[RFI] Finding house noise sources

[Dave Hachadorian]

1. Walk around the house with a portable AM radio, or

2. Connect a long piece of coax with a short probe on it to your 
station RX, and walk around the house with the coax/probe.


Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
Yuma, AZ


-----Original Message----- 
From: Gary Smith
Sent: Monday, January 18, 2016 2:52 PM
To: rfi at contesting.com
Subject: [RFI] Finding house noise sources

Hi,

I need some ideas on how to track down some noise sources inside 
the
house. I thought it would be just switching off breakers and then
unplugging the electronics on that circuit till I find the one 
that
has failed and deal with that. No, there's more to it that I just
discovered.

For some time I have been having noise on my HI-Z Triangular. It 
is
NW of the house. A salt marsh sans anything electric from the S 
to
almost N to the West of me. The least noise was N, toward AMTRAK 
100'
away and when I would turn the aiming direction clockwise, I 
would
get more RFI until the maximum between the south and the NW. 
Also, My
be3am located at the center of the roof identified much the same. 
I
quit using the beam because the noise was too much. For the most
part, the noise seemed to come from the direction of neighbors 
who
are only to the SE & S of me.

I asked my YL to watch my monitor, connected to the P3, as I 
flipped
off breakers. On the 2nd flip she said the noise was gone. The 
only
outlets I could find at fault are the overhead light in the 
hallway
and one bank of wall plugs in the kitchen. Nothing in the kitchen
when unplugged stops the interference. Somehow, something unknown
that is attached to the circuit is causing this problem and I 
have to
track that down.

The attic was filled with that paper mache kind of blown 
insulation
and all of the wires are covered. That will make finding and 
tracking
the wire to the overhead light difficult, I have no markers to 
where
to safely step. I can do it bit by bit of course but I just can't
look and follow the wires. In the basement, there is a false 
ceiling
that holds the wires and some of them are in an area very 
difficult
to access.

But the problem remains that when that one circuit is eliminated,
most if not all the noise goes away and I find nothing attached 
in
line except that one overhead light and it was not on when we did 
the
test.

It was brought to my attention that a defective doorbell 
transformer
can cause major issues but the doorbell is not on the same 
circuit
and though I looked for that transformer, it's not in the closet 
or
anywhere else I can find. The electrician was a gem. Still, I'd 
like
to check it out, it's had power on it since 1969.

So how might I best localize a source of internal house RFI when
nothing is plugged in? Is there something like a stud finder that
will allow me to follow the path of wiring behind walls?

Thanks & 73,

Gary
KA1J

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