[Elecraft] K3 birdies - question?

[W0MU Mike Fatchett]

Yes subscribe to rfi at contesting.com and search those archives.  Routers and
switches and hubs are notorious for generating crud. 


"A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may
never get over." Ben Franklin
-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of James Sarte
Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2009 4:58 PM
To: 'Joe Planisky'; 'KC2UEE'
Cc: 'Elecraft list'
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 birdies - question?

Hi Joe and gang,

I found the source of my "birdie"... ended up being a Linksys 54g wireless
router running a custom Linux kernel.  The second I unplugged it from the
mains, all noise dissipated on the K3.  Amazing really that it was so easy
to find!  Special thanks to Bill W4ISH for pointing me in the right
direction.

Anyway, any suggestions on isolating my feedline?  Would ferrite chokes on
the RG-8 work?  I can't unplug the router for long periods of time as other
machines in my house require a constant network connection.

73,
James KC2UEE

-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Planisky [mailto:jplan at jeffnet.org]
Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2009 2:01 PM
To: KC2UEE
Cc: Elecraft list
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 birdies - question?

I find a portable (i.e. battery powered) short wave receiver very useful for
tracking down local sources of EMI.  When I hear EMI that goes away when I
remove the antenna on my K3, I get out my SWL receiver and tune it to the
same frequency so I can hear the EMI on  
it.   With the telescoping whip antenna partially extended, I walk  
around the house, placing the tip of the whip near suspected devices.   
It's usually very obvious when you find the emitter as the signal rapidly
gets louder as you get close.  I then make a note in my logbook of the
frequency and the offending device so I know exactly which gadget to turn
off if the need arises (assuming I can't easily fix the device.)

It's a little less disruptive than switching off circuit breakers.

73
--
Joe KB8AP


On Mar 4, 2009, at 10:35 AM, KC2UEE wrote:

> Aha!  I think you're on to something here Bill.
>
> My RG-8 actually snakes its away around one of my entertainment 
> centers where I happen to have a cable modem, network switch, and 
> seperate wireless router all in the same spot.  I have a PS3, Xbox360, 
> and an Onkyo TX-
> NR905
> receiver all wired by CAT-5 into the switch, plus the wireless router 
> also wired into the switch is only a few inches away.  The RG-8 runs 
> behind all of that stuff, and if I recall, I simply have the cat5 
> cable laying loosely around it.  There also happens to be several 
> wall-wart transformers behind the entertainment center, which I'm sure 
> aren't helping the situation.
>
> When I get home, I'll try and turn off the network devices and see 
> what happens.
>
> Like you, I'm also a computer geek hihi.  I've got 2 home built PC's, 
> a Mac tower, and 3 laptops floating around the house all networked 
> wirelessly.
>
> It never crossed my mind to check the network for EMI... thanks again 
> for the suggestion!
>
> 73,
> James KC2UEE

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html