI
From: k6ll at juno.com (Dave Hachadorian)
Date: Thu Mar 27 11:49:18 2003
Are there any hams in the neighborhood with directional
antennas for 10 meters? Perhaps they can take a reading
and triangulate. For best accuracy, use the nulls off the
side, rather than the broad peak off the front.

Once you get into the proper neighborhood, the MFJ should
get you to the correct pole. Then, the power company should
be able to find the defective device.

If the noise in constant, 24/7, I would bet on a defective
lightning arrestor on a power line. These are high power
sources that can be heard over a radius of about one mile.

Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
Yuma, AZ



On Wed, 26 Mar 2003 20:52:47 -0500 "Bob Thacker" <k3gt@pgh.net> writes:
> Hi All,
> 
> Have had a terrible time finding interference sources and been 
> battling the
> power company for over seven, yes, seven years. But, that is a whole 
> story
> in itself. Right now I am at wits end trying to locate the source.
> 
> Here's the problem. S7-9 Noise Level (worse when it is drier) on 10 
> & 12
> meters with other bands being affected depending on how dry the 
> weather is.
> 160 meters is S 7 at night. A sweep of 1710 KHz AM broad cast band 
> indicates
> peaks on the power line at what appears to be irregular intervals 
> over a 1
> mile stretch.. An MFJ Noise meter indicates one small source about 
> 3/4 mile
> away. However, I do not feel this is the source. As night falls, the 
> noise
> lessens a bit to where I see 2 peaks from the radio station 
> indicating the
> same direction as the peaks on the power line. An interesting 
> phenomena
> occurs on 1020 KHz, KDKA's 50 KW station which is about 3 miles 
> away, the
> noise totally obliterates the signal at one of the noise peaks on 
> the power
> line.
> 
> The power company is blaming neon signs from a small strip mall 
> located at a
> further distance from peaks on the power line. A sweep with the MFJ 
> box
> indicates that indeed these signs are very noisy. After a polite 
> discussion
> tonight with the noisiest sign owner, we turned off 3 signs. There 
> was no
> change on the receiver noise at home, which the XYL was monitoring. 
> There
> are 2 more signs to check, 1 is the marque sign which will require 
> more
> effort to locate the strip mall owner and another store where I know 
> the
> owner. However, the owners have turned these signs off in the past, 
> which
> did not correct the problem. Going to double check to be sure.
> 
> A sweep of the local 1 -2 mile area with the MFJ box indicates no 
> local
> noise generating from the usual troublesome door bell and touch 
> lamps.
> 
> I have the ARRL RFI book and tried their suggestions but coming up 
> blank. Is
> there any way to tell from the sound of the noise as to what it may 
> be
> coming from? It sounds more like a buzz than a crackle, if that 
> makes sense!
> Talk about being at wits end! Any suggestions would be greatly 
> appreciated.
> 
> Thanks to all.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Bob
> K3GT
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> RFI mailing list
> RFI@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
> 

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