[Elecraft] OT: K3 and High Tension Wires

[Fred Jensen]

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We moved here to Sparks NV last Aug.  Prior, we lived on 5 rural ac 
outside of Auburn CA for 38 years.  Distribution lines were 12 KV, we 
had our own pole pig.  There was a 69 KV tie line on wood poles between 
two hydro plants that cut across the south corner.  There was 
two-circuit 112 KV line on metal towers about 1/4 mi to the east that 
had a tap across the south end of the property again about 1/4 mi. 
Never got any noise attributable to any of them.

Now, the CalTrans sodium vapor street lamp at the Interstate off-ramp a 
mile away was a whole different story.  It began to fail about 4 years 
ago, and I never could get them to replace the lamp and ballast.  Over 
the years, the ambient noise rose slowly, almost all from the ubiquitous 
SMPS, most probably ours and our nearest neighbor.

Growing up [a long time ago], a two circuit 230 KV line from Hoover Dam 
to Los Angeles ran a block away.  Never any noise from them.  We drove 
through the little town a couple of years ago, it is now a 500 KV line 
and no noise on my mobile driving on the road right beside it.  My 
experience is that the HV lines [60 KV and up] get good maintenance and 
are almost universally quiet.  Distribution lines not so much.

Count the "fins" on the insulators to estimate the voltage.  69-70 KV 
are often on large umbrella type or short hanging ones.  The 112 KV were 
hanging from ones with about 6 sections.  230 KV usually have 12-14 
sections.  500 KV [and DC interties] have too many to count.

On 3/15/2016 12:17 PM, Chris Hallinan wrote:

> We are considering moving to a location that is more friendly to ham radio
> and especially the performance of my K3.  Here in our crowded neighborhood,
> I have regular S7 noise levels on all the lower HF bands.  One home we
> found (and like) sits fairly close to high tension wires (ie like one lot
> away) however its in a much more rural area and likely to be more quite
> w.r.t. the usual man-made RF hash.
>
> Does anyone have any experience with living very close to high tension
> wires (not tool close, plenty of room for wire antennas without any
> danger.)  Assuming nothing is "broken" is it likely to produce RF noise in
> the receiver?  Is this something I should be concerned about?