Residential electric transformers on poles.

[Elkhunter521]

How much interference is created by residential transformers on a pole on the corner of your lot.

Ham frequencies, CB, GMRS,.

[kidphc]

Our neighborhood has most of the electrical underground. Except, for the transformer pedestal 50 feet from my front door. 

 

Not much in the way with interference on GMRS, 2m and 70cm bands. Although, I mostly just listen. So I couldn't tell you how it affects transmit purity. One of my neighbors a couple of blocks over has his long wire slung in the trees. He doesn't have any complaints on any of the bands. Well I take it back, he was complaining about all the vegetation interfering with his satellite play time. http://k3rrr.com/

 

Now the plethora of Plasma screen T.V.s  in my neighborhood make trying to listen to HF with the SDR is another story. Should mention I have neighbors up real close to all sides of my house. Close enough my kids watch his living room T.V. from our living room.

[PastorGary]

Some brands of the 'new and improved' LED traffic signal lamp assemblies are a major source of white noise. Tune a portable AM broadcast radio off channel in the middle of the AM broadcast band and walk toward a traffic light using LED's.  Amazing how much noise is generated by those.

 

Just one reference article of many:  https://www.elektormagazine.com/news/led-rumpus

[BoxCar]

Actually, it's a great many LED lighting products generating massive amounts of RF noise. About 4 years ago the FCC fined GE, Sylvania and several other manufacturers of fluorescent ballast transformers for emitting excessive RF noise that was destroying a public safety low band radio network.

[marcspaz]

Everything is underground in my neighborhood, but when I get in areas with major above ground power lines, the low end of VHF and the high side of HF are all but worthless. Sometimes as much as 20 S-units.

[kidphc]

Everything is underground in my neighborhood, but when I get in areas with major above ground power lines, the low end of VHF and the high side of HF are all but worthless. Sometimes as much as 20 S-units.

 

Speaking of that, when I was in high school we use to run  down to the power lines. There is a substation not to far from the house. We use to grab fluorescent tube lights and walk under the power line to light them up. Until, we thought about how if there was enough stray electricity floating in the air to light the bulbs up, it probably wasn't a good idea to be walking around there for any amount of time.

 

Google map of lines, the long open green path.

[marcspaz]

Speaking of that, when I was in high school we use to run  down to the power lines. There is a substation not to far from the house. We use to grab fluorescent tube lights and walk under the power line to light them up. Until, we thought about how if there was enough stray electricity floating in the air to light the bulbs up, it probably wasn't a good idea to be walking around there for any amount of time.

 

Google map of lines, the long open green path.

 

That looks like it could be fun!  But, yes... anywhere there is enough stray energy to light a bulb, its probably best to spend as little time as possible.  The sad part is, so many people are soaking in it every day and don't even know it.

 

BTW, if you still like going offroad, Rausch Creek is about 2.5 north of there and is an amazing park to play in.

[kidphc]

That looks like it could be fun!  But, yes... anywhere there is enough stray energy to light a bulb, its probably best to spend as little time as possible.  The sad part is, so many people are soaking in it every day and don't even know it.

 

BTW, if you still like going offroad, Rausch Creek is about 2.5 north of there and is an amazing park to play in.

 

Looked at offroading there. Unfortunately, with a young family. Some hobbies are not in the plan. We do have land out in West Virginia so we get our kicks heading up to the mountains. George Washington National park (fire roads), our personal mountain range (well a portion of it) out on New Creek Mountain, as well as several runs out to Assateague's beach.

 

I do hope to do a Flag Pole Knob run and camp in a couple of years. Think I might have the burb ready for some light rock crawling and SOTA at the camp site by then. First gotta pass the Tech on Saturday.

[berkinet]

... First gotta pass the Tech on Saturday.

Good luck. Though I am sure you will do fine.

[kidphc]

Good luck. Though I am sure you will do fine.

Thanks.

[n4gix]

Fun times are had with RF and fluorescent lights. Hoist a tube up close to the top of vertical and light it up using a few hundred watts...

 

I remember back in the early sixties that some folks would install a neon light on the top of their 102" CB whips just for S&G.