I suggest you contact your electric utility. Most utiltiies have a power quality department, and in general the staff are *very* well equipped and trained to locate RF noise if it's on their system. Some utilities call this their Amateur Radio division or department.
Years ago, I had symptoms similar to yours except for the timing. I had Edison's power quality people out, and they found the problem: An irrigation pump transformer with an open secondary, arcing. Started at 5 PM every day, which is when the timed contactor made the path for the arc. Even the K3's NB couldn't keep up with this interference, but it helped quite a bit. The power quality tech permanently removed the connection to the faulty equipment and the problem has not returned. Just an idea. Most of these problems are utility system based, but not all of them. 73, matt W6NIA On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 14:05:17 -0800, you wrote: >It is hard to describe this noise because it lacks any features at all. Think >of atmospherics, like background noise that usually sits around S0 to S1 on >the S-meter, more on 80 meters in the evening. That sort of thing. > >Now, make that noise a solid (no changes, no peaks, no features, absolutely >flat across the spectrum) 30/9 at least. The waterfall display is virtually >opaque with this noise. The frequency spectrum display is just a band of >noise across the whole top part of the P3 display -- just a little space on >top where the labels are written. > >Then, when I switched from band to band using the KPA500 band switching >buttons -- exactly the same thing. But, if it did change, it was slightly >worse down around 160 meter band but not enough to say for sure that it was >really worse. > >Like I said, this would turn off and on a varying intervals just as if someone >were turning on some instrument or tool to do things. The entire period of >this RF noise and activity was about 10 minutes and it has now shown itself >again. It is like someone hauled out their noise machine at 9:45 AM, starting >doing things, and then at 9:55 AM or there abouts, he was done. > >phil > > >On Feb 19, 2014, at 12:43 PM, mcduf...@ag0n.net wrote: > >> On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 10:15:42 -0800, Phil Hystad wrote: >> >>> Anyone have ideas of the cause. >> >> The first thing to look at is your own house, of course. If you can very >> temporarily power your radio from a battery, even a UPS (but not one you are >> currently using, just to make sure that isn't the source), do that and turn >> the >> entire house power off at the breaker. When that is clean, proceed to look >> at >> the neighborhood. My favorite trick is to toss a small radio like a IC706 >> up on >> the dash with a sniffer antenna on it and drive around. >> >> One more trick that works well if you are experienced is to put the receiver >> on >> AM mode and listen to the characteristics of the noise. If you've been >> around >> awhile, you can sometimes tell a lot more about what you are really looking >> for. >> >> If you can, record it on AM and SSB, and have several knowledgeable people >> listen to it to help steer you to the source. Do it with a direct >> connection, >> not an acoustic pickup, and don't overdo your levels. A good clean recording >> can help your detective work. >> >> I believe plasma TVs can sound terrible. I can't say for sure, but I think I >> have heard one in my "neighborhood". Nearest neighbors are over a quarter >> of a >> mile away. When the noise in question came up, I went to AM and it sounded >> like >> high frequency arcing all over the bands. Luckily, it hasn't been a problem >> lately. >> >> Good luck. I've been fighting one noise for over 20 years here. We can't >> seem >> to isolate the source. >> >> Gary >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > >______________________________________________________________ >Elecraft mailing list >Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > >This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Matt Zilmer, W6NIA -- "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." -A. Lincoln ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
