Topband: The ARRL Letter, Vol 20, No 35

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        I thought this would be of interest to all.  As always, try to 
first resolve your noise prolems locally before contacting ARRL, but it's
nice to know that contacting them is an option.   

                                                73,  Bill  W4ZV

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The ARRL Letter
Vol. 20, No. 35
August 31, 2001
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IN THIS EDITION:

ARRL HELPS TO CLEAR THE AIR IN LINE NOISE CASES

The ARRL has successfully "run interference" in several recent cases where
electric utilities were accused of causing problems for amateurs. One
longstanding case in Tennessee involved suspected power-line interference
affecting both the amateur bands and satellite dish reception. Other
successful outcomes occurred in New Mexico and North Carolina, where
amateurs had been plagued by line noise.

Paul Fulk Jr, N8ITF, of Springfield, Tennessee, had first complained to
Cumberland Electric Membership Cooperative more than two years ago to get
his noise situation resolved. After the company claimed it had done
everything possible, the FCC's Riley Hollingsworth advised the utility in
June to get in touch with the ARRL. The ARRL convinced Cumberland to secure
the services of Mike Martin, K3RFI, who operates RFI Services in Traceys
Landing, Maryland. Martin was able to pin down the problems in fairly short
order.

"As of today all interference has been cured," Fulk recently reported to
Hollingsworth. He credited Martin with "an exceptional job" in finding the
interference sources.

Since coming to Headquarters in May, ARRL RFI Engineer John Phillips, K2QAI,
has been working closely with the Cumberland and other suspected
power-line-interference situations. He says even some experts are easily
befuddled while trying to pin down interference sources, but that Martin's
technique is nothing short of amazing.

"He's almost supernatural in his ability to find line noise," said Phillips,
who attended Martin's RFI seminar earlier this year. Phillips says line
noise usually turns out to be the result of something that's typically
fairly easy and inexpensive to fix. "You just need to know the techniques,"
he said.

Another recent case referred to the ARRL was resolved without heavy FCC
pressure. Mark Mandelkern, K5AM, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, had reported
noise apparently coming from lines operated by the El Paso Electric Company.

"We merely wrote a letter to the CEO of El Paso Electric--with a copy to
Riley Hollingsworth--and it quickly trickled down to a local manager who
called me with a real sound of apprehension in his voice," Phillips
recalled. Mandelkern wrote Hollingsworth August 14 that the company has been
very cooperative and has begun work to completely rebuild a troublesome
section of line.

In North Carolina, Jim Scholten, AD1V, had been frustrated by noise from
Duke Power Company lines for several years. After a letter went out from
ARRL to Duke Power--with a copy to the FCC--Scholten reported that linemen
suddenly appeared at the suspect poles, and his noise problems abated. "It
was impossible to make the power company do their job without you!" he wrote
Phillips.

Amateurs suffering from interference believed to be emanating from
power-generation or transmission facilities may contact John Phillips,
K2QAI, rfi@arrl.org .