Re: Topband: FCC Public Notice DA 16-676 Noise Floor Technical Inquiry

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

On 6/20/2016 12:36 PM, Cecil Acuff wrote:

I work for a power company and identify the noise sources and it still takes a 
month or more to get problems solved...but that's because keeping the lights on 
is priority one and that's a full time job most of the time.

Keeping it friendly works best but patients is a real virtue.  The more work 
you can do up front to positively identify the noise source the better...you 
usually won't get somebody out but once or twice before it becomes hard to get 
anybody to listen.  Get angry and the door shuts quickly.

I'm just telling you the reality from the inside.

Many times the noise source is in our own homes and we don't even realize it.

Cecil
K5DL



All true, but I (and many others) have done all that and
nothing happens until the FCC and/or California Utilities
Commission are brought in.  We found the pole, eliminated
noise from houses, etc. and I'm always firm but friendly
dealing with bureaucracies.  I would love to have a 1
month response time.  I wanted to build a house a few
years ago to replace one that was torn down and they
wanted 18 months and $5,000 to hook up the old electrical service
to the new house.  We stopped being so friendly and suddenly
we got power right away at no charge for installation to
their pole (we paid for the drop wire).
I had to play my trump card by telling them I was an EE.
We went through a similar hassle for a barn that had
6 light fixtures in it and nothing else.

Rick N6RK
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Re: Topband: Back Scatter ?

[K1FZ-Bruce]

Thanks john,
 
Caught  a station ID and confirmed the station I am hearing on the 
back is the same as on the front. 
 
Closely watched the ground wave signal and there were a few DB of QSB. 
Would indicate there was some sky wave mixing. 
 
As you mentioned, when the reverse signal is ~ 8 S units down, the 
arrival angle of any sky wave can vary the  strength quite a lot. 
 
Between you,  Nick, and better monitoring, now understand what is happening. 
 
Appreciate the help. 
 

73
Bruce-K1FZ
 

On Mon, 20 Jun 2016 13:17:06 -0500, john battin  wrote:

  My observations using diversity reception with my 9 element 
array and very long phased beverages was that on the back side the 
qsb from the antennas was not in phase.  My explanation is that the 
nulls are very dependent on arrival angle and hence as the 
propagation wiggles the arrival angles a bit, the signal goes up and 
down. Only a few degrees of change  in arrival angle can easily take 
a 40db null down several db. 
 

John K9DX
 

 

From: k...@myfairpoint.net
To: topband@contesting.com
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2016 10:49:20 -0400
Subject: Re: Topband: Back Scatter ?
CC: n...@ieee.org

 
 Nick.  The overall timing was irregular, but the slope of QSB took 
a couple of seconds. This was at local noon time, so had not 
considered other  stations.  
We do not have high power BCB stations here in Maine. Only a little 
over 1 million residents that widely  placed. Some  1 KW, 5 KW BCB 
stations.  It is however possible in mid-coast Maine to hear WBZ 
1030 KHZ in Boston, at mid-day...  

Thanks for the heads up. Appreciate your input. Will do more testing
 
 
73
Bruce-K1FZ
 

On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 05:41:41 +, Nick Hall-Patch wrote:

Hi Bruce,

Does the QSB vary regularly at say a 0.5Hz or 1Hz rate? Could it be 
another station on the channel that is not exactly the same 
frequency, not strong enough to deliver audio, but strong enough to 
create a sub-audible beat note?


If it is irregular, shouldn't the traditional explanation of a touch 
of high angle skywave interfering with the small amount of ground 
wave remaining after nulling the station be sufficient to explain the 
QSB?


73,

Nick

VE7DXR

At 15:20 15-06-16, K1FZ-Bruce wrote:

Been working to optimize the F/B on some antennas, using ground wave 
stations in the upper BCB band. Noticed that some weaker ~20 mile 
distant 5 KW stations that the back (reverse) signal
has QSB on them. Think we used to call it back scatter years ago. 
Some are down in the noise and QSB up to about 1 S unit. We used to 
think back scatter was reflective variations in the ionosphere. Is 
there any more recent information ? Maybe carbon in varying cloud 
layers ?


73
Bruce-k1fz

http://www.qsl.net/k1fz/beverage_antenna.html

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Re: Topband: FCC Public Notice DA 16-676 Noise Floor Technical Inquiry

[Cecil Acuff]

I work for a power company and identify the noise sources and it still takes a 
month or more to get problems solved...but that's because keeping the lights on 
is priority one and that's a full time job most of the time.

Keeping it friendly works best but patients is a real virtue.  The more work 
you can do up front to positively identify the noise source the better...you 
usually won't get somebody out but once or twice before it becomes hard to get 
anybody to listen.  Get angry and the door shuts quickly.

I'm just telling you the reality from the inside.

Many times the noise source is in our own homes and we don't even realize it.

Cecil
K5DL

Sent using recycled electrons.

> On Jun 20, 2016, at 11:42 AM, Richard (Rick) Karlquist 
>  wrote:
> 
> Unfortunately, none of this addresses the real problem most of us
> face, which is getting the power company to actually roll a truck
> and FIX identified noise problems.  If your power company has
> given you good service, consider yourself fortunate.
> 
> Rick N6RK
> 
>> On 6/20/2016 9:11 AM, Mark K3MSB wrote:
>> http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2016/db0615/
>> 
>> DA-16-676A1.pdf
>> 
>> 
>> 73 Mark K3MSB
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Re: Topband: best headphones for cw

[Björn SM0MDG]

Chuck,

I use Bose QC25 active noise cancelling headsets. They are very comfortable to 
wear for hours in a contest, much more comfortable than any “DX headset” I have 
tried. They are better mechanical quality than their predecessor the QC-15 and 
they fold to a smaller package for travelling. When the battery drains they 
keep passing audio to the ear phones. For SSB I use the ModMic boom microphone 
which attaches to the headphones using an adhesive magnet 
(http://sunsdr.eu/product/modmic/ ). It has a 
high quality electret capsule that with the proper EQ settings can mimic a HC4 
capsule for SSB contests. Active noise cancel headsets are a little expensive 
but well worth it, especially if you do longer sessions with phones on your 
head. Passive noise cancelling headphones normally put lots of pressure to your 
ears.

73 de Björn,
SM0MDG
SE0X


> On 17 Jun 2016, at 22:07, Charles Yahrling  > wrote:
> 
> Looking for tips for headphone types for K3, CW only, so need 1/4 inch
> stereo jack.
> 
> Object is to isolate from ambient noise in the shack, such as relay clatter
> from 1K-FA amp when keying.
> 
> Been using a cheap set that came with Yamaha keyboard - I like how they
> attenuate hi freq band noise, but
> tend to overdrive at high audio gain levels. Main problem is relay noise,
> which throws off my keying at times.
> 
> tnx in advance
> 
> 73, chuck AB1VL
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Re: Topband: best headphones for cw

[Barry N1EU]

I own or have tried them all.  For high level of isolation plus
non-fatiguing full fidelity sound, go for the Beyerdynamic DT770M.  They
are significantly more isolating than the other phones mentioned.

Barry N1EU

On Fri, Jun 17, 2016 at 4:07 PM, Charles Yahrling 
wrote:

> Looking for tips for headphone types for K3, CW only, so need 1/4 inch
> stereo jack.
>
> Object is to isolate from ambient noise in the shack, such as relay clatter
> from 1K-FA amp when keying.
>
> Been using a cheap set that came with Yamaha keyboard - I like how they
> attenuate hi freq band noise, but
> tend to overdrive at high audio gain levels. Main problem is relay noise,
> which throws off my keying at times.
>
> tnx in advance
>
> 73, chuck AB1VL
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> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
>
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Re: Topband: FCC Public Notice DA 16-676 Noise Floor Technical Inquiry

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

Unfortunately, none of this addresses the real problem most of us
face, which is getting the power company to actually roll a truck
and FIX identified noise problems.  If your power company has
given you good service, consider yourself fortunate.

Rick N6RK

On 6/20/2016 9:11 AM, Mark K3MSB wrote:

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2016/db0615/

DA-16-676A1.pdf


73 Mark K3MSB
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Topband: FCC Public Notice DA 16-676 Noise Floor Technical Inquiry

[Mark K3MSB]

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2016/db0615/

DA-16-676A1.pdf


73 Mark K3MSB
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