[EIDXA] RFI from streetlights

Sun Mar 23 22:22:10 EDT 2014

Joe,

I got behind and could not get on the computer and I'm lost......or at least 
I think I'm lost which is about the same.  I've been through this noise 
chasing for years--at least 30.  I do not have all the answers but have some 
of the techniques that are claimed to lead to answers.  If you still have 
questions, let's talk on the phone and go over it.  I would be happy to do 
that so let me know.  I can call if that helps.

Thanks for the one-up on the Kent paddle.  It was gone before I had time to 
think about it.  That is one things I'll look for at Dayton.  Actually, a 
month or so ago I discovered the auto character space was turned on for both 
of my keyers.  I turned it off and I'm amazed at how much better I'm doing. 
I'm still rusty but I've been able to put a few words together at times 
without making a mistake!

Let me know about the noise.

73,   Jim

-----Original Message----- 
From: Jim Spencer
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 2:17 PM
To: Joe Hetrick ; eidxa at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [EIDXA] RFI from streetlights

That should do it, Joe.  What you want to look at is the audio.  Most arc
type power line noise looks like repetitive spikes, form one to many
depending on the actual source.  I haven't had time to look but I'll bet the
ARRL website has some of the various waveforms.  I need to do some searching
because one of my sources is a saw tooth with a higher frequency noise
riding on it.  I doubt it is power line noise but it is a pain.

73,  Jim

-----Original Message----- 
From: Joe Hetrick
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 9:57 AM
To: eidxa at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [EIDXA] RFI from streetlights

If I run in AM and then cap it with an audio analyzer on my PC will that
be sufficient, you think?

I did notice that the few sources I found, only had AF spectrum and not
RF spectrum pics.

I dug more and found some archive.org stuff of powerline noise and it
seems similar.  It's not pulsey as if it were data traffic of some sort.

On 03/20/2014 09:30 AM, Jim Spencer wrote:
> Joe,
>
> Can you display and take a photo of the audio.  That can tell us a lot
> about the noise source.  I can easily display that on my DMU-2000 or my
> Tektronics and although I can't recognize all of the waveforms, the most
> common ones from the power lines are easy to spot.
>
> 73,  Jim
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Joe Hetrick
> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 8:53 AM
> To: eidxa at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [EIDXA] RFI from streetlights
>
>
> Thanks Terry,
> This may fit with something new I've had.
>
> I had posted elsewhere; but does anybody have audio of what they sound
> like?
>
> Below is something new-ish in my area that is killing 20/15/17/10, 20
> and 17 are the most affected.  It appears to my SE.  I'm going to try
> and go walking with a handheld AM today to see if it's not something 
> easy..
>
> Couple of caps from the P3:
> http://webmail.bitjanitor.net/~jhetrick/15m-south.bmp
> http://webmail.bitjanitor.net/~jhetrick/20m-south.bmp
>
> Some audio:
> http://www.frogstar.org/radio/audio/DX/2014-03-16_14-25-13_QRM-17M.mp3
>
> You may be able to hear on 17M when I kicked the NR off.
>
> http://www.frogstar.org/radio/audio/DX/2014-03-16_14-24-20_QRM-20M.mp3
>
> It appears all the time; I had thought it intermittent, but lately I've
> been more active and it's certainly QRV all the time I've been listening.
>
> I can null it on 20M very specifically at about 350 degrees; but very
> narrow.  My yagi isn't very high; on 10, I can find multiple nulls as
> you'd expect.  I am going to wander the streets to see if I can find it
> by hand tho..
>
> The humps are about 60khz apart like a switcher, but, I've done the
> in-house test and killed all power and run from battery and it's not my
> QTH.
>
> Since KU0A lives near, I asked him to see if he hears it as well.  Maybe
> between the two of us we can pinpoint it; I'm hoping its on my street.
> It doesn't sound like anything I've found on the audio files I've
> listened to.  It's not nasty enough or intermittent enough to be a
> running plasma.
>
> 73,
>
> VKN
>
>
> http://webmail.bitjanithttp://webmail.bitjanitor.net/~jhetrick/15m-south.bmpor.net/~jhetrick/15m-south.bmp
>
> On 03/20/2014 08:45 AM, Terry Cellman wrote:
>> Alliant energy in Washington Iowa has started to replace their
>> streetlights
>>
>> with LED lights. They have been receiving some complaints about these
>>
>> Lights causing RFI . AB0DX, Mark who works for Alliant in Washington.
>>
>> was asked by his boss to see if there were hams in Cedar Rapids who
>>
>> had experienced RFI from these new LED lights. Mark says they can be
>>
>> identified from the older style lights by their shape. They are
>> flatter and
>>
>> more square in shape than the old style lights.
>>
>>
>>
>> If you confirm that one of these LED streetlights is causing RFI you can
>>
>> Contact Mark at  ab0dx at arrl.net.
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