[RFI] Pole mounted lightning arresters?

Mon Jan 11 18:20:31 EST 2021

Unfortunately, the Radar Engineers ultrasonic tracker is way out of the 
price range of most amateurs. While the MFJ one isn't as sensitive, it 
can be useful. I've often been able to hear the offending source with 
it, and sometime identify the offending hardware.

73,
Scott K9MA

On 1/11/2021 4:40 PM, Mike Martin wrote:
> Chuck there is so many variables that in my opinion it would not be a good idea to request them to change out lightning arrestors.
> Lightning arrestors are almost never intermittent and either are transformers. I just finished the job in Tennessee where they had been working for a year on all kinds of suspected hardware. I found the problem to be a faulty transformer we replaced it and everything was good. My point here being if you don't know what the source is by all means don't request them to change hardware that's unnecessary to change. Imagine it being your car, you're taking it to the dealer and they tell you well it's running rough we think we need to change the fuel injection system. Are you going to tell them to go ahead and take a shot in the dark maybe he'll get lucky and then pay for it if they're wrong? That's what you're asking them to do. In addition, you're wasting a good opportunity to be correct about the problem and score points with your utility. Being right is great being wrong hurts the chances of you getting something else taken care of later. I don't know what kind of ultrasound dish you have but if it is not the radar engineers model 250 or 251 it is extremely unreliable for overhead sources. I've used the mfj many times and many times find the source not exposed enough to be detected. However, I pull out my radar engineers 251 and can easily detect it. It's a matter of game. the more gain you have the less direct line of sight you need to have to the sparking source.
> If you have a recording of the noise please forward it to me and I can possibly tell you if it's a lightning arrestor or a transformer.
> You're welcome to call me to discuss it. 240, 508, 3760. And I'm on Eastern standard Time.
> Best wishes with finding your source and again you're welcome to call me
>
> ⁣
> Mike k3RFI
> RFI Services
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> On Jan 11, 2021, 3:16 PM, at 3:16 PM, "EDWARDS, EDDIE J via RFI" <rfi at contesting.com> wrote:
>> Chuck,
>>
>> Besides the lightning arrestor which is an easy fix, other things that
>> can be blocked on ultra-sonic dishes are the transformer itself with
>> internal arcing; and also on top of the transformer there might be a
>> squirrel guard mounted so it's not visible to the ground unless you
>> walk farther away.  Squirrel guards with multiple prongs jutting out in
>> every direction can actually start up and get worse with rain just
>> opposite of the other hardware on a wood pole.  They act like a Jacobs
>> ladder in the rain until going full out noisy.
>>
>> There are RF quite squirrel guards that work well.  So if that's it,
>> get them to install a better guard.
>>
>> If it's the transformer, it'll blow up eventually, but they'll want to
>> replace it before then.
>>
>> 73, de ed -K0iL
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: RFI <rfi-bounces+eedwards=oppd.com at contesting.com> On Behalf Of
>> Charles Plunk
>> Sent: Monday, January 11, 2021 1:20 PM
>> To: rfi at contesting.com
>> Subject: [RFI] Pole mounted lightning arresters?
>>
>> READ THIS FIRST! This is NOT an OPPD email.Be very cautious of any
>> links or  attachments unless you recognize this sender -
>> rfi-bounces+eedwards=oppd.com at contesting.com and are expecting this
>> email.Please click the "Report it" button if you think this email is
>> malicious.
>>
>> Long Story but will try to keep it to my point. I have triangulated my
>> power line arc to a pole. Fairly typical 3 phase old residential but
>> busy pole. Insulators, disconnects, lightning arresters, a transformer,
>> etc. Pole is a junction as the 3 phase goes off in 3 directions from
>> that pole. Arc is not affected by rain. And I cannot hear it with my
>> ultrasonic dish. In the past I have pinpointed bad hardware on other
>> poles with the dish.
>>
>> I suspect the lightning arresters. There are 3 on there, one for each
>> phase and I assume very little way I could tell which one. Rural
>> utility, knows little about and/or is not concerned about arc rfi other
>> than past dealings with me and TVA (power distributor who does have rfi
>> location capabilities but is rather difficult to get them out to do).
>>
>> And now the arc is intermittent. Today its pulsing about every second.
>> Next week it may get solid for a while or go away entirely. And of
>> course if TVA comes out, it will be gone.
>>
>> What hardware, other than lightning arresters (arcing internally) would
>> not be affected by rain and I could not hear with the dish?
>>
>> Would it be reasonable enough to ask the util to replace the lightning
>> arresters before bugging TVA?
>>
>> Any thoughts appreciated.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Chuck
>> AF4O
>>
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-- 
Scott  K9MA

k9ma at sdellington.us