[RFI] High Efficiency Heat Pump (or furnace) RFI ?

[Hare, Ed W1RFI]

A mile away!  My word!
 
I will be MOST interested in finding out what the manufacturer and model of this device is, as there is no doubt at all that this greatly exceeds the FCC conducted emissions limits!  Typically, a "legal" device from the house next door would be about S7 or so -- bad enough, but NOT enough to go a mile away.
 
Is the "neighbor" cooperative? If it would help, you can ask ARRL to write them a letter, under the wing of our agreements with the FCC. That is sometimes better than a cold knock on the door.  I generally take the view that local solutions to local problems are best, but if you think that a letter from ARRL would be a good way to open the door, let Mike Gruber, W1MG at arrl.org, know.
 
73,
Ed Hare, W1RFI
ARRL Laboratory Manager
225 Main St
Newington, CT 06111
Tel: 860-594-0318
Email: W1RFI at arrl.org

________________________________

From: donovanf at starpower.net [mailto:donovanf at starpower.net]
Sent: Sat 1/15/2011 1:01 PM
To: rfi at contesting.com
Subject: [RFI] High Efficiency Heat Pump (or furnace) RFI ?



In the last few weeks a new strong variable frequency 100% duty cycle RFI source suddenly appeared on 160 meters, radiated from a home one mile southeast of my QTH 24 hours per day.  The RFI peaks in the 160 meter band on variable frequencies mainly between 1801 and 1834 kHz.  Yes, this is the perfect RFI storm on 160 meters!

Its source is a home with a recently completed major addition.  At my QTH the RFI affects only 160 meters and the AM broadcast band above 1600 kHz. If you place an AM receiver close to the home generating the RFI, the RFI extends only from 1270 kHz to 1970 kHz.

The RFI has amplitude peaks and valleys at 1801, 1804, 1818, 1823, 1827 and 1834 kHz; however, all of those RFI peaks are not present at the same time. The RFI abruptly switches among those frequencies a few times per minute, apparently caused by some sort of variable speed controller.  If you listen to the RFI with the receiver in the AM mode, the RFI has a continuous AM modulation of approximately 1 Hertz.

All of the above -- especially the one mile distance from my QTH -- suggests that the source may be a new high efficiency heat pump (or furnace) with a variable speed motor controller.  

While I can probably use my DX Engineering NCC-1 noise cancelling controller to completely null out this RFI source in every direction except SE, I would prefer to eliminate the RFI source entirely!   

Has anyone else experienced this type of RFI?  If so, have you been successful in resolving it, especially in a home other than your own?

tks

73
Frank
W3LPL
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