[RFI] Anyone have a guess as to the source of this noise?

[Jim Brown]

This is not the "olde days," Jim. This is 2020, and there are new tools 
available to diagnose problems. I've been contesting since my high 
school days (the late '50s) when I logged on paper, kept paper dupe 
sheets, sent with a paddle. RX and TX were two different boxes. Ten 
years later, the paddle was replaced with an electronic keyer, the radio 
was a transceiver. In another ten years, the keyer had memories and 
could send CQ, and the exchange with a serial number. 20 years later, my 
computer sent all the CW via its serial port, I typed what my ear/brain 
copied into the computer which kept the log, checked for dupes, and sent 
all the CW except fills.

I own two dedicated spectrum analyzers, an HP3590D and a Rigol DS815-TG, 
and five receivers that provide spectrum displays with waterfalls with 
FAR greater resolution than the HP or Rigol. I also own a very capable 
vector network analyzer. And I've got a lot of mechanical tools. For any 
given job, I try to choose the most appropriate tool for the job, and 
for identifying the fundamental nature of noise, a receiver with 
spectrum display and a good waterfall is the best tool. Once the nature 
of the noise is known, portable RX, with or without spectrum and 
waterfall, and various antenna types are the tools for chasing it down. 
But until you know WHAT KIND of source you are chasing, it's a waste of 
time to chase it with the wrong tool, and listening on the wrong 
frequency(ies). I am not stuck in 1955 when I got my first license, or 
1964 when I finished my EE.

73, Jim K9YC

On 2/21/2020 5:10 AM, AA5CT wrote:
> In the "olde  days", Jim, we would tune across the band
> and note any similar buzzes at xx kHz apart IF indeed we
> could find any more 'buzzes'.