Home QTH interference QRM (UK vs US)

[RadioDaze]

Every now and then I put a basic 1/2 wave up and check the local noise floor. It is unbearably bad and has gone some way to destroy the hobby for many in the UK. So many people have to put up with hash from plasma TV's, internet hubs, cheap PSU's and power line transmission crackling.

Is this the same in the USA?

Being fairly small in size we live very close to each other and densely populated in the UK and it makes it unusable for many and is why I go mobile static with my radio setup.

 

[RatsoW8]

I can only give you my experience living in a residential neighborhood close to Michigan's west coast.. I'm in a 2300 sq. ft. home on a 85 x 190 lot as are the other homes around me. The noise floor on my Yaesu FT-DX1200 with a ZS6BKW dipole at 55' is generally less than 1 S unit on 20 meters day or night, occasionally higher depending more on atmospheric conditions than local hash.

I have the usual fluctuating noise levels on the lower bands but never anything that I would say is coming from the devices you mention above or that would prevent me from operating normally. Are our device emission standards tighter that the EU? I have no idea but I have no discernible manmade noise here to contend with and we Americans love our technology. I know my neighbors all have cable modems, big screen TV's, wireless routers, etc. and I hear none of it.

I'm sure those living nearer to larger cities probably contend with more man made noise than I do.

As for the rules. US Amateur Radio is a licensed service and as such power companies or other entities causing interference to our service are supposed to take action to correct the problem. I had the situation occur in Indiana with a bad power pole transformer causing a constant S9 buzz on all hf bands and NIPSCO had to send out a team to locate and fix the problem, which they did.

Fortunately I've never had an issue with any neighbor causing noise issues. Those can be touchy situations.

 

[loosecannon]

yeah im afraid we yanks have the advantage here specifically because of an abundance of horizontal real estate.

I live in a city of about 3 million people, but my house is on about a bit less than 1/4 acre lot.
my antenna sticks up about 36 feet to the base, and my yard is just big enough to accommodate guy wires.
I have a very low noise floor, and don't tend to pick up my neighbors' electronics, but i have lived in similar settings before and had problems with a neighbor's wireless mouse, and a paging system from the steakhouse up the street.

you guys have great soil for ground rods, but nowhere to put them!
LC

 

[222DBFL]

Tell me about it Ratso!! Touchy is right when it comes to neighbors interfering with your station, but put the shoe on the other foot and you bleed on them, boy does the attitude change!! Been fighting bad noise from a neighbors house for months now. Only savior is my horz. Dipole up to 35-40ft. They don't pick up the noise like my vert. Does!! An S7-S9 noise 24/7 sucks!!!

 

[Mudfoot]

I believe Plasma TV's are more prevalent in the UK. BT is well known for having shitty wall warts for their modems.

 

[M0GVZ]

I believe Plasma TV's are more prevalent in the UK. BT is well known for having shitty wall warts for their modems.

I've reported two instances of PLT interference from their homehubs to OFCOM and thankfully both were resolved in a few weeks.

 

[TB01]

Anything over 1/2 a S unit is unusual for me here in rural Arkansas. This is with a maco m104 vert. Closest neighbor is 1/4 mile away which is my parents house, so I can run all the splatter boxes I want! I hate it for you guys that have to put up with that stuff in residential neighborhoods that would make me pack all my stuff in the closet and find another hobby. Ive had one problem with a bad line transformer and they were out to fix it the next day. Only other problem I've ever had was I kept leaving voice mails on my other closest neighbors answering machine when I dropped the hammer (he lives about 1/2 mile away). I bought him a decent answering machine and problem solved! Gotta love sweep tubes lol

 

[binrat]

I do HF mobile along with setting up an antenna in various locations. Around the city is S3, out where I like, nothing at all.

 

[RadioDaze]

Sure, thanks for replies.. I have S4-5 consistent PLT crackle and sometimes S9 of pure hiss on legal CB bands and frequencies which I suspect emanates from a local authority council operated facility. I even tried with identical results with my GM set up.

It is hopeless and why many have been put of the hobby here. For those who have know technical knowledge it means an instant turn off.

I would have thought radio manufacturers would get together to try and resolve it. It remains the greatest threat to the hobbies survival here IMO.