Here is your video introduction to Section 7.4, “Interference and Noise,” in the ARRL Extra Class License Manual for Ham Radio.
After you’ve viewed the video, studied the section, and are comfortable with the associated test questions, you can return to the full list of Amateur Extra videos by clicking here.
Thanks Dave. I’ll try these ideas and let you know the results. Your good work ia appreciated.
Richard, given that the Argonaut is a 20-w radio, you might try battery power, which would eliminate noise coming through the power lines. You also might want to look at how you ground your radio—when I first hooked up my refurbished HF-9V vertical, it was grounded at the antenna (ground-mounted vertical) but not at the shack. Grounding it to my ground rod before bringing it to the radio made a huge difference in noise and turned an unusable antenna into my favorite antenna. In general, man-made noise tends to be vertically-polarized, so setting up your Buddipole in a horizontal configuration may help a bit. BTW, YouTube won’t let me edit a video after posting it, so amendments will have to await the inevitable future refresh of all the training videos. 73, Dave, KEØOG
Re: Section 7.4. Thanks for the wonderful presentations Dave. I’m setting up a new station in an antenna restricted retirement community in Arizona near Phoenix. I’m Using an Argonaut V and Buddipole antenna. The noise level is almost off the chart (S9++) and the Argo’s attenuator and noise blanker are ineffective. Noise sources are LED lights, Plasma TV, Battery chargers, and high voltage power lines about 3/4 mile away. I’ve ordered some common chokes (toroids) to help remove rf from the power line feeding my power supply and coax coming into the transceiver. It might be helpful if you you would add an brief discussion of this on the Section 7.4 video.
OK, I am holding you responsible for all this. Dave you are the one to blame. Here I was sitting around getting older, fatter, and certainly slow witted. Oh well I’m over 70 and it’s all down hill from here. I figured my brain was full and not able to take in any more information. After all I have been 1/2 way around the world east and west and almost north to south (Iceland to the south pole). I saw the sun rise twice in one day. I rode a bull once for 4 of the 8 seconds. I rebuilt an old trail bike and broke 4 ribs. I have been in the north Atlantic in the winter and can tell you by the end of the trip everyone on board at some point asked for Gods help. Enough of me. Learning something new, I can not remember what I was suppose to get at the store.
Now Dave, I think you must have put some kind of addictive dope in that first You Tube I watched because I watch the second and so on till I saw them all. You had a treble hook set in me and I was not getting off your line. Well, I wrote you and figured I would never hear form you a famous guy on the computer. Low and behold the next day I got an email back from you. You told me that if I got a license I could get my Uncles old call sign back but I did not know what it was.
I hit the Google button put in Ham test and got back a pile of stuff. I settled for one called Ham test online and for $25.00 I could get my Tech license. Learn it all right their on the computer. I signed up and took the first test and got over 50% right. Well that set me up I could learn this stuff and take a test in 2 weeks. I got it down to only missing one or 2 question per test. The day came and we had a little snow. The guy giving the test did not show up. Talking with some fellows waiting to take the test they total me I could take the general test if I pasted the Tech. test
When I got home I took the practice General test and got 60% right. I gave Ham test online $29 more dollars. I am now at 80% complete of the study portion and I just got only 3 wrong. I think I should be ready for my test on Saturday the 14th.
Meanwhile I contacted a local club here on Long Island. I got to talk to the head guy. He told me he would put it out to the members to see if any one remembered my Uncle. I got an email this morning back from him and a member searched their old log books from the 1970’s and found an entry with My Uncles name and address and call. Robert J Watson 2 Suffolk court Oceanside, NY WA2MHL
It looks like to me the call WA2MHL that once roomed the corner of the world might be back on the air after more than 15 years sitting quiet may be heard once more. It’s all your fault Dave you woke up the dead. I think I am about to be come a part of what seems to be the nicest caring bunch of folks on earth. That’s right crabby old grumpy me. All I can say is thanks Dave