Power line noise

[flintstone mop]

Thanks Rob for the great info and that a victory is not always going to be there, no matter how diligent we try to be to trace down all of the crap that is out there.

Fred

[K5UJ]

Thanks Rob for the great info and that a victory is not always going to be there, no matter how diligent we try to be to trace down all of the crap that is out there.

Fred

KL7OF has the best advice.  I'm going to try the cake trick next time.

[k4kyv]

A pint of Jack Daniels might prove more effective than the cake.

[WQ9E]

Given the crap and attitude service providers get from most people, it usually doesn't take much to become a preferred customer.  Right after I bought my first diesel pickup I brought the diesel technician a box of donuts and assorted pastries.  He appreciated the gesture and it also gave him something to share with his fellow techs.  I have always gotten great service (and I provide goodies at least once a year).  I live in a very rural location and the county snow plow driver knows that hot chocolate is ready and waiting for him, ditto the propane delivery guy.  It doesn't cost much, it's polite behavior, and it certainly doesn't hurt the service I receive.

Keep in mind that as AM/vintage enthusiasts we generally get a lot of heavy packages so don't forget your delivery folks at Christmas time

What we often ignore is few of these people are sitting behind their desk twiddling their thumbs while waiting for something to happen.  Most of them are facing multiple problems and tasks and downsizing hasn't helped so if you want your issue to stand out you need to stand out (in a positive manner).   The one time I had a major line noise issue, the day after I reported it I got a call from a company engineer who introduced himself by saying, "our lineman says the customer that brought the crew hot coffee while they were fixing a downed line during the blizzard last year has a line noise problem.  He wants me to fix it promptly so that's what I am going to do".  The next day the noise was gone and I had voicemail detailing what was replaced and asking me to call back immediately if the noise wasn't gone.

[W4EWH]

Along with the other great info on this topic this is my $0.02

BTW where in the heck is the cent symbol on the keyboard??

It depends on the type of computer you are using, the Operating System, and the "Character Set" specified by the web server, if any.

• For an "IBM" "PC", it's Alt-155, i.e., you need to hold down the "Alt" key while type "155" on the numeric keypad.
  
• If you are on a site that allows you to enter HTML, you can use the HTML entry ¢
• For other machines, the "alt" code may be different.
• The HTML decimal glyph is ¢, which works some of the time.
• You might have better luck simply copying a "cent sign" character from another web page and pasting it into your post.

Long story short, I copy-and-paste when I want to put a special character in this board.

That's my 2¢. HTH.

W1AC

[KB2WIG]

¢


it works.


klc

[KB5MD]

Haven't had any luck with the power company, but I did put up a couple loop receiving antennas.  They allow me to get back on the air.  The loops are definitely amazing along with using an NC303 with all its filters and tone controls. 

I haven't given up on the getting the power company out here!

[flintstone mop]

This loop antenna might be an expensive solution, but it can be rotated and it has built in protection from your TX RF.

I'll make the usual disclaimer, that I am not part of the company or have any interest in Pixel. They have a nice video and an SDR radio display to demonstrate.
And earlier responses posted here are just as valuable to build your own.

I'm still trying to do my part to boost the economy.........HA!

http://www.pixelsatradio.com/product/shortwave-magnetic-loop-antenna/

[KC9LKE]

Than¢s

Ted / KC9LKE

[W8IXY]

I have been thinking about installing an active receive antenna that uses a 54" whip for 160, 75, and 40.  On 30 and up, the noise is much less invasive..  I had an active receive antenna at a noisy AM broadcast studio location and needed to get as good of a signal as I could to the modulation monitor.  I used a MFJ 1024 mounted on a tower about 15 feet above the roof.  It worked quite well.  If I find the quietest spot on my property, I could put that receive antenna there, but my concern is that running 500 watts into a vertical or inverted"L" less than 20' away would burn it up.

Does anyone have any experience and associated stories in using an active receive antenna for 160, 75, and/or 40?  How did it work for you?  Did you fry it with RF?  Etc.?

73
Ted  W8IXY

[K5UJ]

I have a shielded loop type rx antenna with a preamp on it, two actually, one for 160 and one for 75 inside the 160 loop and they share a feedline and the preamp.  This loop is vertical and mounted in the back yard about 30 feet from the inverted L and low band dipole and I run 300 watts and never did anyting to the preamp.   The 160 m. loop is made with around 20 feet of catv hardline.   The preamp I use is one that used to be sold by ICE and was a pretty good deal but I do not know if it is still available or not.  Of course you can build one.  DX Engineering sells one but it is twice as much money.   
With the 75 m. loop at night I hear guys on the west coast, not armchair but well enough to get everything, whereas with the dipole they aren't even there.

I have a friend who has a pair of the rx verticals with preamps on them and he phases them and says they work very well.   I think they are aluminum tubes on fence posts about 15 feet high.

[flintstone mop]

I have been thinking about installing an active receive antenna that uses a 54" whip for 160, 75, and 40.  On 30 and up, the noise is much less invasive..  I had an active receive antenna at a noisy AM broadcast studio location and needed to get as good of a signal as I could to the modulation monitor.  I used a MFJ 1024 mounted on a tower about 15 feet above the roof.  It worked quite well.  If I find the quietest spot on my property, I could put that receive antenna there, but my concern is that running 500 watts into a vertical or inverted"L" less than 20' away would burn it up.

Does anyone have any experience and associated stories in using an active receive antenna for 160, 75, and/or 40?  How did it work for you?  Did you fry it with RF?  Etc.?

73
Ted  W8IXY

I have the fancy K9AY steerable loop with a pre-amp and close by RF did not fry the Pre-Amp but did couple into my R390A. Fried the input coil on the 160M rack, RF Deck. So, the number 47 bulb and an extra RF relay to disconnect the radio entirely from the station main T/R relay, during TX, is in order.
The Pixel unit has an input for your PTT from the station to disable the pre-amp.
A typical Ham station will NEVER have enough separation from the active RX antenna using 160, 80 and even 40 meters.
A football field might be the beginning.

And Ted...the magic of these loop antennas is that they are designed to pickup the Magnetic part of the radio signal. The E part (electrical) is where your noise is.