[OKDXA] Radios and noise

John Geiger af5cc2 at gmail.com
Fri Jan 27 15:02:13 EST 2017


Hi Roger,

What is the bandwidth you are using on both modes?  If it is much narrower
on CW that will definitely give a lower reading.  I can see a S6 noise
level on 40m SSB when using a 2.4khz bandwidth (the stock filter for my
Yaesu FT100D) and if I switch to CW with the 500hz CW filter it is around
S1 or 2.

John AF5CC

On Fri, Jan 27, 2017 at 1:52 PM, Roger Simpson <rksimpson1 at cox.net> wrote:

>
>
> ------ Original Message ------
> From: "Steve Duskin" <sduskin at gmail.com>
> To: "'Oklahoma DX Association'" <okdxa at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: 1/27/2017 8:59:04 AM
> Subject: Re: [OKDXA] Radios and noise
>
> What I found in my shack that was causing noise...
>> - space heater
>> - CFL lights
>> - AC to DC power adapters (wall warts) for various pieces of PC and radio
>> gear
>> - the 20w LED (AC powered) I was using to light my shack area
>> - the ionizer air cleaner on my central air system
>> - plasma TV on the other side of the shack wall (in the living room)
>> - and finally the family dogs when they want my attention!  :)
>>
>> 73
>>
>> -Steve.
>> NE5SD
>>
>
> ========================================
> Comment from K5RKS:
>
> I guess i'm lucky. As far as I know I don't have noise from household
> equipment. It could be that the noise level from this equipment is so low
> and constant that I don't notice it. I do have a pretty high noise level
> sometimes on 40m. However the noise varies between day and night. It is
> higher at night so I guess the high noise is due to overall static when the
> band is open [i.e. at night] and not something local at my house or in the
> neighborhood.
>
> One thing I noticed on my ICOM 7600 is that very different S meter
> readings are observed when listening to 40 meters depending upon whether I
> listening on LSB or CW. For example, right now I am listening at 7100 on
> LSB with the antenna connected and with no signal audible and the S meter
> says S7. Without doing anything except switching to CW my S meter says S3.
> I have no idea what the S meter is supposedly telling me. I never pay any
> attention to S meter readings because they really don't seem to mean much.
> All I know that a CW signal that peaks at S/9 is louder than a CW signal
> peaking at S/3. That is about all I can make out of whatever the S meter is
> saying.
>
> I wonder any of you have seen S meters on other gear -- Kenwood, Yaesu,
> Elecraft, etc. give totally different readings when everything stays the
> same [band, antenna, time of day] and you switch from SSB to CW or
> vice/versa?
>
>>
>>  73  Roger   K5RKS
>>
> =======================================
>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: OKDXA [mailto:okdxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
>> GARYLM at kiamichiwb.org
>> Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2017 12:18 PM
>> To: Oklahoma DX Association <okdxa at mailman.qth.net>
>> Cc: okdxa at mailman.qth.net
>> Subject: Re: [OKDXA] Radios and noise
>>
>>
>> IF YOU HAVE A LAPTOP COMPUTER, AND USE AC TO RUN IT AT YOUR STATION.  TRY
>> UNPLUGGING IT
>> AND SEE IF NOISE GOES AWAY.   I HAVE A LAPTOP AND IF I PLUG IN THE
>> EXTERNAL POWER CARD
>> IT RAISES MY NOISE BY 5 OR 6 S-UNITS.  FOUND OUT I COULD NOT USE IT IN
>> SHACK ON EXTERNAL
>> POWER.
>> GOOD LUCK  SOME TIMES THESE NOISE SOURCES ARE HARD TO FIND.   I AM IN
>> RURAL AREA SO DO
>> NOT HAVE MUCH HERE TO WORRY WITH EVEN MY PLASMA TV DOESN'T CAUSE ANY
>> NOISE.
>> 73 WQ5R GARY
>>
>> --- af5cc2 at gmail.com wrote:
>>
>> From: John Geiger <af5cc2 at gmail.com>
>> To: Coy Day <n5ok at arrl.net>, Oklahoma DX Association <
>> okdxa at mailman.qth.net>
>> Subject: Re: [OKDXA] Radios and noise
>> Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2017 12:11:53 -0600
>>
>> I didn't find any noise source in my house today switching on and off
>> circuit breakers.
>>
>> 73 John AF5CC
>>
>> On Wed, Jan 25, 2017 at 9:58 AM, Coy Day <n5ok at arrl.net> wrote:
>>
>>  Also check out any fluorescent lights you might have.  I found that to
>>>  be a problem here once.
>>>
>>>  --
>>>  Coy Day, N5OK
>>>  20685 SW 29
>>>  Union City, OK 73090
>>>  405-483-5632
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  John Geiger wrote:
>>>  > Hi Bob,
>>>  >
>>>  > Thanks for the info.  I did listen today during the day on 40m and
>>>  > it was still about the same.  Guess it is time to see if it is
>>>  > anything in my house causing it. Will probably do that tomorrow
>>>  > morning.  I was able to rule out the wireless router and desktop
>>>  > computer today, though, as a source of noise.
>>>  >
>>>  > 73 John AF5CC
>>>  >
>>>  > On Mon, Jan 23, 2017 at 7:20 PM, Robert Redmon <k5sm.bob at gmail.com>
>>>  wrote:
>>>  >
>>>  >> John, I live in a rather (rf) quiet place several miles from town
>>>  >> and suffer from very little power line noise and my nearest
>>>  >> neighbor is several hundred feet away. The noise you hear on 40
>>>  >> meters is not abnormal for times when the band is open. Currently
>>>  >> on my dipole at 65' using either my
>>>  >> K3 or my Flex 5k, the ambient noise on ssb (2.4khz filter) is S5-S6.
>>>  >> During
>>>  >> the day, it will fall to much lower levels.
>>>  >>
>>>  >> Bob
>>>  >>
>>>  >> On 1/23/2017 7:07 PM, John Geiger wrote:
>>>  >>
>>>  >>> I know if you buy a more expensive radio, you get a receiver that
>>>  >>> (usually)
>>>  >>> has better dynamic range and handles QRM conditions better,
>>>  >>> generating less IMD products and blocking when the band gets full
>>>  >>> of signals.  Does the same hold true for QRN and electrical crud?
>>>  >>> I know that some radios have more tools than others, like noise
>>>  >>> reduction, notch filters, stuff like that.  Do more expensive
>>>  >>> receivers get less affected by RFI and other junk, and by
>>>  >>> atmospheric noise?
>>>  >>>
>>>  >>> Here is my situation:  I was having some bad powerline noise from
>>>  >>> a pole close to my house. The noise blanker in the radio I have
>>>  >>> took out the buzz, but I am seeing a S6 noise level on 40m SSB and
>>>  >>> on 20m SSB sometimes.
>>>  >>> I
>>>  >>> figured some of that came from the line noise, so I didn't think
>>>  >>> about doing much until the line noise was fixed first.  Well the
>>>  >>> power company came and fixed it today. The buzzing is gone!  The
>>>  >>> noise level still is there, though.  I am using a Yaesu FT100D
>>>  >>> which has a great noise blanker, and does have AF DSP, but it is a
>>>  >>> cheap, mobile type HF/VHF/UHF radio.
>>>  >>> On
>>>  >>> 40 meter SSB I see a S5 or S6 noise level when on SSB, and that is
>>>  >>> with the preamp off.  On CW it is much less because I put the
>>>  >>> 500hz CW filter in line.  20 meters is sometimes the same, but
>>>  >>> sometimes on SSB the noise is much lower, which I think is
>>>  >>> probably from urban crud. I live in an older neighborhood where
>>>  >>> the houses are maybe 8 feet apart, if that much. I am sure many
>>>  >>> neighbors have switching power supplies in all sorts of
>>>  >>> electronics.
>>>  >>>
>>>  >>> So, is this 40 meter noise level pretty typical for most people?
>>>  >>> Would a more expensive radio like a Kenwood TS590 (which is
>>>  >>> supposed to have a great receiver), Yaesu FTDX1200 or Icom 7200 be
>>>  >>> less affected by these types of noises?  I can't afford much more
>>>  >>> than that right now,and would like something that is fairly small
>>>  >>> enough to still take mobile or portable from time to time.  I did
>>>  >>> try a yaesu FT891 which is a mobile sized radio and it was maybe
>>>  >>> very slightly better, but not really noticable.  A Ten Tec Eagle
>>>  >>> would also be small enough.
>>>  >>>
>>>  >>> Is this one of the compromises you have to live with when you get
>>>  >>> a smaller radio?
>>>  >>>
>>>  >>> 73 John AF5CC
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