[RFI] KC2IEB’s RFI Journey

[Charles Plunk]

Good video.

One tip; make sure you are tracking the right noise. I found out the 
hard way that many power line utility devices/poles emanate "noise" when 
you are nearby but may not be "the" noise that you are hearing in your 
station receiver. A break thru on my latest hunt was I re transmitted 
the noise over 440mhz FM from my hf station while it had a distinctive 
but varying pattern. Then compared to my 2m HT on AM with portable yagi 
by listening to them both while triangulating. Made a world of 
difference to tracking the right noise.

Chuck
AF4O

On 4/11/21 2:05 PM, Christopher Wawak wrote:
> Hi All!
>
> I wanted to share where I was currently with my noise issue.
>
> Surprise surprise, I don’t think it’s solar panel noise! After doing some
> more direction finding, I seem to have nailed the source down to either my
> electric meter, or one of two telephone poles. Initially I used an IC-705
> with the Flag antenna that was in QST recently and a DXE
> preamp/attenuators. Once I verified the signature of the same noise that
> I’m getting in my antennas, I went back with a cheap AM antenna, since it
> was easier to record a video.
>
> I do have an RFI log I can share on request.
>
> I’m curious what you all think of my radio direction finding based on a
> short video I created.
>
> https://youtu.be/v3oJLtUBrlc
>
> 73
> KC2IEB Chris
>
> On Sun, Mar 14, 2021 at 3:00 PM Christopher Wawak <chris at wawak.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi RFI List,
>>
>>
>> I'm faced with S7-S9 noise across 40m-15m at 200khz intervals. I'm looking
>> for assistance resolving this RFI I suspect is coming from a neighbor's
>> solar installation. The owners are elderly, and I'm not sure they'll
>> understand and be able to remedy the situation. HF is next to unusable.
>>
>>
>> Some questions:
>>
>> 0. So far, do I seem on the right path?
>>
>> 1. What tactics have worked in the past with getting owners to respond?
>>
>> 2. Right now I have an AH-4 with a wire antenna. If I switched to, say, a
>> fan dipole or a beam antenna would i be able to reject the solar panel
>> noise? If my antenna were higher up, would that help?
>>
>> 3. Am I doomed to not have workable HF at home?
>>
>>
>> 73 Chris KC2IEB
>>
>>
>> (if the pictures are filtered, click here
>> <https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSKoiPx-5huAG5M1gLmYFyMPRZ_WY0PxxoC-CH7c-dpXMQZzHuvLzNX2AB8_nb8RIsN7Ri0rmXJp6Ju/pub>
>> )
>>
>> RFI Location
>>
>> Appears to be coming from solar panels on a house behind my own, about
>> 275’ away. I traced this with a loop antenna and a cheap AM radio
>> following to where the noise seemed loudest.
>>
>> Characteristics
>>
>> Heavy S7+ “hash” noise every ~200 khz, starting around 40m and going all
>> the way up through 15m.
>>
>>
>> Generally starts an hour or two after sunrise, and shuts down before
>> sunset.
>>
>> Noise Log
>>
>> 3/13/2021
>>
>> 4:00 PM Local - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQZr1xXIf0Y whole house
>> power off test @ 3:14 in the video - no improvement
>>
>>
>> Gone by 7:53 PM
>>
>> 3/14/2021
>>
>> 8:38 am
>>
>> Some squiggles
>>
>> Showed up almost on the dot at 9am
>>
>> It’s moving down the band some
>>
>> Most noticeable from 20m on up
>>
>> .
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> -- Chris
>>
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