[Lowfer] 2200meter noise, plasma tv? SOURCES LOCATED!

Dexter McIntyre W4DEX dexter.mc at gmail.com
Sun Nov 28 19:21:15 EST 2010


Well this sure ran me in circles today.  I have four electrical panels 
on my property, each with a main breaker.  All are fed from the same 
meter.  To locate this noise I had turned off each main separately then 
run back to the shack to listen for the noise.  The noise was still 
there each time but I noticed there may be a slight difference in it's 
sound.  So I repeated the procedure each time making a screen capture of 
the spectrum waterfall.  Doing that I found two of the four breakers 
made a difference so I turned them both off.  The noise was gone!  I 
realized then I had been chasing my tail and should have just turned all 
main breakers off at the same time.  On to locating the source of each 
noise I first found a switching wall wart which powers an IR flood light 
at my wood shed.  Since this was a recent addition it was a logical 
find.  The other noise source was coming form a main that feeds most of 
the lighting and receptacles the house.  With that main back on the 
noise returned.  Turning off the receptacle breakers one at a time I 
found the one feeding the video/audio electronics.  Going to that 
location I expected to find another switching wall wart on a broadcast 
tv converter box that was added this past summer.  But that wasn't the 
culprit so on to unplugging each device.  The last and least expected to 
be unplugged was the offender.  A 15+ year old 27" Sony TV!  Yes we 
still use it and probably will until it dies.  I don't watch TV and the 
wife is content watching Lifetime, Dr. Pill, Opra etc on the old CRT.  
Saves me money for important things like the SDR-IQ and a new AIM-4170C 
:)  Anyway the offending 2200 meter noise is being generated while the 
set is off but goes away when on.  Back to the waterfall I did a capture 
while the set was on, switched to off and back on which I will upload.  
This set has been in use during most all my 2200 meter operating and 
this is the first time it has caused me a problem.  Either the noise 
just recently started or has been much lower in frequency and is 
drifting up as it ages.
 
http://www.w4dex.com/lf/temp/2200m_growler/growler_captured.jpg

Dex





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