Topband: Power Line Noise Detecting

[THOMAS M GREENWAY]

Good job up to the last step.  After getting where I think I have the pole with the VHF TRF receiver I use a Ultrasonic detector that was shown in QST by W1TRC.  It will enable you to 100 % verify the problem is on the pole you suspect.  You  can actually hear the arc if it is in line of site of the mic.  I had been fooled a couple of times using the VHF antenna thinking I had the right pole and the Ultrasonic found it was actually an adjacent pole.  The power company also use these but a much more expensive model.  The W1TRC can be built for under $100.  There could possibly be a condition where the arc is internal to the transformer or on top of an item where the mic can't hear it but so far it has worked 100 % for me over many years.  73 Mike K4PI