Hello All:

Ok I got a few e-mails on this thread, asking for more info and such.

The ARRL sells a exellent book called "The ARRL RFI Book" this book
is quit a improvement to the first edition. See:
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/6834/

More than likly sold at HRO and AES, and others.

HRO is at http://www.hamradio.com/cgi-bin/uncg...MAX=150&OPT=on
look at book number 116

AES is at: http://www.aesham.com/home.shtml

Jay in the Mojave


"Jay in the Mojave" wrote in message
...
Hello All:

I thought you all might like to hear how i got rid of some major power
line noise.

The local cb'ers, hams and I have always had severe power line noises. Any
where from below the AM Broadcast Band into the VHF Hi Band.

Calls to the power company went in vain. From all the kings men and
horses.

Well after one good call to the power company accusing them of purposely
installing noisey power grid system, and having Aligns from the planet
Cone Head work for them, I hung up in discuss.

Saturday morning I woke up to the Rosters Call, at about 5 AM, the alarm
clock was dead no lights no power! I turned on the scanner near the bed,
yep no power!

The house is a little cold but livable with a jacket. My emergency back up
no **** flashlight is deader then flatten snails in the driveway. Oh good!
I turn on my battery operated shortwave radio, runs off 115 VAC or D Cell
Batteries. Nothing about anyone loosing power or any major power grid
problems off the radio....

So I get the bright ideaer to drive around and see all who ain't got
power. A few mins later I realize its just my street and all the rest of
the streets have power to the tower. Looking to where my street high
voltage lines hook up to the main high voltage wires down the street, I
see the Circuit Breaker Coily looking thing dangling a wire about a foot
long, indicating the circuit breakers blew open, both of them. Then I am
thinking one of the step down transformers must have shorted or blown up,
or something went real wrong, on my street. Or someone has a Dooms Day
Linear and I don't know about it!

On my old phone (doesn't need wall power to work) calling the power
company. Then I notice the power company out there with a crew of guys
working the power lines, I hang up not wanting to listen to the power
company machine answering system any more.

These guys removed and replaced 3 step down transformers, and added in a
very large high voltage capacitor across the high voltage lines.

As power was turned on about 10 AM, I turned on the radios, man what a
clean NO noise reception. Usually hearing a S3 to S6 noise level, now the
S meter sets on Zero. I could hear a electric fence in the background
there somewhere. Stations from Los Angles where now heard in the clear.
160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 11 meters had no noise! Bitchen!

The point off all this is, Its a good call to know the circuit your on,
that is the high voltage run, the highest wires that feed the large pole
transformers that step down the 14 KV VAC power to 220 VAC for house use.
If you know how its laid out you can drive around and sample noise levels.
As the other streets didn't have the noise, just my street. Just the one
little system of high voltage run was noisy than all get out. But now is
super quiet. Not real hard to make a map of the different high voltage
circuits in a neighborhood.

Jay in the Mojave