RadioBanter - View Single Post - why does my reception go to hell AT NIGHT ???

BDK · January 21st 07, 08:30 PM posted to rec.radio.shortwave

In article . com,
says...
How did you figure out that transformer was the cause? I have a very
similar problem--horrible RFI when it's _cold_ outside. I figured it
must be a neighbors heater, but now you've got me thinking.

-Art

BDK wrote:

Could be a nearby transformer going sour when the sun goes down. I had
one about a half mile away from me that put out all kinds of hash when
the sun went down, or when it got below 60 degrees or so. It wasn't
horrible when it was warmer out, but when it got cold, wow!

Lightning took care of it one night, after about 2 years of the local
power company telling me "It's on the list".

BDK

It had this weird pattern to it, it was something like. BUZZZT,
BUZZZZZZZZT, BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTT! I always thought
it sounded like someone welding.

The last buzz of the three really went a long time. Over and over again.
I was walking my dog one night, and under a transformer that always
loudly hummed, came the same noises in the same pattern. I went home and
got my almost deaf portable AM radio, and it was easy to track it down.
I called the power company the next day, and go the usual BS. It was
worth losing power for a few hours to finally get it changed. I wonder
how much longer it would have been buzzing away if it hadn't gotten
blasted off the pole.

Before that, the next door neighbor's dimmer was killing me. Insane
noises all over the lower bands. I finally went over one night, and
changed it out for them, no charge. The woman next door was from London
and when I told her I listened to the BBC, she got all excited and went
out and bought a RS DX-440 to listen to it.

BDK