[RFI] Finding house noise sources

[David Cole]

Do you by chance have any lamp dimmers on that ckt?  Dimable ceiling
lights for the kitchen maybe?
-- 
Thanks and 73's,
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On Mon, 2016-01-18 at 16:52 -0500, Gary Smith wrote:
> 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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