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Location: Allen, TX
AM Mode: 5 dB over S9 SSB mode: S7
Interference: Line rate (60 Hz mains) raucous buzz on 75M at S9+5 dB level in AM mode, S7 in LSB mode
(See Note 1 in Appendix) and observable up through 10M (29 MHz)
Perhaps due to: Storm/lightning and/or high wind damage occurring the night of 4-09-2008
(Wed.) into the morning hours of 4-10-2008 (Thursday)
Source located date: 4-11-2008 (Fri) power pole found with air gap between fuse assembly hot-side
metalwork and 'hot' wire from phase (wire from phase broke or worked loose
and is not making physical contact). Pole number: 2254-522-7168
located on south side of McDermott across from 201 E. McDermott (church).
Station Equipment:
● Icom IC-756PROII
● ½ Wave Dipole above roof, cut for 75 Meter band (3.900 MHz)
● ½ Wave 10 M (28.5 MHz) Ringo-style antenna w/3 ground radials 15' above ground
Analytical Equipment:
● Hewlett-Packard Spectrum Analyzer:
● 8557A Spectrum Analyzer Plug-in, Range: .01 - 350 MHz
● 853A Digitizing Display
Youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozzp4RW5G54 showing pulses (on a TEK 453 display)
Direction Finder
● Sears Model 2278, AM/FM/SW Portable Radio; SW1 covers 2 – 6 MHz and SW2 6 - 18 MHz.
SW1 band uses internal ferrite rod as antenna as well as the telescopic whip. Radio has an
analog signal strength indicator/meter (Note 3 in Appendix for use of this radio to DF signals).
● Silva Map Compass
Youtube video showing DF technique http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUxkXSVCYxg
Additional Observations:
1. The signal can heard in the reporting party's driveway/QTH on the AM Broadcast band on a car
radio on a clear frequency like 1610 or 1650 kHz. The signal source can also be heard on a
consumer-grade SW receiver in the range of 2 to 7 MHz using only the radio's stock antennas.
2. The signal source was determined to be the same signal as that received at the reporting party's
QTH by two methods: a) The signal was noted to be continually received during the DF efforts
to initially locate it on 4-11-2008 and b) via a remote base using a 80 Meter radio tied to a 440
MHz link. This technique allows reception of the offending signal at the pole -and- a relay of
the signal from the reporting party's QTH from the 80 M radio via the 440 MHz radio link
allowing for direct coincidence - comparison of the signals via their audible signature using the
human ear.
A 'flat map' doesn't really do this story justice, it doesn't show 'the mass of humanity' and the
associated infrastructure nearly as well as a Google satellite image; the buildings the houses, the streets
and the highways. Too bad power poles don't show up too ... the thin line below traces the line-of-sight
path from the source pole to the affected receiving site:
Shown below is the intersection looking NNW across McDermott and north on Cedar; McDermott is
running left and right and Cedar up and down ... the stop sign seen here is for northbound traffic on
Cedar.
Zooming in (below) looking north on Cedar we see: a) pole with 1 transformer, b) pole with a riser and
three phase being sent somewhere; c) adjacent to the two-story building further up (but not shown) is a
pole with 3 transformers delivering 3-phase into that 2-story building:
● transient/lightning arrestor
● transformer and
● fuse/disconnect assembly:
Analysis of above photo: Photo shows the top of the fuse assembly.
The wire (with the melted-looking insulation) should normally be residing in the jaws/clamps to the
right of the end of the wire, but instead looks to have been broken due to mechanical flexure over time
and perhaps 'blown' free during Thursday morning's storms.
The camera was lucky to catch this arc JUST when it was 'flashing over' during a peak of the applied
60 Hz AC sinusoid appearing on 'the grid' – this arc was not photo-shopped in:
A short video clip can be found on youtube.com. This video was taken the same morning and it shows
the unattached wire arcing; the sound has kind of a higher-frequency buzzing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhaMJD57QwA
a) Dualie wheel tracks (characteristics of a bucket truck) backing up to the area of the pole:
Notes
1. Icom 756 Pro-II 75M S-meter measurements made with a) no Preamp selected and b) no Attenuation
selected
2. To get a single clean 'paint' of the envelope for pictures on the 756 Pro-II BRIEFLY connect the
antenna then disconnect after one screen paint otherwise that area on the display will be overwritten
again and again!
a. Choose frequency with strongest signal between 2 and 6 MHz as the loopstick antenna is
active for SW on this band only; do not raise telescopic whip.
b. Orient/rotate the radio on a central vertical axis looking for a minima (a null) in the 'buzz' or
noise level. If several noises can be heard, note the minima for the noise under observation (it is
possible at a particular locale more than one noise BUT they usually have different audible
'signatures') Note the compass bearing for the null; the radio position at this point represents an
ambiguous compass bearing until resolved for the 180 degree ambiguity.
c. Change position and repeat. Convergence occurs when multiple intersecting lines cross the
same general area. A higher freq can be used to reduce 'coupled field' effects as opposed to
radiated wave when close to the noise source.
d. Local pole-pole measurement of noise signal strength with the radio's signal strength meter is
performed to identify the pole with the offending hardware.
This short youtube.com video demonstrates how the signal 'null' is found and used to determine the
direction of the signal source: http://www.youtube.com/v/EUxkXSVCYxg . Notice how the buzzing
sound is nulled by turning the radio and the sound is minimum when the radio sits on-a-line to the
source .
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