On 1/5/2024 3:10 PM, Mike Smith VE9AA wrote:
I applaud your tireless ability to make your point about the terrible noise
(especially in California?),
Noise is an issue on both sides of QSOs for most hams, having nothing to
do with California. It's the proliferation of noise-generating
electronics, most seriously, power-handling stuff like switch-mode power
supplies, but also variable speed motor controllers and components of
solar systems.
I'm surprised that you were QRP during RAC -- every time I heard you you
were good copy. You obviously have a great TX antenna system! I tried to
look at your QTH in Google Earth. It looks pretty sparsely populated
compared to the vast majority of hams. I don't see any solar systems in
satellite photos less than a year old. My guess is that your QTH is
pretty quiet. My EU Beverage terminates about 150 ft from a solar system
that it points to. The house that has that system wasn't there when I
rigged that Beverage in 2006. My JA Beverage points to a house across
the road from me with another solar system, with the termination about
250 ft from the house. The solar system arrived when the house changed
hands 3-4 years ago. There's another solar system in the direction of
South America, just past my property line. Thankfully, I only hear that
one during the day. My SA Beverage points to that house.
You and I are both lucky in that we have room for a lot of serious
antenna systems. Most hams live on city or suburban lots, and have a
dozen or more neighbors within 500 ft, each with lots of noise sources,
some with solar systems. That was true of my QTH in Chicago, and there
were three apartment buildings across the alley!
73, Jim K9YC
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