[MilCom] Re: [RadioMonitors] Strange Signals

[Duane Mantick]

 Might as well add to the database on this.....

When I am trying to run on the HF ham bands, I generally
have to have my TV turned OFF.  The thing generates far 
more RFI to my ham gear than the ham gear creates TVI !!!!

I also had a noise problem that was very broadband and
not only affected HF reception but clear up into the 
2 meter and 440 MHz ham bands.  It turned out to be a 
GE CircleLine fluorescent light in the garage.  Here's
the funny part - there were two "identical" ones located
about 10 feet apart in simple ceiling-mount sockets.
Until one of the round tubes crapped out and I pulled the
whole unit down to put a new tube on it (and the noise
quit even though the OTHER CircleLine was still ON) I
wasn't aware that it was only ONE of them that was the
problem.  Sure enough, with a new tube on it I put it 
back in the fixture and my noise returned.

It promptly got *permanently* replaced with one of these
new spiral-tube CF's.  End of THAT noise.

And then there is the heating-cooling system.  By listening
to the air sounds from the ductwork, I know that this is
generating a lot of crap which seems to primarily affect
HF and not the VHF and up.  I happens regardless of whether
it is furnace in the winter or A/C in the summer.  Best guess
is that the controller board is the culprit.  Unfortunately,
the furnace manufacturer (American Standard or something 
like that) has been unwilling to do anything.  I *think* the
board is made by Honeywell.  So for now, I am stuck with
this one.

Then there is Mr. Microwave.  When it runs, some radios but
not all will pick up a steady tick-tick-tick noise.  Not
in itself objectionable but when you add up all sources of
RFI it is a contributor.

And there are some that are just plain "a mystery" and I have
not yet been able to track down.  Some of them clearly
emanate from within my own home but some of them get
*stronger* when I walk outside.  These, I suspect, are
coming from the neighbors.  Ironic that a ham should be
getting RFI FROM the neighbors?  Yup, but in an even more
ironic twist than that, the FCC has lately in several actions
filed Cease and Desist orders on people whose electrical
whatevers have been interfering with Amateur Operations!!!!
Check the enforcement actions at the ARRL's website plus articles
in their news page if you want details.

Duane
WB9OMC


-----Original Message-----
From: milcom-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:milcom-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of MJ Cleary
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2005 3:40 PM
To: RadioMonitors; MILCOM
Subject: [MilCom] Re: [RadioMonitors] Strange Signals

X-SpamKiller-AcctId: 1
X-SpamKiller-MsgId: 1108433585.8092

Yesterday I set out to locate the source of a squealing noise that had been
plaguing me on 7527, 8992, and 10242. I tracked it down to an APC Model
BE325 surge protector/battery backup in the same room. I also used to have a
DVD player that bothered 11 MHz and I have a Memorex external CD burner I
can't leave plugged in as it kills HF completely. I have a neighbor that had
a cable box that caused lots of interference.


Mark

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mac McCormick III" <kf4lmt at comcast.net>

> These signals were just too constant to be anything "real", so I set 
> about the house trying to determine if they were local interference.  
> I eventually tracked them down to being spurious emissions from a DVD 
> player in another part of the house.
>

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