[RFI] [Bulk] Re: [Bulk] Re: Electric Fence pulsing (will get worse soon !)

Thu Jul 30 17:22:10 EDT 2015

Yes, that or an Icom IC-T7H (my noise finding rx) which has air band receive and I'm sure there are several others with the same air band AM capability.  I just used mine as a matter of fact, to find a noisy pole today and submitted a report to the power company.  

Use VHF, air band and in AM mode to find power poles, or any arcing such as electric fences etc.  

Dale, k9vuj

On 30, Jul 2015, at 16:00, "J. Gordon Beattie, Jr., W2TTT" <w2ttt at att.net> wrote:

Mike,
If you or someone else nearby has a Kenwood TH-F6A to use in its SSB or AM
mode, you will be able to tune a broad range from MF to about 1,300 MHz.
I've used mine to hunt things in the past.
73,
Gordon Beattie, W2TTT
201.314.6964

-----Original Message-----
From: RFI [mailto:rfi-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Mike Smith VE9AA
Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2015 6:38 PM
Cc: rfi at contesting.com
Subject: [Bulk] Re: [RFI] [Bulk] Re: Electric Fence pulsing (will get worse
soon !)

Frank, W3LPL gave me an idea....I don't have an aircraft radio or FT-817,
nor is one available to me locally.  I don't have a handheld dish and
ultrasonic RX either. (I like the KB4T email that just came through-gonna
save that one) I had asked Frank about using 2m AM with a small 2m yagi and
my mobile rig (FT-857D)(waiting to hear back)...but then I got looking
outside in the aluminum pile and right on top was a 22-el 70cm yagi from my
old VE9MS beacon !

Has anyone successfully used 423MHz AM or SSB for DFing an arcing noise
source?  I can (barely) hear the pulses from 1000' away on 2m, but have no
rig or antenna here in the shack to get on 70cm to DF.

Reason I ask, is that it would be much easier wielding around a short 70cm
yagi than it would be one for 2m.  I don't have anything for 2m with a short
boom, but could dismantle the 70cm yagi into a manageable size.

Removing the rig from the car is gonna be bad enough.  I wired, bolted,
wedged it in there to stay !....I really should've bought an '817 one year
when I was thinking about it, but never got a 'roundtuit' (RATS!) (hi)

I have just about used up all my neighbourly visits with this guy's patience
so really want to make the next 1 (or 2 if I am lucky) visits be productive
or I fear the "don't come back again" speech. BTDT in a situation 50 miles
away @ a previous QTH.

If I am able to point at a bad connector, wire or a clump of weeds and show
him on the S-meter, that would be superb.  At this point, he thinks I am
crazy and was trying to say it was another neighbour with a new fence 1/2
mile down the road in a completely different direction. For some reason he
doesn't seem the least bit concerned that I can touch his fence (and barely
flinch), being a little thin-skinned human.  IMHO, Clydesdales would laugh
at the puny jolt they'd receive.  I am surprised they haven't run away yet,
quite honestly.

One thing I did not mention til now, was that he has a big chunk of wire
going UNDER the ground where a gate used to be.  It's perhaps 6 or 8 gauge
insulated... Wire looks really nice, but I am wondering if there is a nick
in the insulation? (just one idea). He also has a couple gate hooks but no
other half, so the hooks are merely draped over the wire-rope of the fence.
I did hear it arcing (moving the handle made that stop), but I don't think
that's the primary issue as that is the farrrr end of the fence and he has
very little voltage starting out at the near end.

Thanks for letting me complain, rant and pontificate.  It is most
appreciated !  Really.

Mike VE9AA

Mike, Coreen & Corey
Keswick Ridge, NB

-----Original Message-----
From: J. Gordon Beattie, Jr. [mailto:w2ttt at att.net]
Sent: July 30, 2015 1:52 PM
To: 'dalej'; 'Mike Smith VE9AA'
Cc: rfi at contesting.com
Subject: RE: [Bulk] Re: [RFI] Electric Fence pulsing (will get worse soon !)

Mike,
What frequency bands are being impacted by this fence?
73,
Gordon Beattie, W2TTT
201.314.6964

-----Original Message-----
From: RFI [mailto:rfi-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of dalej
Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2015 12:14 PM
To: Mike Smith VE9AA <ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca>
Cc: rfi at contesting.com
Subject: [Bulk] Re: [RFI] Electric Fence pulsing (will get worse soon !)

Maybe the higher power controller will burn off the grass.  Can only hope.  

Dale, k9vuj

On 30, Jul 2015, at 9:02, Mike Smith VE9AA <ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca> wrote:

So, small update.  Seems like when it rains or is extremely foggu/humid
outside the noise goes down.sometimes way down.(mostly overnight)..(solar
charged battery dying?)

I am unable to convince the neighbour he should trim weeds, even though I
told him I never noticed anything until mid-to-late May (when the grass and
weeds really took off here in NB (Ve9)

I checked a bunch of connections and even put the back of my hand on the
fence no farther than 20' from the controller.  At 800' from the controller,
I can rest my hand right on it (and I am no Arnold Swatrzenegger)

I dropped him off a paper manual of his controller last w/e and highlighted
(with yellow highlighter) in no less than 8 or 9 places in the book where it
essentially says "weeds are bad..get rid of the weeds"

Hi solution?

He's going to buy a bigger fence controller that runs off 120VAC, instead of
his small to medium sized solar one.

I can't get through to him, even though he says " I didn't change anything
since last year except add the piece of fence near your property" (which is
the part engulfed in weeds..down by his paddock it's 99% open dry ground)

The only saving grace in all this fiasco, is that the noise seems to be
somewhat less since last Saturday I spent ~2 hours going around the 1000' of
fence and trimmed a couple dozen tree branches that were touching the fence,
along with dozens of raspberry bushes and weeds.  I suppose if I wanted to
really wanted to get motivated I could trim 1000' of weeds with grass
shears...my weed wacker has recently died.

He's got some farm supply guy who he knows coming over with hopefully a
better fence meter (I couldn't get my Neon bulb one even to register right
at the controller) and hopefully some better experience and advice.

I don't think he believes a thing I am saying.

Exasperated in NB, 

Mike VE9AA

Mike, Coreen & Corey

Keswick Ridge, NB

From: Mike Smith VE9AA [mailto:ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca]
Sent: July 25, 2015 5:10 PM
To: 'rfi at contesting.com'
Subject: Re: [RFI] Electric Fence pulsing (will get worse soon !)

Today I walked the fence (well, most of it..the internal divide in 1 spot
was not accessible as there were 4 big Clydesdales there and nobody home at
the house)

I trimmed 9 or 10 tree branches hard up against the fence, 30 or 40 good
sized raspberries bushes, 100+ various types of weeds, but had to leave the
grass. I was only 1 guy with grass shears, tennis elbow and only so much
energy.

All this seemed to make a SMALL difference in the fence's QRM level, though
it does vary from day to day somewhat, so only over time will I know if I
have made any real change with my hour and a half of trimming.

The far end of this rectangular fence is nearly due north of my property
line.  When I beam due North, NW or NE, no change in signal level. When I
beam ENE/E, the signal comes up indicating to me the most problematic area
is in the original small paddock in that direction (about East/NE from me).
I can put the back of my hand against the fence near my property and not get
knocked on my butt, so there's very little voltage close to me.

I did come upon a place at the original paddock (ENE) where there was gate
hooks that were merely looped onto some wire rope and one of the hooks was
audibly sparking.  I mean, my hearing isn't the best, but I could hear it
from 5' away.

I played with the placement and stopped the arcing, but when I got back to
the shack, there was still noise.  He has nice new hardware everywhere, but
is missing the 2 parts of the hooks that would attach to the stationary part
of a gate.

Owner not around, so I really didn't touch the fence nor anything else on
his property.  Just trimmed weeds/branches on the outside perimeter.

I have noticed on a couple early mornings when it's been very
rainy/foggy/drizzly, the arcing "signal" is quite weak.(one day I could've
sworn it was off)  Whether that means gobs of current are being dumped to
ground all night and the battery is dead, -OR- some of these places that
have less than a stellar connections (galvanized fence wire wrapped around
conductive rope and no u-bolts) are being bridged partially by water, I
don't know yet.

That's all for now.

Mike VE9AA

Mike, Coreen & Corey

Keswick Ridge, NB

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