[RFI] AF4O RFI Update was Pole mounted lightning arresters?

[Charles Plunk]

Since 02/16 when we had some near 0F winter weather and more than a week 
of winter storm, I have not heard my powerline arc RFI at all. I am 
retired and here everyday. So guess I should be happy it left on its 
own. But I doubt its gone for good....It was absent last year from mid 
summer until December. Will see.

Never got a chance to use the ultrasonic dish on it before the winter 
weather.


https://www.qsl.net/af4o/Powerline%20RFI%20QSL.net%20Webpage/Arc%20Webpage.html

73

Chuck
AF4O


On 1/29/21 5:35 PM, Charles Plunk wrote:
> Update;
>
> After logging weather conditions related to the noise. The first few 
> hours of a rain, I can still hear it although its not as constant. 
> After that and a good rain it stops. Then it takes >36 hours of rain 
> free weather for it to return. Lower humidity also makes it return 
> more in force. Last 3 rains this has happened.
>
> I did something today I have never done before in years past or this 
> time. Taking advice from one on this excellent reflector. I listened 
> to the noise on one HT on UHF being re transmitted with mic at my hf 
> rigs speaker (30 meters, low noise level but strong arc rfi). RF gain 
> turned down and volume up on hf to maximize the arc noise. Then used 
> my 145mhz HT on AM and 3 element tape measure beam. Comparing the 
> noise of both HTs to ensure I had the correct noise, this lead me to 
> triangulate a different pole. Just triangulating for max noise does 
> not work. Seems most all the poles have some noise getting within 
> 10-25' of them.
>
> About the time I got the ultrasonic dish out, the noise ceased. Then 
> when it came back, the volume pot/on/off switch broke on my 
> ultrasonic. So stopping for the night. And supposed to rain tomorrow.
>
> Oh the pole now suspect is at the corner of my back yard....may go out 
> tonight and take pictures of it to see if any arc shows up. May get 
> lucky. Thats if the arc is present. This pole does not have a street 
> light but does have lightning arrestors also and is 3 phase also up 
> the line from the other pole. One end of my doublet is less than 20' 
> from this pole....
>
> Stay tuned.
>
> Chuck
>
> AF4O
>
>
>
> On 1/11/21 1:20 PM, Charles Plunk wrote:
>> 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
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> RFI mailing list
>> RFI at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
> _______________________________________________
> RFI mailing list
> RFI at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi