TopBand: Success

[Jim Fenstermaker]

My Top Band (as well as 80 meter) activity this year has been hindered by an
immense amount of local crud in the form of power line noise and an electric
fence.  In fact, the power line reached S-9 last week and the fence has been
up to 15 dB over 9.  

On Wednesday, the power company came out to hear my dilemma but, alas, the
noise was gone.  Being an astute fellow, I had located the source before he
arrived and, when he shook the pole, the noise reappeared.  The errant
insulator was replaced on Thurday.  

Then, I attacked the electric fence.  I erected a new 80 meter 4-square last
month and the fence peaked to the northwest on this array.  I drove around
the area on Saturday PM and Sunday morning.  About 11 AM, I found a loud
source of noise next to a boarding stable about 1/2 mile away.  I was able
to trace the source to one of two chargers.  In the afternoon, I talked to
the manager of the establishment and showed her the problem.  She profusely
apologized for the inconvenience to my operating and promised to fix the
problem today (said she would buy a new modern charger and fix the rusty
fence wire).  Since it was almost dark, she said she would turn the fence
off until morning.

In my 15 minutes of operating time this morning, worked S21XX on 80 cw and
9M2AX on top band for two new ones on the bands!  My enthusiasm for the low
bands suddenly has returned!!!

73 Jim K9JF/7
Vancouver, WA


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