[Scan-DC] PEPCO RFI Investigator

[Frank Carson]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Rigby" <srigby@smart.net>
To: <scan-dc@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 11:07
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] PEPCO RFI Investigator


> Frank Carson wrote:
>
>  > There's a member of my ham radio club named Mike Martin that does
>  > RFI investigations for PEPCO.  He tracks down complaints from
>  > citizens (alot of hams) about interference from power lines
>  > (arching, static, etc).
>
>    On a couple of occasions I had complained to the old VEPCO, now
> known by the long name that almost will not fit on a check,
> Dominion/Virginia Power, about such line noises.  Both times the
>
>    Anyway, the device he had to use was made in the fifties.  I kid
> you not.  He told me so when I asked him, upon seeing the device,
> how old it was.  He had to plug different coils into it for
> different frequencies to be checked.  It had the Bakelite knobs that
> all radio veterans will remember, and it was held together partly

  Mike Martin has state of the art stuff.  He put on a demo for the club and
explained how he does it - really interesting!  Lots of times is's as simple
as a loose washer up on the pole causing the arcing and sparking.  He went
up to ARRL headquarters and put on a class there, and was able to track down
in 1/2 hour a power line interference problem that they have had there for
16 years.  The man is good...

Frank