Topband: Local noise

[w2pm at aol.com]

-----Original Message-----
From: Raoul Coetzee <raoulc at smmcape.co.za>
To: Topband Reflector (E-mail) <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 4:25 pm
Subject: Topband: Local noise



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



W2PM Responds --

Raoul -- this is a good application for a noise nuller - MFJ1025, etc. 
Since you know where the noise is coming from it should be fairly 
simple to correct it with these types of devices. I have seen that type 
of electrical line noise here, and worse, and the nullers can make it 
disappear.  Unless you live in a very dense area - such as an apartment 
where the electric noise can come from many directions,  in which case 
the nuller will not be as effective or may not work at all.


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