[Lowfer] Progress comes to the boondocks (update)

[Lyle Koehler]

Over the weekend I toured the neighborhood with a cheap portable LF
receiver. The radio is a Windsor 9-band model that can barely receive an NDB
at 30 miles, and can copy my own beacon at a mile or two. Its main saving
grace is that it fits into a large coat pocket; something that I can't do
with the Sony ICF-2001.

There are several cabins that were unoccupied at the time, and apparently
with no electric equipment running because the meter disks were not
rotating. All of them have the "Turtle Technologies" remote reading card
installed in the meters. I could detect the noise pulses at every location,
but the receiver had to be within a foot or two of the meter or the wires
leading to it. With that receiver, I could not detect any noise while
walking directly under the high-voltage lines.

This morning I talked to Paul, WB0DAA, the inventor of the technology used
in the "Turtle". Paul was very helpful, and understood my problem
immediately. The meter reading device sends its information by switching a
capacitor across the 240 volt line, and what I am hearing are the harmonics
of the switching transients. Compared to a light dimmer, the Turtle device
does not generate much interference. (But I can turn off the light dimmer!)
The noise is primarily conducted along the power wires in the house, and
anything connected to them such as the coax, rotator, power and tuning
cables going to my receiving loop. An obvious solution, which would also
help remove noise from my computers and other junk in the house, would be to
isolate the loop components as completely as possible from the house wiring.
But I'm looking for an easier way out, and it's always best to eliminate the
noise problem at the source whenever possible.

Paul suggested that a 5 uF capacitor across the line, right at the meter,
would be quite effective in reducing the interference. But he felt that in
my case, a somewhat more elaborate filter might be needed. Paul has
volunteered to build up a filter and send it to me if necessary. In the
meantime, I just got a call from the local power company engineer to inform
me that one of their standard filters will be installed within the next few
days. If that doesn't fix things, I'm supposed to call them back and they
will work with the manufacturer.

Most run-ins with power companies (and equipment manufacturers) are not
nearly that pleasant or productive. But I'm hoping to be back with full
listening capability in the very near future.

Lyle, K0LR