I'm not the only ham with this 160 meter RFI. W2GPS and I were discussing this
today, and Rick recalled that he's seen nearly identical RFI on 160 meters at
his QTH 30 miles from here for several years. Like my case, its active 24
hours per day.
Rick created a spectrum plot of the RFI at his QTH, its at 57.5 kHz intervals
from 1600 kHz to 2000 kHz. Just like my case, the strongest RFI is in the 160
meter band.
I can email a spectrum plot and .wav file of the audio output of an AM receiver
to anyone who is interested.
Does anyone else hear this RFI on 160 meters?
It just seem too coincidental that two hams 30 miles apart are hearing nearly
identical 160 meter RFI, but nobody else.
tks
73
Frank
W3LPL
---- Original message ----
>Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2011 11:43:37 -0500 (EST)
>From: <donovanf@starpower.net>
>Subject: High Efficiency Furnace RFI?
>To: topband@contesting.com
>
>In the last few weeks a new strong variable frequency 100% duty cycle RFI
>source suddenly appeared on 160 meters, radiated from a home one mile
>southeast of my QTH 24 hours per day. The RFI peaks in the 160 meter band on
>variable frequencies mainly between 1801 and 1834 kHz. Yes, its the perfect
>RFI storm on 160 meters!
>
>Its source is a home with a recently completed major addition. At my QTH the
>RFI affects only 160 meters and the AM broadcast band above 1600 kHz. If you
>place an AM receiver close to the home generating the RFI, the RFI extends
>only from 1270 kHz to 1970 kHz.
>
>The RFI has amplitude peaks and valleys at 1801, 1804, 1818, 1823, 1827 and
>1834 kHz; however, all of those RFI peaks are not present at the same time.
>The RFI abruptly switches among those frequencies a few times per minute,
>apparently caused by some sort of variable speed controller. If you listen to
>the RFI with the receiver in the AM mode, the RFI has a continuous AM
>modulation of approximately 1 Hertz.
>
>All of the above -- especially the one mile distance from my QTH -- suggests
>that the source may be a new high efficiency heat pump with a variable speed
>motor controller.
>
>While I can probably use my DX Engineering NCC-1 noise cancelling controller
>to completely null out this RFI source in every direction except SE, I would
>prefer to eliminate the RFI source entirely!
>
>Has anyone else experienced this type of RFI? If so, have you been successful
>in resolving it?
>
>tks
>
>73
>Frank
>W3LPL
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