[Amps] rfi

[Max Harelik]

This borders on OT, but I can't resist:

Back in my military days (1966-1970) I was an airborne weapons control 
systems tech. Late one night, while completing routine maintenance on 
the system and its radar, a green no-stripe came walking through the 
hangar with an armload of 4 ft. fluorescent lamps. (You can already see 
where this is going, can't you?).

(Normally, we had to work with the radar under an RF blanket to keep 
from interfering with nearby commercial airport traffic. This night, 
however, the airplane happened to be in a hangar whose doors were 
pointed out to sea and well clear of civilian patterns, so I had left 
the blanket off the radome, to see what I could see "out there". )

I recalled that one can check SWR on a mobile antenna by holding up a 
fluorescent lamp next to it. I thought, "Well, he's not next to it, but 
I'll give it a try, anyway," and with the aircraft hand control, made a 
sweep past him. The effect was satisfying: The lamps lit up in a random 
fashion (ghostly, if you will) and the troop froze, and with nothing 
moving except his very wide-open eyes, looked fearfully around.

Now I was on the other side of the hangar, and he couldn't see me, 
hunkered down in the cockpit as I was. After a bit, he tentatively took 
a step, and I gleefully gave him another sweep. The lamps lit up again, 
he hollered, threw them up in the air, and was out the door before they 
hit the hangar floor.

Figuring that I better vacate before he came back with his supervisor, I 
finished up, buttoned up, cleared the A/C records, turned ground power 
off, grabbed my tools, and headed for my shop at the far end of the 
hangar. Sure enough, about 10 minutes later he was back with his Sgt, 
trying to explain what had happened. I watched from my point of relative 
safety, as, with frantic gesticulation and articulation, he attempted to 
convince his boss that he hadn't just tripped and dropped the lamps. No 
go. He was made to clean it all up, and they left the hangar. Probably 
had to pull some KP, too, but I never knew for sure.

Disclaimer: We were instructed never to stand in front of the aircraft 
with the radar system on, or point the radar continuously at anyone, 
(the sustained RF could blind one, or worse, truncate one's reproductive 
potential) but momentary exposure was deemed acceptable. So, I felt ok 
with those quick sweeps. The cautions/orders were taken seriously, 
though we occasionally target-practiced on birds out on the ramps with 
dramatic results.

73,
Max, K5OVW

Kim Elmore wrote:

>OK, here's my story.
>
>When I was in Colorado, I had a ne'er do well neighbor behind me. 
>This guy had been a bit of a jerk in many different ways and he once 
>came over to my place with some "muscle" in tow to tell me how much 
>trouble I was causing. I happily showed him and his muscle the 
>station, handed 'em an FCC RFI booklet, and sent 'em away somewhat confused.
>
>Then he got a touch lamp in his second-floor living room, which was 
>easily visible from my operating position.
>
>That touch lamp was a pretty sensitive receiver and even at 100W, it 
>went completely nuts on 20 m. I used CW almost exclusively at the 
>time, but SSB did it in, too. For a long time, he couldn't figure it 
>out, but one day I saw him out on his balcony looking carefully over 
>at my house. I ducked down out of sight and programmed my keyer to 
>send "RFI TEST DE N5OP" continuously at 20 s intervals. I then went 
>out and mowed my lawn. He watched me mowing my lawn while his touch 
>lamp went nuts and finally went back inside and unplugged it. He 
>certainly couldn't accuse me of the problem! I was mowing the lawn!
>
>But that's not the end: I had a good friend who had just passed his 
>Tech over one night. I saw my antagonist in his living room, watching 
>his TV, with his touch-lamp on.
>
>We grabbed some binoculars and I said "Watch this."
>
>Keeping all lights off, I programmed my keyer with "RFI TEST DE N5OP" 
>and fired up my TS-930S. As if my magic, his touch lamp began it's 
>routine. He got out of his chair and looked at my house. Dark as a 
>tomb. He readjusted the lamp and just as he sat down, it started 
>again. He did this trick several times and every time, as if on cue, 
>it went nuts again when he sat down. By this time my friend was 
>almost unable to breathe due to his laughter. But them came the piece 
>de resistance: the lamp started its routine again and this time the 
>guy leaped out of his chair, grabbed the lamp and shaking it as if he 
>were choking it, ripped it out of the wall socket and *threw* it down 
>a hallway. Needless to say, that put the poor touch lamp out of its misery.
>
>My friend complained for some days afterward that his sides hurt from 
>so much laughing. Mine did, too.
>
>Kim Elmore, N5OP  
>
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