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Re: [RFI] RFI case where I could actually hear the power pole arcing wit

To: rfi@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [RFI] RFI case where I could actually hear the power pole arcing with my naked ear.
From: "Dave (NK7Z)" <dave@nk7z.net>
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2022 17:38:26 -0700
List-post: <mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
Well done!!!

73, and thanks,
Dave (NK7Z)
https://www.nk7z.net
ARRL Volunteer Examiner
ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources

On 10/17/22 16:01, Don Kirk wrote:
Hi Mike and Gang,

Contrary to what I was told this morning the RFI has been eliminated and
the ground wire was indeed the cause of the RFI.  It was arcing to
something up high on the pole and the supervisor that first came out this
morning did go up in a small bucket truck and was able to push on the
ground wire to stop it from arcing, and now has scheduled a lineman to come
out for a permanent fix.  The noise floor at N4TZ dropped 6 S units on 10
meters from S6.5 as shown in the video to S0.5 when the ground wire was
moved to stop the arcing.

I went back to the pole this afternoon to confirm the power pole is no
longer generating RFI.

Just FYI,
Don wd8dsb

On Mon, Oct 17, 2022 at 10:56 AM Don Kirk <wd8dsb@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Mike,

Points well taken, and thanks for your comments about the audible noise
and possible root cause of it.

I’ve been told the power company already responded this morning and
noticed the ground wire that was moving around in the wind and they fixed
that but that did not fix the problem.  They are sending a lineman out this
afternoon to dig into the problem.

Just FYI,
Don wd8dsb



On Mon, Oct 17, 2022 at 10:30 AM Michael Martin <mike@rfiservices.com>
wrote:

Chances are that audible noise is caused by a broken jumper when a
lightning arrestor where it attaches via a hotline clamp onto the line. I
think I've heard that sound about 20,000 times! Ed's point about standing
under the line, also known as line of fire, is always best to not be under
it regardless of the situation. And no one should bang on a pole or shake a
guy wire including employees of the utility. Doing that shares an extreme
lack of education or ignorance. I have often told people during my lectures
that knowing there's a 7000 volt arcing source over your head that you
should bang on what's doing it!

Mike Martin
RFI Services
240.508.3760
mike@rfiservices.com
www.rfiservices.com

On Mon, Oct 17, 2022, 8:22 AM Hare, Ed, W1RFI <w1rfi@arrl.org> wrote:

If you can hear an arc or heavy spark taking place on a pole, that pole
is certainly making a lot of RF noise!  It really is also a maintenance
issue because it is possible that the arc is eroding metal, possibly
dropping a line to the ground.

Utility people can use the "bang the pole" technique because they cone
off the area, don't stand under the lines and wear hard hats.  (Or they
should!)  Something is wrong on that pole and if you bang it, you may
diagnose the problem by dropping the bad insulator through the windshield
of the passing car.  Leave that to the pros.

Ed Hare, W1RFI
ARRL Lab

________________________________
From: RFI <rfi-bounces+w1rfi=arrl.org@contesting.com> on behalf of Don
Kirk <wd8dsb@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2022 9:01 PM
To: RFI <rfi@contesting.com>
Subject: [RFI] RFI case where I could actually hear the power pole
arcing with my naked ear.

Today I tracked down RFI to a power pole that was causing problems at
N4TZ.  This was an interesting case as the pole was located in front of a
house out in the country and the homeowner saw me looking at the pole
with
my portable RF direction finding gear and she came out to talk with me
and
to apologize about her barking dog. The homeowner immediately mentioned
that the pole makes a lot of noise and sure enough I could hear the
arcing
with my naked ear (you can hear it at the 2:30 mark in my video).  She
also
mentioned that she recently saw an employee of the cable company
banging/hitting the pole.

Here is a link to a video I just uploaded to youtube documenting this
case
for those interested.
https://youtu.be/TVjKANTmVEc

73,
Don (wd8dsb)
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