Topband: Local noise environment

[Doug Waller]

> "It may be only coincidence that I have a 500 kv line in that
> direction."
>
> "73, Pete N4ZR"
>
At Buzz City, Florida, a 50 kVa line passes within one half mile of the
house.  When the summer air conditioner season begins, the power company
throws in a capacitor bank, which corrects the power factor.  These
capacitors, which look like large transformers with several cooling fins and
only one wire out the top, generate a plethora of harmonics and nasty
noises.  The background noise level is raised 5 dB or so on 160m, but
listening to it on AM does not reveal a power hum, but more of a frying
sound.  As of now, I know of nothing that will fix the capacitor bank noise
short of placing large split ferrites at intervals along the power lines,
but then that would choke out BPL..............

73/DX, om Doug / NX4D