I'm not sure this would be useful as it seems not to be very directionally
sharp. The ultrasonic device would be the last step in positively identifying
the source of the arcing so it necessarily means it has to be extremely sharp.
Less than 3 degree sense zone. You can get reasonable sharpness at 400 MHz AM
with a 5 or 6 element handheld Yagi by the way but not sharp enough to point to
actual source component up one the tower or pole.
On high tension towers there are banks of insulators so the gapping noise is
likely from one of those, not the whole bank. This is why you have to narrow it
down. IF you're lucky and have an honest and competent power company they'll
do it and just pointing them to a specific pole or tower is fine. They'd
appreciate it (but make sure you get them all before calling them in!)
A final note, based on my extensive working with ARRL on this topic it is clear
the industry and FCC doesn't look at solving these things in weeks. Months
minimally and often more than a year. FCC moves very very slowly and the
office which handles this has been reassigned at time to other projects taking
them off all amateur enforcement for months at a clip. That will only get
worse with diminishing budgets. I
Sent from my iPad
On Dec 22, 2011, at 7:53, <mikefurrey@att.net> wrote:
> I have one of these units ... http://pw1.netcom.com/~t-rex/ ... A nifty
> device. I purchased the complete
> unit as a kit about 7 years ago for around $40 plus shipping. I have never
> seen him advertise
> the kit, I found out about that after I contacted him. The gentleman that
> produces
> this kit is also a ham, a KC7 .... in Nevada. I added a $14 radio shack
> speaker/amplifier for
> all to hear. I have not used it to find noise, when the rain stops I'll see
> how it does. I does have
> about a 150' to 200' detection range on the local bats depending as per my
> gain setting.
>
> 73, Mike WA5POK
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tim Duffy K3LR
> Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 8:38 PM
> To: 'Chet' ; 'Lee Ward' ; topband@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: Topband: Noise problem question
>
> Hi Chet:
>
> Just add a "l" to the end
>
> http://www.midnightscience.com/ultrasonics.html
>
> I own one of these units - it is great for finding power pole problems.
>
> 73,
> Tim K3LR
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: topband-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com]
> On Behalf Of Chet
> Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 8:01 PM
> To: 'Lee Ward'; topband@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: Topband: Noise problem question
>
> The link noted below does not work for me. I am using I E 8.
>
> I tried it 3 times. Please post a better one if you have one
>
> 73
>
> Chet N4FX
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: topband-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com]
> On Behalf Of Lee Ward
> Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 8:27 PM
> To: topband@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: Topband: Noise problem question
>
> Phil, W0XI, has put a kit ultrasonic detector on the market. Well worth
> looking into.
>
> http://www.midnightscience.com/ultrasonics.htm
>
> 73, Lee, K0LW
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: topband-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com]
> On Behalf Of W2PM
> Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 4:04 PM
> To: John G3PQA
> Cc: David Raymond; topband@contesting.com; Jon Zaimes AA1K; W5UN
> Subject: Re: Topband: Noise problem question
>
> I have used one which the ARRL RF lab brought down here to address a very
> serious problem. We were able to identify the BOLT on the insulators where
> arcing was coming from, photograph it, attach both the audio file and the
> spectral display unique to each offender and the power company still
> reneged. Until FCC saw this and that was the end of the power company
> resistance. Problem fixed. Those devices are not easy to aim however. You
> need a steady hand and lots of patience.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
>
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
>
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
>
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
_______________________________________________
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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