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Re: [TowerTalk] high tension power line noise...

Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] high tension power line noise...
From: Steve Lane <dieselburner@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2012 17:18:03 -0700
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
I have noticed that the DeWalt battery chargers can cause quite a bit
of noise as well.
Steve

On Sun, Mar 11, 2012 at 4:34 PM,  <dotravel@aol.com> wrote:
>
> Roger on the power lines,  AND  I'd suggest doing a survey for other 
> "domestic" noise.  In my neighborhood and many others it is the "Tap Lights"  
> that are the RFI devil incarnate!
>
> They are the little devices that have a 2" touch sensitive pad or even the 
> base of a lamp is touch sensitive and are commonly installed inline  to give 
> 3 levels of brightness to the lamp.  To make matters worse, if they are used 
> to control 12v Halogen lamps they may have a noisy switching "dimmable" 
> wall-wart as part of the system. All of this racket runs thru the house 
> wiring and can be heard from several housed away -- nasty stuff.
>
> I have been fighting this noise for years and even had the TelCo and Electric 
> Utility RFI folks out with no luck.  Below is what I sent out to some pals a 
> few weeks ago.  Now if I can find the source of the intermittent "arc 
> welding" (spark gap) noise I'll be a happy camper!
>
> Regards, John NA6L
>
>
>
> Remember how I was complaining about the wide band, badmuffler motor scooter 
> RFI noise that was about 100 KCs wide that kinda'wandered around, it even 
> changed tone and varied its staccato pulse. All thingsconsidered, it was a 
> very weird noise. One other detail is that the noise was up to S-9 and 
> loudest on thelower bands and it cut off within a few KCs like a SSB signal.
>
> It turned out that it was my neighbors 2 sets of 30 yearold 3 way dimming TAP 
> light systems that fed some 12v halogen lights. There ismore to the story, 
> first I bought a new version of the TAP light system -- sameproblem.  The 
> next step was to buy andinstall a replacement dimmer system using corded 
> slide controls and that gotrid of 50% of the noise.  As it turnedout the 
> other 50% of the noise is from one of the 110v (line) to 12v (halogenlights) 
> transformers -- it really makes a hell of a lot of racket when it 
> isenergized.  The little wall wart typetransformer is labeled "dimmable" but 
> I'm going to try replacing itwith one of my 12v wall warts from the great big 
> box-o-converters.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob K6UJ <k6uj@pacbell.net>
> To: Towertalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Sent: Sun, Mar 11, 2012 2:22 pm
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] high tension power line noise...
>
>
> Gary,
> I'm with Joe, good idea to take a portable AM radio and tune off a broadcast,
> turn the volume up and check out the property.
> Also, do the same with your car radio, drive all around the neighborhood and
> check.  Drive under the power lines with
> a cross street and see what you get.  In our area, when I drive under the big 
> hi
> power lines,  from about 4 houses away I get  RFI noise on AM.
> So the RFI it extends out about 300 feet on each side of the lines.  I can't
> imagine how it
> would impact 160 meters !    I would be very careful about buying property 
> this
> close to the hi power lines.
> I know what you are going thru, we spent a long time looking for our house 
> that
> we were comfortable with putting up a tower/ antennas.
> We finally ended up buying in an unincorporated area of the county, it is
> difficult to find antenna/tower friendly property.  I wish you
> good luck on your search !
>
> Bob
> K6UJ
>
> On Mar 11, 2012, at 12:55 PM, Joseph or Ruth Patrick wrote:
>
>> Hey Gary
>>
>> If you want you could take a tour of the property with a small battery 
>> powered
>
>> am radio. I have located many noise sources this way. All power companies are
>> different. some do little to no maintenance. Some guys are all over it. The
>> bottom line for the power company is if there is noise, there is loss not 
>> just
>
>> in power but money. If this property is the one you have to purchase then
> there
>> will be times you will have to deal with this situation. Keep on looking. 
>> When
>
>> we bought our house we were in 45 homes in 30 days. No HOA, No Deed
>> restrictions, & no CC&R's.
>> I know it's getting harder and and harder to find property like this so you
> have
>> to make the decision. Good luck.
>>  73 DE K4XZ Joe Patrick
>> God Made Man
>> Sam Colt Made Them Equal
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: StellarCAT <RXDesign@ssvecnet.com>
>> To: towertalk@contesting.com
>> Sent: Sat, March 10, 2012 2:24:27 PM
>> Subject: [TowerTalk] high tension power line noise...
>>
>> Hello... my wife and I will be moving soon to a new area... one of the
>> properties we are considering,
>>
>> and its really difficult to find something anymore that meets ALL the 
>> criteria
>
>> county (no restrictions),
>>
>> no HOA, no deed restrictions, and of course a house... one of the places has 
>> a
>
>> high tension line ~400’
>>
>> away from where I’d install my tower... and about 600’ from where I’d have a
>> 160/80 receive 4 sq array....
>>
>> now I’d THINK that this should not be a problem – assuming the power company
>> takes care of any issues
>>
>> (as required by the FCC and as is prudent for them to do for power
>> lose/longevity)... however having
>>
>> never been THAT close I’d love to hear from anyone that says otherwise – that
>> there will be a problem.
>>
>> I operate weak signal from 160 through 6 meters...
>>
>> thanks
>>
>> Gary
>> K9RX
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
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