Topband: Local noise

[Raoul Coetzee]

Dear Topband reader,
it is a well known fact that as a result of poor maintenance by our monopoly
electricity supplier, we are  suffering 'planned electricity' blackouts.
It was during one of these that I decided to put my FT1000 MkV Field model
on a 12v battery (I knew the power cut would last for 2 hours) and monitored
the qrn level
on 80m.
It was still very much sunshine outside so no use on 160m (now I know I
should have listened there a well)
The static crashes were about s2-s7 on a low dipole but while I was
listening, the power came back on,(my radio still only connected to the
battery and antenna)
The noise went up immediately  to s7-9 plus! And it stayed there.
But it was not the S-meter that bothered me most,  it was the total
increased qrm level that swamped the band.And all the time I blamed qrn!
73
Raoul, ZS1REC

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