[HCARC] RFI Udate

[k5hab at arrl.net]

When I gave my talk last Thursday I talked about working with Bandera Electric Coop that morning.  I thought I would give you an update as a way of sharing what is involved. Thursday morning I spent several hours driving around Medina with the BEC guys and monitored different frequencies.  Specifically 1710 AM,  135 AM (aircraft) and 7133 40 meters. I was also on 80 and 160 meters. They had their own equipment. Up and down Stringtown road where new polls and power lines that were just installed.  I had pointed out a poll at an intersection on the west end. The noise continued east for over a half a mile.  There were two noisy polls with lots of wires on the east end toward my house.  I walked around both polls with my snoopers and decided that the end poll made a little more noise than the one next to it.  BEC went up the poll and tighten several connections.  There was rain and water involved.  The noise continued.  That evening the noise was gone on the east end but still very loud on the west end.  It was still 20 over on 40 meters. It rained over the weekend and the noise on the east end did not come back. 
So I again focused on the poll on the west end that was still loud. I walked around the poll and my snooper took me to a house across the street. The noise was coming from the house not the power poll. I found the tenant and showed her what I was hearing and asked if I could turn off her main circuit breaker.  She agreed and the noise when away.  I showed her what was going on and got her involved listening to the noise while I was throwing switches.  I asked if I could turn off all her individual circuits and see if I could narrow my search and she agreed but I had to unscrew a panel covering the fuse box.  We found that good old number 27 was the culprit  She tried unplugging everything she could think of without luck.  I did not go into the home and was not welcome in the home.  I happened to notice an extension cord on the front porch and unplugged it and the noise went away.  It powered a string of decorative LED lights. Lots of patients and some luck and another successful resolve with a neighbor who is still talking to me. 
Good Luck on your search.  
Please drive around with your AM radios on the right side where there is no station and see if we can locate more.
Thanks
Peter
k5hab