[RFI] RFI Identification Help

[dalej]

The street lights we have in our city (Bloomington Mn.) have a little device on top that senses when it's getting dark and to turn on the individual street lights.  When that thing goes bad or if the ballast inside the light fixture goes south, these lights can produce ungodly amount of on and off noise.  I have found these things several blocks away from my QTH with interfering noise.  Sometimes when they are in failure mode they will be on steady during the day.  So if you have this type of street light drive around for several blocks away from your QTH, night is best as these things will be on bright for a half minute or so then suddenly shut off, wait a few more seconds and you will see them start to come on slowly and that is the time they generate their noise, awful noise and on the low bands, 80 meters which I use.  Fortunately for me the local power company has responsibility for maintaining these lights and they have been responsive to my calls, depending on other workload priority.  

I'm not saying this is your noise source rather just sharing my experience with on off type noise, as another poster mentioned it too.

73 and I hope you can find it.

Dale, k9vuj


On 11, Nov 2013, at 6:40, Doug Scribner <dscribner at myfairpoint.net> wrote:

> Upon further investigation I have discovered that the interference is also present during the daytime although it is much lower in amplitude.  It still maintains the same On/Off cycle.
> 
> Doug - K1ZO
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lee K7TJR" <k7tjr at msn.com>
> To: "'Doug Scribner'" <dscribner at myfairpoint.net>
> Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2013 9:45 PM
> Subject: RE: [RFI] RFI Identification Help
> 
> 
>> Doug, this might be a street light cycling at night. It's a little fast of a
>> cycle, but they only come on at night.
>> Suggest you drive your neighborhood at night with a BC radio and you should
>> be able to find this if it is a light,
>> while observing it go off and on.
>> The noise is very strong as the light comes on and quiet when it goes off.
>> Good Luck,
>> Lee  K7TJR
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: RFI [mailto:rfi-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Doug Scribner
>> Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2013 4:23 PM
>> To: rfi at contesting.com
>> Subject: [RFI] RFI Identification Help
>> 
>> Symptoms:
>> 
>> Primarily on 160. Although it is also present on 40 and 80. It is much
>> stronger on 160
>> 
>> Only on at night...after dark.
>> 
>> Cycles On and Off at set intervals. 20 seconds On and 30 seconds Off.
>> 
>> Produces S4-5 spikes every 2.5 to 3 Kc
>> 
>> A neighbor less than 1/4 mile away recently installed an electric fence. I
>> do see regular spikes, very short in duration. Not really that much of an
>> issue.
>> 
>> I have verified that it does not come from within my house.
>> 
>> I have a picture of the interference on my SM-5000 station monitor if anyone
>> thinks that would help.
>> 
>> Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. It has really put a damper on
>> my 160 operation.
>> 
>> Doug - K1ZO
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> 
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