I'm still puzzled by a wierd warbling noise that drifts around. It is especially noticeable in the 43m area but I've heard it behind weak stations as high as 19 meters and even in the MW band! I suspect it's fairly local to me.
I first posted this thread in The Grapevine and had some good suggestions, but nothing panned out. It seems more appropriate in The Workshop, so I'll start a new thread here.
And if I can ever figure out how to do it, I have an audio clip to insert - but so far I don't see any way to attach or insert a mp3 file. A URL or graphics, yes; mp3, no. Maybe I'll find it tomorrow...
Later: It's tomorrow and I still can't find it. Let me to try to verbally describe the noise: It sounds like an unstable oscillator; it changes pitch like a warble. It drifts a little (I haven't pinned down how much) up and down the band. It repeats roughly every 43 kHz (I should pin *that* down more, too), e.g.: I'll hear it on 6902, 6945, 6988, etc, which could suggest a plasma TV. As mentioned above, it's also pretty wide-banded; I've heard it as low as the MW band and as high as 19m. Overall it is quite annoying!
I can hear it one two different radios using two different antennas; an Icom 756Pro with an Alpha Delta DX-A "twin sloper" and an Icom R75 with a 150-foot longwire. It's a little weaker on the R75 for some reason.
I've taken my DX398 and checked the solar controllers at the nearby school for noise. Nada. I've checked at the Town Barns next door. Nada. I've driven around listening for nearby plasma TVs. Nada. The only thing I haven't done yet (because of snow and/or mud) is check the remote-reading water meter out in the yard (but why would a remote-reading water meter be so wide-banded? And aren't they UHF?). There's no cable TV on the pole in my yard, so that can't be it. (Well, it could be, but probably isn't...)
I'm plumb out of ideas here. Thus, I'm asking for help to identify the source of the noise. It would certainly be a lot easier if you could hear it; I'm sure my description isn't doing much good. You're probably scratching your head and going, "Huh?" And I don't blame you because that's what I'm doing!
I have a mp3 file that I can send out; it's less than 1MB and covers about 4 minutes. (That should be enough to alter your state of mind!) If I can ever figure out how to attach it here, I will do so. Otherwise, if you'd like to hear it just shoot me an email.
And thanks for all the feedback I've already gotten! jta
America needs a sense of humor...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2015 12:27PM by jtart.
