Noise

[nicky]

I hope I haven't posted this before but if I have just ignore it. I have an AT 6666 and I seem to have a lot of noise on all frequencies, sometimes about a 7or 8 on the meter. My shack is a Little cubby in the corner of my Garage shop which is 100 ft from the house.
I have turned everything off in the shop, all lights, chargers etc. I am about 100 feet from the power line along the highway, no neighbors within 500 ft. I am at a loss to find where it is coming from. I have read to use a portable AM radio turned down to the lowest frequency and check different areas around the property. Nothing seems to show up.
Is there any kind of an RF filter that would help ??? Desperate to find a cure.

 

[sp5it]

You don't know the source, so we can't advise any filter atm.
Connect radio to battery, main breakers down and check for noise.

 

[nicky]

You don't know the source, so we can't advise any filter atm.
Connect radio to battery, main breakers down and check for noise.

I have used a battery and everything is off. doesn't seem to make any difference.

 

[sp5it]

Noise can come from powerline, powerline transformer on the pole, etc.

A few months ago I had s9 of noise from 10 to 54 MHz.
Powerline acted as transmit antenna, failure was located over 300m away - defective powerline insulator. We found that with small AM radio Sony 7600g and diy frame antenna.
Mike

 

[nicky]

Noise can come from powerline, powerline transformer on the pole, etc.

A few months ago I had s9 of noise from 10 to 54 MHz.
Powerline acted as transmit antenna, failure was located over 300m away - defective powerline insulator. We found that with small AM radio Sony 7600g and diy frame antenna.
Mike

I have heard that the power company will not do anything unless you have it located. How could I possibly do that?? do they have equipment to detect that.... apparently they do.

 

[Recon]

I hope I haven't posted this before but if I have just ignore it. I have an AT 6666 and I seem to have a lot of noise on all frequencies, sometimes about a 7or 8 on the meter. My shack is a Little cubby in the corner of my Garage shop which is 100 ft from the house.
I have turned everything off in the shop, all lights, chargers etc. I am about 100 feet from the power line along the highway, no neighbors within 500 ft. I am at a loss to find where it is coming from. I have read to use a portable AM radio turned down to the lowest frequency and check different areas around the property. Nothing seems to show up.
Is there any kind of an RF filter that would help ??? Desperate to find a cure.

Any inexpensive (cheap) LED lights and ballasts in the area?
The cheap LED lights in one of my cupboards emits a terrible noise to my radio when I turn-on the lights.

 

[sp5it]

I have heard that the power company will not do anything unless you have it located. How could I possibly do that?? do they have equipment to detect that.... apparently they do.

I have no idea how it is in your country. Here, in Poland when I found possible source ( by myself, because it was some noisy neighbour equipment), I asked Polish equivalent of FCC, they come, track and measure noise source and they sent request to power company to fix that.
Mike

 

[Blackcat630]

By law utilities are required to track down and eliminate (to the best of their ability) rf noise. I don't know who your providers are but any decent size power company should have a dude on staff trained on tracking down noise with what our guys call a "sniffer".

You could go on a walk or drive with an AM radio as sp5it mentioned. When you think you've located the pole... strike it with a hammer. (This is not a guarantee) but if your noise fluctuates you found it. Get a pole # and contact your utility. This will help them to quickly verify and troubleshoot the problem. Old porcelain cutouts, lightning arrestors, insulators are notorious for cracking over time... holding moisture and dirt... and tracking. This tracking emits rf trash. Do more searching and stay on them (power co) they should fix the problem eventually..
Good luck

 

[Beetle]

By law utilities are required to track down and eliminate (to the best of their ability) rf noise. I don't know who your providers are but any decent size power company should have a dude on staff trained on tracking down noise with what our guys call a "sniffer".

You could go on a walk or drive with an AM radio as sp5it mentioned. When you think you've located the pole... strike it with a hammer. (This is not a guarantee) but if your noise fluctuates you found it. Get a pole # and contact your utility. This will help them to quickly verify and troubleshoot the problem. Old porcelain cutouts, lightning arrestors, insulators are notorious for cracking over time... holding moisture and dirt... and tracking. This tracking emits rf trash. Do more searching and stay on them (power co) they should fix the problem eventually..
Good luck

If you have a heavy rubber mallet, that will shake things up the pole a lot more than a carpenter's hammer. Less impact noise; less attention to the guy who's attacking the poles. (Not "Poles", Mike!)

 

[Rwb]

If you have a heavy rubber mallet, that will shake things up the pole a lot more than a carpenter's hammer. Less impact noise; less attention to the guy who's attacking the poles. (Not "Poles", Mike!)

i used a 10# sledge hammer,wife seen sparks.called lectric company n they hurried out,busted insulater

 

[Blackcat630]

If the pole has a cutout (switch) either feeding a xformer or a line fuse don't get too radical with your hammer size and blows. If the porcelain is completely shit the vibration from your hit could cause the insulator to break and separate. This is unlikely BUT when they do the top side of the cutout can swing into a ground.. (pole ground, top of xformer.. etc..) now you just went phase to ground. Now your looking at a ball of fire over your head. Hopefully it wouldn't last long until the next protective device upstream opened up and dropped the phase. The power co would respond and your issue would be solved. You on the other hand might need some new underwear.

 

[nicky]

I have no idea how it is in your country. Here, in Poland when I found possible source ( by myself, because it was some noisy neighbour equipment), I asked Polish equivalent of FCC, they come, track and measure noise source and they sent request to power company to fix that.
Mike

Thank you Mike

 

[nicky]

If the pole has a cutout (switch) either feeding a xformer or a line fuse don't get too radical with your hammer size and blows. If the porcelain is completely shit the vibration from your hit could cause the insulator to break and separate. This is unlikely BUT when they do the top side of the cutout can swing into a ground.. (pole ground, top of xformer.. etc..) now you just went phase to ground. Now your looking at a ball of fire over your head. Hopefully it wouldn't last long until the next protective device upstream opened up and dropped the phase. The power co would respond and your issue would be solved. You on the other hand might need some new underwear.

Ha Ha!!! Thank you for the Info.

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

 

[nicky]

I'm Kinda new to radio but I wonder if the noise could be coming off of the coax ?
Would a balun help here?