[FARC] [Fwd: inadvertent sig on 73]

[Rolan O. Clark]

Bob,

Tnx,

Rolan
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob Moroney" <windbrkr at erols.com>
To: "FARC Mail List" <farc at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 10:39 AM
Subject: [FARC] [Fwd: inadvertent sig on 73]


> All,
>
> Here's an email that Rolan W3FDK has asked me to post to the reflector. 
> There's been a spate of interference on the FARG 146.73 repeater, 
> apparently caused by a mobile rig being inadvertently keyed on the 
> frequency, with the proper offset and PL tone and a good bit of power.
> Suspicion is that the rig is powered up whenever the ignition is on, and 
> someone is sitting or leaning on the mike without knowing it's there, 
> pressing the push-to-talk switch and transmitting for a period of time. 
> Faint voices and other people noises (e.g. nose-blowing) have been heard 
> in the background, along with music from a satellite radio and other 
> car-type sounds like seatbelt or key-in-ignition alarms.  I suspect that 
> the rig's speaker volume is low and whoever is in the car doesn't hear 
> other transmissions or the W3ICF repeater IDs.
>
> Please look at the times this interference has been noted, the DF results, 
> etc. for any patterns you might recognize - it could be someone you know!
> Any additional reports should be sent directly to Rolan 
> (rolan.clark at comcast.net) and Phil W3ICF (w3icf at comcast.net).
>
> 73, Bob K9CMR
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: inadvertent sig on 73
> Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:59:51 -0400
> From: Rolan O. Clark <rolan.clark at comcast.net>
> To: Many, Many Hams in Area
>
>
>
>
>
> QST
>
> FARG group here, Rolan W3FDK at the keyboard, and we have a mobile unit 
> that appears to be sitting on a microphone and transmitting to our 
> 146.13/73 repeater and Phil. W3ICF did most of the writing here and I will 
> add my part. Remember when Phil says today he means Thrusday, June 12.
>
> From Phil:
>
> The problem started on Sunday at around 1425 and cleared in about 1440. 
> Per my beam it started in the south direction and moved through west and 
> end in a near north direction.
> Later on Sunday about 1809 it came in again but appeared to start North 
> and ended South, once again about a 30 min run.  One report at 1811 
> showed a plus 9 signal in Frederick. Another report gave a 5 to 9 s- meter 
> reading in Mt. Airy from a mobile unit setting in his driveway. After 
> about 30 minutes it cleared out again.
>
> Monday it showed up again but a little earlier around 1250  and cleared 
> about 20 minutes later.  It then reappeared around 1600 and cleared in 
> about 20 to 30 minutes. I always show about the same level readings. High 
> from south then Full scale and fade out in the North Direction. The next 
> event seems to be the return trip, North to South with about the same 
> reading from the beam. I do not remember hearing it on Tuesday and 
> Wednesday but was busy and could have missed it.
>
> Today, Thursday, it started at 1050 cleared for a min or two at 11:05 and 
> then came back. By 1112   it was gone and stayed off until 1320 .It came 
> back on so I shut down the repeater at 1325  and headed for the Van to 
> look for it. Once again it cleared out and has not been back on so far 
> today.  It sounds like some one has the mike switch resting against 
> something causing it to key up. Most of the time it stays keyed until they 
> get out of range or park the vehicle. I was able to hear some one talking 
> and it seemed they were on a cell phone. K9CMR, Bob also reported a women 
> talking on Monday and a car door alarm went off but with the radio 
> covering up most of this, we could not tell who the voices belonged too.
>
> ( Rolan,W3FDK here, today, Thursday,  when I got home at about 1340 Phil 
> had called and we did this, I live south of Frederick about 6 miles so I 
> left home with my mobile, 25 watts and a 3 dB mag mount on the roof, went 
> east 6 houses, turned right on New Design Road and went to RT 28, turned 
> left and took RT 28 to RT 85, turned left on RT 85 and went to Frederick, 
> then I 270 to MD 121, MD121 to RT 355, then RT 355 to Frederick. All the 
> while I would transmit and check with Phil while he took bearings and 
> relative signal readings and that is how we got a similiar signal profile 
> to what Phil has been tracking from home with his beam, we think it is the 
> 355 or 1270 route that is traveled most of the time )
>
> (Rolan, W3FDK here, I think it was on Monday that I monitored 146.13 while 
> it was on and I drove from my home 6 miles south of Frederick to Frederick 
> via  US15/US340 and lost it around Frederick so I headed home and just out 
> side of Adamstown it came on again, I turned around and this time I took 
> Mountville Road up over the ridge towards Jefferson and of course the 
> signal got strong on the ridge but I lost it completey just a 100 feet or 
> so west of the peak so I went down to Lander Road, turned left towards 
> Point of Rocks then took Frye Road to RT 464 and turned left on that to 
> US15 just north of Point of Rocks, I could hear the signal weak at that 
> point so I went across the US15 bridge a few miles into Virginia and 
> turned around at a high piece of flat ground and I couldn't hear the 
> signal then so I came back to MD and took MD28 at Point of Rocks to New 
> Design Road then north on New Design Road to Adamstown Road where I live 
> and I was starting to get stronger but I lost it completely before I got 
> home and it never came on again that day.)
>
> (Rolan, W3FDK here, I like Al, KB3MKJ's observation that the radio must be 
> connected to the ignition key because it seems to go on and off with car 
> use unless the mic is wedged between seats somewhere and the weight of 
> someone in a seat compesses the seat and puts pressure on the mic ptt, who 
> knows)
>
>
>
> The radio station on the car is a Sirius Chan 123 but today the Chan was 
> 182 both seem to be Punk rock station.  Poor music in my mind HI.
>
> Rolan and I ran simplex test and it appears that a mobile moving from 
> around Clarksburg shows up as South on my Beam and moves to West Full 
> Scale and fades out North around Urban to FSK. The signal levels on 355 
> read about the same as when I monitor the Music. 270, 85 Point of Rocks do 
> not match the beam readings or the S-meter reading like the ones on 355. 
> Sure wish we could find out who it is and make them aware they are 
> transmitting music on the 146.73 repeater so we have to keep taking it off 
> the air.
>
> Some time later today between 1530 and 1600 hours it came back in and I 
> started down route 75 to see if I could detect a reading on 355. At 
> RollingGreen just before 355 the s- meter in the Van indicated full Scale 
> by the time I turned onto 355 it was gone. Al KB3MKJ was reporting a full 
> scale reading at his place. I went out Brownville road and the signal was 
> full scale but cleared out before I got to Route 27 in Damascus. Bill 
> reports from his site the Beam antenna indicates South Eastern direction 
> and this tracks with my readings.  I drove by the Damascus Fire house and 
> ask them to have Doug Noble give me a call. Would like to have him check 
> with the folks down there.
>
> All I know at this time is it seems to be a young couple  with small 
> children and the vehicle is equipped with a Sirius radio and 2 meter 
> transmitter set on 146.73 with PL 146.3. It appears that problem comes in 
> when they start the car and stops when they turn it off. Something is 
> keeping the transmit keyed any time the radio is on and that appears to be 
> controlled by starting the car. All of this is pure speculation.
>
> (Rolan, W3FDK here, we don't care who it is, just want to help us of 
> course and them also as they don't realize what is happening and that 
> thing I am sure has or can happen to all of us in some form or another.)
>
> Please coordinate all inputs with Phil, W3ICF, he has the best feel for 
> all the scenarios and has been beam tracking this signal profile  and one 
> contact person is the best way to go.
>
> Good luck and thanks to all who can help,
>
> FARG,
>
> 73 es tnx rolan w3fdk
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