[RFI] TinySA as an RFI research tool

[Charles Plunk]

Lots of good tools available nowadays to track this stuff.

Agree Dave. Lots of noise out there.

Of the last 2 power line issues I successfully found, the single thing 
that helped me the most to find the correct pole was matching the noise 
pattern by ear of the portable receiver (I currently use a FT817 or 
FT60, AM mode, yagi or loop) to the re-transmitted noise (440mhz 
transmitter with mic held close to the hf receiver to another portable 
HT) and listening to both portable receivers at the same time. Using the 
analytical tool between my ears.

Next time I may rig up a set of stereo headphones. Triangulation 
receiver on one side and re-transmitted noise on the other. Its also 
helpful to use a HF station receiver with squelch capability, receiving 
the noise, to squelch it just above background noise. Thus no noise on 
the re-transmitted signal and the rfi noise is not active. It gets a bit 
confusing hearing re-transmitted normal background noise if your RFI 
source is intermittent.

Chuck
W4NBO

Tonight on TS830s with doublet at ~35' (no RFI)

80m Around S5 not including TStorm crashes

40m S4-S5

30m S1-S2

20m -10m S1 or less


On 6/16/21 11:24 PM, Dave Hachadorian wrote:
> Another thing about the Tiny SA is that the screen is very difficult 
> to see in bright light.
>
> When you get out in the field tracking down a noise, you will 
> encounter many noise sources.  You don't want to be watching squiggly 
> lines on a dim screen, trying to figure out if that's the same 
> signature you saw at home. If you track a noise by ear, with 
> directional antennas such as an HF loop or flag with a SW receiver, or 
> a yagi/AM VHF receiver, you are pretty much assured by the sound of it 
> that you are onto the specific noise of interest.
>
> Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
> Yuma, AZ
>
>