[Elecraft] RF Noise in the Neighborhood

[JAMES ROGERS]

Step 1:  If it syncs on line as your RFI does, it is Power Line  
Interference. Call you local power company. They will have the  
instrumentation to locate the source and if it is their problem they  
will fix it. If it is a subscriber's problem they will most likely  
identify the source.

Step 2. If step one fails then contact the RFI group at ARRL. Mike  
Gruber is on a first name basis with most of the utility companies and  
has a association with the FCC. The plan is, work with Mike and if all  
else fails then Mike will get the FCC involved.

This type of interference can propogate over the power lines for quite  
some distance. in my case it turned out to be a bad GFCI outlet in my  
neighbor's garage. Changed the outlet and problem solved.

73s Jim, W4ATK
On Oct 18, 2010, at 7:08 AM, Douglas Furton wrote:

> Dear Electrafters,
>
> Perhaps off topic, I write for advice tackling a problem that  
> plagues my K2 and QTH: overwhelming RF noise from a source I cannot  
> identify.
>
> I've posted a screen shot of an o'scope trace of the IF output from  
> a parlstar R30 showing the magnitude of this problem at the  
> following URL.
>
> http://gegenschein.wordpress.com/2010/10/18/rf-noise-in-the-neighborhood/
>
> So, I’ve been working on tracking down the source of this noise.  
> Here is what I know:
>
> 1) Noise is persistent, but not always present. Perhaps present 90%  
> of the time, with no pattern.  When present, it is overwhelming.  My  
> K2 noise blanker cannot blank it reliably.
>
> 2) Noise - 120 Hz pulses - is present from AM broadcast band to  
> about 20 MHz.
>
> 3) Source is not in my house. I’ve turned off the main circuit  
> breaker and operated from battery — noise still overwhelming.
>
> 4) Noise is on the neighborhood power lines.
>
> 5) I cannot locate a single source of the noise (walking around with  
> a portable radio); as noted above, it is on the main power lines in  
> the hood.
>
> Please — any suggestions how I might track down this noise source  
> and quiet it?  I first started noticing the problem about 6 months  
> ago and it has grown steadily worse.  Now, I can't imagine how it  
> could get worse.  I am just waiting, now, for whatever is the source  
> to final go up in a puff of smoke (or move out of the neighborhood).
>
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