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Post by Druid Hills Radio on Aug 2, 2017 16:44:29 GMT
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Post by mark on Aug 3, 2017 4:03:54 GMT
The audio only on the AM band could change to frequency modulation(FM) while all else remains the same and that would cure the problem.
I don't think we can go back to the 70s before all this interference existed.
You can also turn off the power in your house and AM is great again.
Mark
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Post by Boomer on Aug 3, 2017 5:23:26 GMT
I go outside with different portables to listen, it really works, especially now, but it has improved signals to go outside, even in years past on AM.
I've been thinking of having an active antenna outside with a whip antenna.
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Post by Druid Hills Radio on Aug 3, 2017 13:37:56 GMT
I go outside with different portables to listen, it really works, especially now, but it has improved signals to go outside, even in years past on AM. I've been thinking of having an active antenna outside with a whip antenna. I get your point but as a ham radio operator I can attest that this does not always work. I can tell when my neighbor turns on his plasma TV and he lives 3 houses away.
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Post by Boomer on Aug 3, 2017 19:54:51 GMT
I get some pretty intense hum from power lines in the area this summer, that's a situation that comes and goes, and get something that goes 'beep beep beep beeeeeep beep', then a space after every so many pulses, then starts again. It almost sounds like communications, like slow speed code.
I get away from all that in the yard at least. In the past the yard noise was from lawn mowers sparking, and summer high hash levels and lightning.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Aug 3, 2017 21:09:39 GMT
I would certainly have a larger audience if something could be done about this. There is terrible RFI along much of U.S. Route 322 in our town. I believe it is coming from PPL's outside plant.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Aug 3, 2017 23:08:02 GMT
Well I just filed a complaint with the FCC against my electric utility for leaking out all that noise. Maybe there are different standards for cable companies but we have to do regular over-flights of our outside plant with special equipment detecting leaking and we also have to do it on the ground with drive outs. It is NOT optional.
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Post by Boomer on Aug 4, 2017 4:40:13 GMT
Jim Henry is setting his permissions, 644 posts.
Here, I'm not near a power plant, but have a half mile span of a main road with a loud buzz, it's like hum is modulating my signal. I think it's an AC arc somewhere and is being transmitted along the lines.
Another noise source that went about 1000 feet was a sodium street light that was failing, going on and off repeatedly once a minute. When it was off and trying to start again, it would sit there and buzz for 30 seconds, and keep repeating the cycle. I was thinking of calling it in, but it was fixed before I got the number off of the pole.
The utility used to have inspectors for the lights, changing photo controls on lights on during the day or out at night, but now they rely on citizens to let them know about lighting problems.
Boomer
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Aug 4, 2017 14:29:07 GMT
Boomer, "Outside Plant" or "OSP" is a utility term and it means the utilities, poles, wires, lights,cable, and fiber. I guess if you haven't worked in the power or cable industry you wouldn't be expected to know that. Jim Jim Henry is setting his permissions, 644 posts. Here, I'm not near a power plant, but have a half mile span of a main road with a loud buzz, it's like hum is modulating my signal. I think it's an AC arc somewhere and is being transmitted along the lines. Another noise source that went about 1000 feet was a sodium street light that was failing, going on and off repeatedly once a minute. When it was off and trying to start again, it would sit there and buzz for 30 seconds, and keep repeating the cycle. I was thinking of calling it in, but it was fixed before I got the number off of the pole. The utility used to have inspectors for the lights, changing photo controls on lights on during the day or out at night, but now they rely on citizens to let them know about lighting problems. Boomer
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2017 15:48:33 GMT
ALPB Classroom
Jim Henry expands our awareness of what's going on: ""Outside Plant" or "OSP" is a utility term and it means the utilities, poles, wires, lights,cable, and fiber."
The expression "OSP" is one we should know, because for many hobby radio stations our outdoor antenna requires an extensive "OSP" including wires, cables, installations mounted in the ground and the transmitter/antenna structure.
Now we know what to call it!
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Aug 4, 2017 22:31:49 GMT
Also the transformers (power), amplifiers, power supplies, and nodes (cable) plus the steel strand most everything is hung on. ALPB ClassroomJim Henry expands our awareness of what's going on: "" Outside Plant" or "OSP" is a utility term and it means the utilities, poles, wires, lights,cable, and fiber." The expression "OSP" is one we should know, because for many hobby radio stations our outdoor antenna requires an extensive "OSP" including wires, cables, installations mounted in the ground and the transmitter/antenna structure. Now we know what to call it!
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Post by Boomer on Aug 4, 2017 23:23:58 GMT
I thought you were driving past the plant, and was imagining loads of noise in the radio. Come to think of it, I've gone past substations that might have noise, but it doesn't travel very far away from the station.
No, I did want to be a lighting technician though, and studied it a bit, just being fascinated by lighting in years past. Even now I notice the progress that LED lighting is taking in my area, much more lighting of parking lots, and that my area is just brighter in general, and how in some large constantly lit areas the birds never stop singing, even at midnight.
I note streets that replaced sodium orange lights with LED lighting, and how some time in the future we're not going to be seeing orange lighting any longer.
Boomer
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2017 23:29:46 GMT
Messing with Birds
Boomer noticed: "The birds never stop singing, even at midnight."
I have noticed the same thing and hope our lighting does no harm to the birds.
We have put wildlife in a very unnatural environment compared to what they would experience otherwise.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Aug 5, 2017 0:54:16 GMT
You may have noticed a while back that I mentioned my STL was strand-mounted, although in my case the strand is polyester rope, not steel cable. While I'm preaching/teaching, I'll mention another term that drives cable companies crazy. That term is "make-ready". You see there are federal regulations that dictate the placement and separation of cables on utility poles. Power must always be at the top. Telephone is next, 18" (at least) below power. Cable (whether fiber or coax) is next, 18" below phone. If there happens to be another cable provider, it must be 18" below the previous cable company. And with all this there is a minimum height above the ground. So what often happens, when we sell a new commercial customer requiring us to over-lash new fiber to our strand it could very well be a violation and a need for make ready. When that happens we must pay for EVERYONE'S cables to be moved. OR, quite often the poles just aren't tall enough so we must also pay the electric utility to install new, taller poles. There is one utility I dealt with in Western Michigan, that I swear we paid to replace 90% of their poles! And still we must pay for all the other moves, PLUS we must pay the utility pole attachment fees to attach to the poles that WE FUNDED! ALPB ClassroomJim Henry expands our awareness of what's going on: "" Outside Plant" or "OSP" is a utility term and it means the utilities, poles, wires, lights,cable, and fiber." The expression "OSP" is one we should know, because for many hobby radio stations our outdoor antenna requires an extensive "OSP" including wires, cables, installations mounted in the ground and the transmitter/antenna structure. Now we know what to call it!
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Aug 5, 2017 0:56:04 GMT
Well there are efforts focused on having new street lighting pointing at and illuminating only the ground, reducing light pollution into the skies. Messing with BirdsBoomer noticed: " The birds never stop singing, even at midnight." I have noticed the same thing and hope our lighting does no harm to the birds. We have put wildlife in a very unnatural environment compared to what they would experience otherwise.
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