[Elecraft] K1 K2 - Interesting noise

[Fred Jensen]

Rich, NU6T, and I activated Leviathan Peak [SOTA W6/SN-039] on 26 Jun 
and did a 2B Battery FD entry too.  His K1, my K2.  On both radios, we 
heard a "whoosh whoosh ..." sound in the headphones, sort of like the 
sound in the movie "Contact" sending prime numbers, although these did 
not come in primes [I counted].  It varied in intensity, in frequency of 
the "whooshing," and AF gains had no effect, although turning off the 
radio ended it.  Sometimes it quit altogether only to come back.  K1 was 
on 20, K2 on 15.  The frequency was slow enough that we could count the 
whooshes [hmmm ... T-bird spell check tells me that's actually a real 
word :-)].  Turning off the other radio had no effect. The noise is gone 
back home.

There are quite a few radios on the peak all powered by a very large 
solar array.  Judging by the antennas, they range from high band VHF 
into microwaves.  We were on the ground adjacent to the tower, in front 
of a concrete block vault topped by an abandoned fire lookout.  I had my 
KX1, but didn't think to check it.

We're figuring that something up there was irradiating the radios 
strongly enough after the AF gain control to cause this, we have no idea 
what.  If so, it was irradiating us too, although neither of us glow in 
the dark, which we're taking as a good sign.  A real puzzle.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2011 Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2011
- www.cqp.org