Topband: Progress with ugly computer noise

[Bill Cromwell]

Hi,

I have been limping along with a really ugly replacement power supply in
my big computer. It's networked (think of internet tools). I could hear
*nothing* on my radios aside from the racket made by that power supply.
I even found my power supply listed on the internet as an example of
*ugly*. There is no EMI filter at all - just two jumpers where the
filter is supposed to be. The computer had to be turned off to even
think of using a radio.

I have paid for a new, better quality power supply (only $2 more) and
the online tracker suggests it will be in my mailbox any minute..maybe
tomorrow. I got impatient. I have two of those ugly supplies so I took
the filter parts out of one of the dead ones and installed them in this
one. I put the supply in the computer and it made quite a difference!
It's not good enough yet but I am listening to hams on 40 meters while I
am typing this! I couldn't do that before. Next I'll be getting my hands
on some ferrite core materials and looking to see just how far I can
reduce the noise.

I have two laptop computers here, older and newer, and I can barely tell
when I turn either of them on. Neither one talks to my network at the
moment so I will have to correct that. But I have a "target" noise
performance for my PC tower, now. Meanwhile I have the noise knocked
down well enough to try using this computer to help with operations
while on the air. I may be unable to hear the weakest signals but I'll
see how that goes.

73,

Bill  KU8H