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RE: [RFI] Documenting Power Line Noise

To: "'Ford Peterson'" <ford@cmgate.com>,"rfi@contesting.com" <rfi@contesting.com>
Subject: RE: [RFI] Documenting Power Line Noise
From: Ed -K0iL <eedwards@tconl.com>
Reply-to: "eedwards@tconl.com" <eedwards@tconl.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 21:12:38 -0500
List-post: <mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
Ford,

Based on your comments, I suggest you might do some reading up on how to 
track power line noise.  Some good books are the ARRL's RFI Book, and also 
the Interference Handbook by Bill Orr and Bill Nelson.

Your comment on the equipment used by the tech is pretty much way-off. 
 They are using the correct instruments to do the job based on your 
description given: UHF is the only way you'll ever track noise to a 
specific pole fast and accurately.  You can track conducted noise on HF for 
miles and get nothing but confused in the long run (especially in a city!). 
 But with VHF, and better yet UHF you'll find the noise much faster. 
 Sometimes you have to do some of both starting on HF then moving up in 
freq the closer you get to the actual source.

This is all due to the fact that lower freqs are radiated and conducted 
outward much further away from lines than the higher freqs are.  Add to 
this the standing wave peaks and nulls, and it gets really tough on HF to 
find anything; although it can be done if given enough time and 
patience--something power companies don't have since they're trying to make 
some money.

Ford, you should be ecstatic that they at least show up with equipment that 
works!  From stroies I've read on this list the past years, most hams would 
pay for that kind of service.  :-)

73, de ed -K0iL

-----Original Message-----
From:   Ford Peterson
My question?  How do I document my lack of noise today, so I can compare it 
to and PROVE to the power line techs that their line is junk?  I've had 
them out here before and they sniff around poles with a gismo that looks 
like a 450MHz 4 element yagi.  But I'm worried about HF.  The 160M noise 
off that line has been known to be +20 over S 9.  Right now it is NILL wil 
the preamps on.  I want to be able to prove to them that they are WAY out 
of compliance and the toys they show up with to find 'hot spots' is nothing 
but a joke as the entire line radiates hash noise throughout low HF.

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