[RFI] I could see the arcs with binoculars last night! (Resolved?)

[Charles Plunk]

Thanks Charlie will definitely check that out

Chuck
AF4O

On 4/16/21 5:12 PM, n0tt1 at juno.com wrote:
> Update!
>
> Google this:  "infrared cell phone camera app".  Looks like you guys
> with 'Droids can be all set for a FLIR.
>
> Charlie, N0TT
>
> On Fri, 16 Apr 2021 21:28:14 +0000 <n0tt1 at juno.com> writes:
>> "Still looking at night vision toys, lol."
>>
>> Chuck,
>>
>> When I had my garage floor "mud-jacked" with a hot mix of
>> "plastic",
>> one of the guys had a tablet computer with it's built-in camera that
>> was
>> sensitive to infared.  He
>> showed me where the hot mix was going under the concrete on the
>> screen.
>>
>> Now I'm thinking that something similar would show any higher
>> temperature
>>
>> areas on any powerline hardware.
>>
>> There might be a "app" for that for use with a cellphone....just
>> thinking out loud.  :O)
>>
>> 73,
>> Charlie, N0TT
>>
>> On Fri, 16 Apr 2021 02:24:08 -0500 Charles Plunk <af4o at twc.com>
>> writes:
>>> Dave,
>>>
>>> Yes I would try the binoculars. Surely cannot hurt. One
>> difficultly
>>> I
>>> had was a streetlight in my front yard is LED and another is
>> mercury
>>> about 200' in another direction. They would reflect off shiny
>>> hardware
>>> like insulators and fool me into thinking it was arcs but when I
>> saw
>>> the
>>> tiny arc between the wire and that square washer I realized that
>>> indeed
>>> was very likely an arc as that stuff is dull and not that
>>> reflective.
>>>
>>> Chasing this stuff is certainly time consuming but can be
>> rewarding.
>>> This group is the best around. Their tip to match the noise
>> somehow
>>> was
>>> my big breakthrough. Doing that was not easy but that one day when
>>> the
>>> noise had a distinctive pattern and I was able to listen at the
>> same
>>> time to the retransmitted audio from my station receiver on one HT
>>> and
>>> to my triangulation audio on another HT made the difference in
>>> finding
>>> the right pole. Lots of noise out there that will mislead you.
>> Other
>>> poles, houses, etc many seem to all have noise if you get close
>>> enough
>>> but may not be affecting your station receiver significantly.
>>>
>>> Then ultrasonic and the flashlight. Still looking at night vision
>>> toys, lol.
>>>
>>> My utility was great! They were on the front page of the local
>> paper
>>> this week for their reliability rating. The new CEO must have it
>>> going on.
>>>
>>> 73
>>>
>>> Chuck
>>> AF4O
>>>
>>> On 4/15/21 11:05 PM, David Decoons wrote:
>>>> Hi Chuck,
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for the detailed description of your problem and how you
>>> were able to find it. I have power line noise prevalent when dry
>> and
>>> windy. You can watch the noise floor jump up and down. When it
>> rains
>>> or not windy it usually is not present. When present the noise
>> floor
>>> on 40  and 15 meters is 20 to 25 dB higher. Using the Flex Wide
>>> Noise Blanker I can get the noise to drop almost to normal, but as
>>> the arcing comes and goes rapidly with windy day the WNB keeps
>> trying
>>> to reobtain lock.
>>>> I have narrowed it down to what I think is a single pole on
>> right
>>> front corner of my property. I will try the binocular trick at
>>> night. It is supposed to be windy tomorrow with drying
>> conditions.
>>>> The good thing is I know the person in charge of the group that
>>> would respond to RFI noise complaints at the local utility
>> company.
>>> He has been very cooperative in the past.
>>>> 73
>>>> Dave wo2x
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>>
>>>>> On Apr 15, 2021, at 9:30 PM, Charles Plunk <af4o at twc.com>
>> wrote:
>>>>> ?I notified the utility on Sunday evening. They come out today
>>> and did the work. I will be updating the website below as I got a
>>> chance. After such a long time I am hesitant to believe its fixed
>>> until listening for about a month but it sure appears to be fixed.
>> I
>>> am not hearing a peep of the same noise.
>>>>> I have 2 doublets and a 6BTV vertical on HF, a 4 el 6m beam,
>> and
>>> some 2m beams and am hearing some noise on some bands on one and
>>> other noise on the other bands on the other but nothing like the
>>> intensity of the 120hz noise I was hearing on all of them. I am
>>> probably hearing these noises now since they were masked by the
>>> other far more stronger noise. At any rate these pale in
>> comparison
>>> to the other and go away for the most part at night as the
>> humidity
>>> rises. Will chase them as I get time. They may not even be 120hz.
>>>>> At any rate I am happy happy right now!
>>>>>
>>>>> 73
>>>>>
>>>>> Chuck
>>>>> AF4O
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 4/11/21 1:47 PM, Charles Plunk wrote:
>>>>>> Last night I tried my digital camera and binoculars. I could
>> see
>>> the arc's with binoculars! Looks like ground and neutral wires are
>>> to close to other hardware. The digital camera captured one arc
>> but
>>> was so dark could not see the pole. Anyone ever use a night vision
>>> camera like used for hunting etc for this?
>>>>>> Updated details at
> https://www.qsl.net/af4o/Powerline%20RFI%20QSL.net%20Webpage/Arc%20Webpag
>> e.html
>>>>>> Great group here. Thanks for everyone's help!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 73
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Chuck
>>>>>> AF4O
>>>>>>
>>>>>> (Soon to be W4NBO, a call my Elmer (SK) had for 20 years)
>>>>>>
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