Topband: Exciting noise sources

[n4is]

<< we have not found a realiable way of detecting the primary source other
than pole by pole testing and hardware tightening>>

Hi Larry
     
Here in South Florida we have what I believe is the best in class Power
Company. I had power line noise several times before and FPL fixed all the
buzzes quickly. I would like to thank the dedication and technical skills of
Orlando, WJ4N; he is FPL sniffer specialist here in Broward County.

FPL has a van with several sniffer tools, like ultrasonic dishes and AM VHF
radio, etc. However the most useful is a small portable AM radio from Radar
Engineers model 242

http://www.radarengineers.com/rfitvi.htm

First time Orlando visited me we plugged my WF antenna cable direct on his
radio (using my preamps) and I pointed the WF to several power line sources,
The 242 has an LCD oscilloscope screen where you can see the spikes. Each
noise looks like different, depending on the GAP of the spike  it generate a
different patterns and sounds too, the radio can storage the patterns and
the sound so it can be used to compare with the noise at the site where It
was originated. After captured a buzz from North and another one SSW, Orland
left to find it. He passed several different buzzes with different pattern
until he found all of them.

Most of the busses where associated with a ground wire for lighting
arrestor, the grounded wire works like a top load vertical and when the
lightening arrestor or a leak from the mainline to this ground feed  this
vertical wire we have a strong ground wave buzz on 160 m. What was a
surprise  was the distance of the poles, the main buzz with s9 were 1.3
miles north of me, a second one s7 was 1.7 miles south, and the last one s2
was 3.2 miles SSW. 

Just last week, Orlando fixed 2 new buzzes, one s9 East at 1.3 miles and
another one s9+ one mile north. It was only 3 weeks since I called FPL and
the buzz was fixed.  Why all the power line companies cannot provide the
same level of service?  Maybe we need to push FCC harder!

I believe it is possible to use any AM radio, without noise blanker or
limiter, connected to a laptop audio input sound card, and using an audio
program like an oscilloscope with the trigger at 60Hz to capture the
signature of the noise. Then drive around to find the best match, audio and
patterns. It works!

This new method works very well and Orland has fixed several hard to find
noise sources, like old transformers, cigar's connectors, bad or lose
connections and mailing lightening arrestor. Depending on the band the noise
source could be very different, a buzz on 160m may not affect 80m or for 6m
the kind of noise and location could be in a very different place.

Regards

Jose Carlos

N4IS  73's

 

.