Topband: RFI Down Under

[Jim Brown]

On 11/22/2020 10:16 PM, Phil Hartwell via Topband wrote:
> Is it any wonder that HF operation is becoming increasingly difficult or 
> impossible in urban areas? I'm lucky to live in an RF quiet rural area, 
> so to preserve that I closely inspect any new equipment my gadget 
> addicted XYL brings home! Apart from seasonal QRN, I hear very well on 
> Top Band, it's frustrating, as I know many others can't hear me, not 
> just because of QRN, but due to their high, local, man made noise level. 
> A very sad state of affairs. I dread the proliferation of cordless 
> charging devices and electric vehicle cordless charging, could be game 
> over!

Hi Phil,

This has long been a huge problem worldwide. I first moved to northern 
California in 2006, and for the next 3-5 years, was able to work EU 
stations through the solar minimum, and you and I worked several times 
with your old call.

Fast forward to today -- I've HEARD five EU stations on CW in the last 
six seasons, all in the last two, and only two have been able to hear 
me, even though I have better TX antennas than I did then. The 
difference is noise at both ends of the QSO. I have two neighbors within 
about 500 ft of my TX antennas with solar systems, and one has a lot of 
other noise sources. With my 7-el 30 ft boom 6M antenna, I can see a bit 
of a dip in the noise between them, one at about 60 degrees, the other 
at about 130 degrees. When the sun is hitting those panels, I'm really 
hurting in those directions.

Over the last three seasons, the only way I can work EU is with WSJT 
modes, and I've managed to add about 18 EU countries over two seasons.

73, Jim K9YC