[CQ-Contest] Proximity to other contest stn

[K7LXC at aol.com]

In a message dated 97-10-12 22:57:09 EDT, wa2go at erols.com writes:

<< When we left, we drove to
 the end of the street (about 75 feet, and there, through the woods,
 was a big wide swath of deforested land with a superhighway of high
 tension electricity on those massive 80 foot steel poles running right
 through it!  Looked like it was installed pretty recently.  The wires
 are probably 250 or 300, maybe 350 feet at most from the house.
 Needless to say, my heart sank into my stomach.

   Ouch, indeed. Condolences for sure.

    W6NL, who has a superlative location, has occasional power line noise (up
to S9 +20) from high tension wires about 3 miles away. Even if they are quiet
now (noise can be a seaonal problem), they would surely have an effect on
leaving and arriving signals in the direction of the wires. There is probably
some attenuation/absorption by the power lines. 
 
 >>Is it even worth driving up there with a receiver to see what I hear,
 or should we just look elsewhere?  

    Probably. What have you got to lose?

>>Even if it isn't a health risk and even if there were no power line noise
(is that even possible?) could the lines become noisier in
 later years?  >>

     Probably. Good luck on your continuing search.

     BTW, something I did when I was trying to decide about a certain QTH is
go to the local airport and hire an airplane. You can get a half-hour scenic
flight for not much money ($30 for 30 minutes about ten years ago) and fly
over it to REALLY see what it looks like. If you charter it around sunset,
you'll also get a great view of sunset. Take your camera. Probably the best
ham radio thirty bucks I ever spent.

73,  Steve  K7LXC


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