[RFI] Next step visually sighting arc's

[Charles Plunk]

As you may remember, I sighted my first strong arc with binoculars after 
triangulation, ultrasonic, etc. Its been fixed by the util for over a 
month and still gone gone :-)

A not near as strong arc is on the same pole but on the opposite side. 
This pole is in the corner of my backyard so makes it convenient to 
experiment with. Playing with the success of the first, I tried 
binoculars and thought, with some imagination that I could see this arc 
too. Its tiny.

So, I bought a stronger spotting scope, like you sight in rifles with. 
And mounted it on a tripod. Last night the source was active and still 
think I see it in the same spot. A crusty old ground lug wired to the 
bottom of a fused disconnect. Connects to the wire stapled to the pole.

One has to be careful as reflections off the ceramics from distant 
street lights (~200' away) can look like arc's. But a crusty ground lug 
should not reflect. This area is also where I hear it with ultrasonic. 
Its a very narrow place to stand on the ground to hear it with 
ultrasonic. Another issue is its so dark its hard to make out the 
outlines of the pole in the dark to tell where you are seeing. But I 
could see enough. The bigger the lens on the front of the 
scope/binoculars the better to capture more light to see the pole I suppose.

My experiments so far with digital cameras, one with the IR/UV filters 
removed, have resulted in failure. Cannot even see the pole in the dark. 
Nothing but a grainy picture. Even trying to capture a picture through 
the scope. The scope came with a phone mount for capture.

I am going to look at the same spot when the source is inactive. If the 
suspected tiny arc is absent then going to request the util replace that 
connector unless anyone has any further suggestions.

The spotting scope I bought was ~$60 so another low cost tool maybe for 
your rfi toolbox.

Underneath this one, at night I am hearing a repetitive noise. One 
minute on ~0.5 - 4 seconds off. But thats another story, lol and does 
not sound like power line arc.

Chuck
W4NBO