[RFI] Just Curious

[Dave (NK7Z)]

Most folks never even think of that...

73, and thanks,
Dave (NK7Z)
https://www.nk7z.net
ARRL Volunteer Examiner
ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources

On 7/5/23 18:08, K9MA wrote:
> And, when you do the full power off test, be sure to shut down all the 
> UPS's!
> 
> 73,
> Scott K9MA
> 
> On 7/5/2023 7:06 PM, Dave (NK7Z) wrote:
>> Jim,
>>
>> When I assist someone, I insist on doing a full power off of the home 
>> first...  You would be surprised at how many times that ends the 
>> hunting, and things become a breaker switching action...
>>
>> One fellow refused to do a full power down, would not even switch a 
>> breaker off...  I told him I would hold off until we could do a power 
>> off test.
>>
>> He got a bit huffy, but in the end when we killed power to his home, 
>> the RFI ended...  Turns out he put up with 80 Meter RFI, for around 10 
>> years, (before he asked for help), all the time blaming the power 
>> company to everyone, when it was his own touch lamp...
>>
>> 73, and thanks,
>> Dave (NK7Z)
>> https://www.nk7z.net
>> ARRL Volunteer Examiner
>> ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
>> ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources
>>
>> On 7/5/23 16:41, Jim Brown wrote:
>>> Thanks Frank.
>>>
>>> On 7/5/2023 3:02 PM, Frank N. Haas KB4T wrote:
>>>> If the source is utility owned, the utility is responsible for 
>>>> fixing the
>>>> problem. Regrettably, most utilities don't possess the talent or 
>>>> equipment
>>>> to do the job. Mike Martin is often their salvation.
>>>
>>> At least ten years ago, NI6T, a serious engineer and serious DX 
>>> chaser, learned from contacts with PG&E personnel he had befriended 
>>> that while the department that CHASES the problem can be motivated by 
>>> safety concerns to chase down a noise source, the department that 
>>> must FIX the problem is motivated to NOT do so, because management is 
>>> rewarded by spending as little as possible of their annual budget.
>>>
>>>> If the source is privately owned, then one's direction finding skills,
>>>> diplomacy, tact, courtesy and resolve will be needed.
>>>
>>> All true. But there's another very important factor that began 
>>> rearing its head about 20 years ago, when 1) switch-mode power 
>>> supplies (SMPS) were mandated as an energy saving measure and 2) more 
>>> and more electronics are in nearly everyone's homes. My WAG is that 
>>> the average home has at least a couple of dozen electronic noise 
>>> sources in the form of those SMPS, other power control electronics 
>>> (like controllers for variable speed motors), and systems with one or 
>>> more microprocessors.
>>>
>>> I'd also bet that the average ham has never gone looking for these 
>>> noise sources in his own home, and by virtue of inverse square law, 
>>> they're often the dominant source of the noise in his antennas!
>>>
>>> My first line noise probe is the wide-band RX in my 20 year old 
>>> Kenwood VHF FM talkie.
>>>
>>> 73, Jim K9YC
>>>
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>