[Lowfer] Progress comes to the boondocks

[Ed Phillips]

Dexter McIntyre W4DEX wrote:
> 
> Some of these new meters operate on UHF or microwave I believe.  The
> local power company in my area, a REA co-op, is presently installing
> meters that can be read with a handheld receiver while ridding down the
> road.  I was told this by the meter reader lady a few months ago.  The
> company plans to later install area receivers that will totally replace
> manual meter reading.  My neighbors have them but for some reason I was
> skipped on the initial installs.  Wonder if three towers, 2 VHF and 4
> UHF repeaters, microwave security system, wireless networking, and a big
> old scary looking octagon loop in the woods had anything to do with my
> being skipped?  As soon as my meter is replaced you can bet it will be
> sniffed with the HP 8593A spectrum analyzer.
> 
> Dex

	I should mention something which happened here.  I started getting
strong 60/120 Hz buzzes all the way from 100 kHz up to the 75 meter band
(S-9 signal there!) just before one of my neighbors told he had
installed a new "computer controlled" system for controlling his house
lights.  It was so bad I convinced him to turn of his main power breaker
while I listened on the RX.  No change but his VCR lights all started to
blink, of course, and I had to go over and reset them because he is
incapable and can't even program the things.  Anyhow, I was totally
wiped out on LF until I accidently unplugged the power to my Mac while I
was trying to listen to PLI on 183.5 kHz.  Noise went away instantly! 
Finally turned out to be coming from the wall wart which powered my
external Zip drive.  Replaced it and all is as quiet as it was before,
which is pretty bad but still can hear WWVB OK.

Ed