Topband: MYSTERY NOISE GONE!

[Mr. and Mrs. Magoo]

I live on a farm in a very rural area and have been blessed with an almost
S-0 noise level for years-until recently.  Beginning about 6 weeks ago, I
began to notice a low buzzing at about S 1-2 strength on 160 and 80, which I
could eliminate with the noise blanker.  It was bad enough to somewhat
inhibit copy of weak stations and bothersome to boot, as the blanker
overloads on strong in-band signals.  Moreover, it was intermittent and hard
to pinpoint-it would come in a burst or series of burts for awhile and then
disappear.

Tonight while listening I heard a very loud arcing noise followed by a
couple of noise bursts to S-7 and then silence....the low-frequency buzzing
was gone!  A short time later I discovered that the dusk-to-dawn mercury
vapour light on the barn had gone dark. Whether the lamp, the ballast  or 
the contacts on the sensor were the cause
I don't know, but that light will be removed and replaced with something
more topband-friendly.

Wonder if some of those noises others have been describing from time to time
are caused by either MV or sodium lights starting to go bad.

Bill, VE3CSK