Hmmm. I used to say "Packet killed ham radio." Maybe the truth is
that modern electronic technology killed ham radio (in more ways than
one). No wonder I'm afraid to put a 2-meter rig in my car. :>)
Anyhow, I suspect that in my case the problem is not noise generated
by the furnace elex, but non-linear devices in the elex making
splatter of the AM braodcast signal.
73, Art K3KU
On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 11:07 AM, Rick Lindquist, WW3DE
<ww3de@comcast.net> wrote:
> Today's electronics - including some devices you wouldn't typically consider
> as noise sources - can generate lots of QRM. When we lived in Massachusetts,
> our then-recent model (2000 model year) Kenmore washing machine generated
> junk well up into the HF range; I had to get my xyl to alter her laundry
> schedule. Our Samsung washer here in Delaware does not appear to be
> generating any bothersome ix, but the Flexera solar array two houses away
> creams 160 and 80 during hours of daylight.
>
> 73, Rick, WW3DE
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com
> [mailto:cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Art Boyars
> Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 10:24 AM
> To: cq-contest@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] New furnace...
>
> K0RC said:
>
> "I am considering replacing [my] furnace.... There has been
> advancements in technology in the past 17 years. This includes a
> variable speed DC blower motor upgrade from a multi-speed AC motor.
> Does anyone have any experience in the newer technologies in regard to
> my HF gear? Specifically, a variable speed DC motor sounds like it
> might be an RFI generator."
>
> No experiece with the variable speed motor, but here is some related info.
>
> I had a new furnace installed (10 ft behind my seat at the rig) about
> a week before CQWW SSB. Coincidentally, I began to hear wide-band
> splatter on modulation peaks from the 50KW AM station on 1500 KHz,
> less than two miles from my house. The furnace is only middle-tech --
> it has a selectable speed (rather than continuously variable) blower.
> But it does, I'm sure, have a lot more electronics in its controller
> than did the 27-year-old unit it replaced. I am suspicious that the
> elex in the furnace is generating the QRM, but I have not tested the
> hypothesis (have not even figured out how I could test). OTOH, I also
> fear that the problem is in my TS-850 itself, because turning down the
> RF gain or turning on the front-end attenuators seems to make the QRM
> go away.
>
> Also, the new furnace is much louder than the old one. It has
> induction blowers and other air-moving stuff to make the combustion
> more efficient. I might have to get new high-performance
> noise-cancelling headphones. (I wonder if that cost would qualify for
> the energy tax credit.)
>
> 73, Art K3KU
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>
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