[RVRC] Severe Power Line Interference - Finally Abated

Thu Feb 27 18:11:34 EST 2025

To the RVRC and ETS forums,

My powerline interference saga is now over. - I hope!

In summary and leaving out day to day frustrations over lack of JCP&L follow
up communication:

I had a series of calls from JCP&L John wherein he finally went out looking
for the problem on a day when the interference was gone during the day.
(Just my luck) On Monday (2/17/25) I got a call from JCP&L Grace in
engineering and she followed up on my NJBPU complaint asking many questions
and said that they will investigate and get back to me. After that I got a
call from JCP&L John again on Thursday (2/20/25) and asked if the line noise
was present. - Yes I said very bad. 20 over 9.

That evening I returned home and the line noise was gone. Since the line
noise abated intermittently on other occasions throughout this saga, I
decided to wait a few days before I got my hopes up without a confirmation
from JCP&L that the problem was addressed.

Today I received a call from JCP&L Grace in engineering and she explained
the following:

They actually identified the problem last month which was broken or missing
3 phase power line tie liners. As explained previously to me (I hope I got
this right) the power wires rest on insulators and they were not tied. Bill
W2CA said that PSE&G calls the tie liners, retainers made out of stiff UV
inhibited XLP plastic. (Perhaps he can explain further at a meeting.) Grace
also told me that there was a car pole accident at the Elm Ave and 3rd st
pole in May of 2024 and the pole was replaced and since the power was
restored the completion of the pole tie liners was not followed up. In my
original complaint to JCP&L personnel, I specifically stated that the peak
noise appears to be from 3rd st to 6th st on Elm Ave during a drive by. With
a 16 inch whip on the car and an antenna tuner the noise was 40 over 9 on
40meters last week.

Keep in mind that my first complaint was on 12/23/24 after experiencing the
powerline noise for about 3 weeks before my first complaint. So hopefully
this saga ended on 2/20/25. (2 months)

Interestingly, in my auto travels I am now acutely aware of localized
powerline noise at various locations but none nearly as bad as the Elm Ave
noise at 20 over 9 a half mile away.

My advise is if you experience line noise be sure it is from the power
company first. There is a lot of information from the ARRL site regarding
sleuthing out interference and powerline noise. I am fortunate to have an HF
beam that gave me a compass heading to Elm Ave. If possible, try to locate
the general area with AM reception in the car and alternatively many HTs
have an AM mode for listening to Aircraft frequencies. I learned from Bill
W2CA, don't be complacent and he recommenced that I file an online complaint
with the NJBPU which can be faster than the FCC to get the power company to
pay attention to a problem. From his experience with PSE&G the company is
required to file a report to the NJBPU and make repairs in a timely manner.

Thanks again to Bill for advise, showing concern, and sharing my 
frustration.

Happy cycle 25

73

Hank N2MU ...-.- ..

?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "HMLong" <hmlong at ix.netcom.com>
To: <RVRC at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:45 PM
Subject: Re: [RVRC] Severe Power Line Interference

> Follow up from my 1/15/25 email regarding power line interference...
>
> Thus far my power line interference episode is a bit convoluted though and
> not resolved yet.
>
> Following a voice mail from a "Gilberto" at JCP&L Engineering on 1/15/25,
> the day after my NJBPU filed complaint,  I was to expect a follow up
> report from him after their investigation.
>
> Through 1/21/25, a week after my NJBPU complaint the interference was
> steady and stronger with a "vengeance" at 20 over 9 in my driveway with a
> 16 inch whip on my mobile HF rig tuned to 40 meters.  My driveway is about
> ½ mile away from the suspicious interference area of Elm Ave in Warren, NJ
> and my HF operation at my home is profoundly compromised.
>
> Interestingly, on 1/22/25 the interference was gone at 4PM and returned
> for only a few minutes at 8:28PM and remained quiet a few days after that
> time. (What a relief - so I thought) This led me to the possible
> presumption (wishful thinking) that JCP&L found and perhaps resolved the
> problem without a follow up report to me.
>
> However, today 1/27/25 the interference returned with a "vengeance" again
> and intermittently stops for a few seconds intervals every once in a
> while. Interestingly, I received a 3PM call from "John" (an amateur radio
> operator but did not give me his call sign) at JCP&L today, 1/27/25, and
> he was responding to my first of 4 complaints made directly to JCP&L on
> 12/23/24 before I became frustrated and notified the NJBPU subsequently.
>
> I told him that I received a prior call from Gilberto in JCP&L engineering
> but John was apparently unaware of my NJBPU complaint or Gilberto's call
> to me; but knew who Gilberto was in engineering though. I explained to
> John that the interference was gone for a few days and now it is back but
> stops for a very short period every few minutes.
>
> He stated that he is going to investigate the area and will call me to
> confirm that the interference is happening when he goes out to
> investigate. John was very familiar with Elm Ave. (Hmmmm!)  Since the
> interference returned, John indicated that he suspects that an insulator
> is breaking down perhaps exacerbated by the weather conditions.
> So at this juncture it appears that JCP&L does not have interoffice
> coordination but I suppose that I have to be patient in hopes that their
> engineering department will eventually coalesce to resolve the
> interference problem.
>
> For now though, even with Noise Blanker on, HF reception is profoundly
> compromised and mitigated if I place the side of the beam to the
> interference direction.
>
> Hank N2MU   ...-.-   ..
>
>
> ---------------------
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rvrc-bounces at mailman.qth.net <rvrc-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On
> Behalf Of HMLong
> Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2025 3:42 PM
> To: RVRC at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [RVRC] Severe Power Line Interference
>
> To the RVRC and ETS members.
>
> Upon Bill's [W2CA] urging I thought that I would share the ongoing issue
> with severe power line interference I am experiencing with the members.
> The problem for me is that the line interference is across the bands from
> LF, HF, VHF, and UHF.
> On the HF bands I am experiencing 10 over S9 steady noise level with the
> receiver preamp off at my residence.   When I drive through Elm Ave I get
> 30 over 9 noise level on 40meters with just a 16" whip and the AM radio
> buzzes...
>
> The noise actually seemed to grow stronger over time leaving me the
> speculative presumption that what ever is breaking down is doing so over a
> greater period of each cycle.
>
> So with the suggestion from Bill, I decided to notify the NJBPU to see if
> I could get results after making 4 requests directly to JCP&L with no
> response.
>
> Here is the progress thus far.
> ______________________________________________________________________
> The following is what I forwarded to the NJBPU online complaint form on
> 01/14/2025.
> You are limited to 1000 characters:
> --------------------------------------------
> I discovered severe 120hz power line interference emanating from Elm Ave
> line poles, in Warren, NJ approximately ½ mile linear distance from my
> residence a few weeks ago. The line interference generally peaks at Elm
> Ave, in Warren, NJ and diminishes several miles as you travel away from
> Elm Ave on Mountain Rd in Martinsville, NJ. Further, the interference
> slowly diminishes as you travel away from the Elm Ave intersection on
> Martinsville Road in Warren. The interference affects all the way through
> Lf, HF, VHF, and UHF spectrum and is interfering with RF communication. I
> reported this incidental RF radiation to JCP&L with the forgoing
> information on 4 separate occasions. 12/23/24 #358780459; 01/02/25
> #358843453; 01/08/25 #358878254; and 01/10/25 #358892787. However, the
> line interference is so severe that it needs immediate corrective
> attention and I delayed reporting it to the FCC field office with the hope
> that JCP&L will investigate and resolve the power line interference in a
> timely manner.
> __________________________________________________________________________
> On 01/15/2025 I received a voice mail response from a JCP&L personnel that
> assured me that an investigation will be made and get back to me with the
> results after their investigation.
> ------------------------------------------
>
> Further, I received the following email as well on 01/15/2025.
>
> Good Morning Mr. Long,
> I am in receipt of your inquiry/complaint on the radio frequency
> interference caused by JPC&L facilities along Elm Ave in Warren.
> We are conducting an investigation into this matter. JCP&L engineers are
> investigating the issue and will inform the Board of their findings.
> Depending on the complexity of the issue, it may take some time.
> We will be staying on top of this matter.
> If you have any further concerns/issue please do not hesitate to reach
> out.
> Thank you,
> Rupal Patel
> ___________________________________________________________________
>
> At this juncture I can only hope that the interference will be resolved
> and I will inform the members of any progress....
> My thanks to Bill for his coaching...
> 73 from Hank   N2MU    ...-.-    ..
>
> ---
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