Topband: ve3cui et al de ve9aa, re: QRN from touch-lamps

[Hardy Landskov]

All,
I could never figure out how to tame a touch lamp so it was the bucket 
treatment. And it did cause interference on 160 as well.
73 Hardy N7RT


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike & Coreen Smith" <ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca>
To: "EP Swynar" <gswynar at durham.net>
Cc: <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 6:52 PM
Subject: Topband: ve3cui et al de ve9aa, re: QRN from touch-lamps


>  BIG SNIP>>>
>  Thus far, the only solution that I've found---inelegant, maybe, but
> effective!---is for me to physically UNPLUG the lights from the AC 
> mains...
>  Has anyone else ever had run-ins of this kind, and if so, what---if
> anything---is the cure...?
>  ~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
>  ---------------------------------------------
>  VE9AA says:
> Eddy & group,
>
> I had this problem with 4 touch lamps probably 15?-16 years ago.  The 
> noise
> was unbearable on 15m, but evident all across the HF spectrum.  Not sure
> about 160m, as I wasn't QRV on 'TOP' back then.
>
> This isn't going to be much help, as I don't have specifics.  I am pretty
> sure I found the fix-it circuit in QST...one of those tiny postage stamp
> sized 1-paragraph articles that someone sticks on the side of the column
> when they are filling space.  I want to say the year was 1995 maybe ....I
> think what it consisted of was adding a small resistor (value unknown) and 
> a
> home made choke in series with the body of the lamp you touch....like I
> said, not much help, but it did work...someone must have the actual 
> details.
> I wound my choke on a tiny paintbrush handle with the small wire you find 
> on
> an AM RADIO ferrite.  I did all 4 touch-lamps here... Hey, it was a long
> time ago....hi hi...I barely recall what I had for breakfast this
> morning....Anyways as time went on, some of the touch ccts began to fail
> (and added noise to the quiet HF background as a result), so I just ripped
> them all out and added a 120VAC 2A push button in place of all the ccts.
> Problem solved.!
>
> BTW, I also interferred with the lamps.  Wife was never happy being woken 
> up
> to pulsating lights in the rhythym of "VE9AA" in CW in  the bedroom @ 2am
> when I was calling some rare DX on 40m or 80m CW....
>
> Not much to go on, I know I know....but at least it gives you hope a cure 
> is
> out there.
>
> Mike ve9aa
>
> Mike, Coreen & Corey Smith
> 699 Rte 616 Keswick Ridge
> NB
> Canada
> E6L 1T1
> _______________________________________________
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