[RFI] Visualizing Line Noise

[Don Kirk]

Hi Pete,

I use many different tools for identifying/tracking down interference, and
Soundcard Scope is a tool I sometimes turn to early on to look at broadband
interference I'm experiencing to see if it's related to a 60 hertz or 120
hertz noise type generator (arcing power line, etc.).  I just listen to the
audio noise being received with a AM receiver with wide filter, and look at
this audio with the Oscilloscope option within Soundcard Scope (I
previously used my actual oscilloscope, but the soundcard oscilloscope is
handy because I just use my laptop with internal microphone so no wiring
required, etc.).

I use other software analysis tools (and hardware tools) too and Soundcard
Scope is just one of them and definitely an easy tool to use.  Below are
two different simple websites of mine that show actual screen captures
using Soundcard Scope of interference.  It helps me to understand early on
if the interference is 60/120 hertz arcing / transient related, and if it
is I then know I will likely try and use a VHF AM radio with portable
directional antenna as I get close to the source.

http://sites.google.com/site/w9tcrfi/

http://sites.google.com/site/powerlinenoise/

Just FYI,
Don (wd8dsb)

On Tue, Dec 12, 2017 at 10:28 PM, N4ZR <n4zr at comcast.net> wrote:

> I recently ran across a neat little program called Soundcard Scope, which
> displays 0-20,000 Hz either oscilloscope style or as a vertical bar chart
> by the amount of energy on a given frequency. It seems to me this should be
> useful for characterizing line noise.  Has anyone experimented with it for
> this purpose?
>
> --
>
> 73, Pete N4ZR
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