OMG ! Iv'e been a long term sufferer of QRM... watched your videos on making the loop and sniffer, So straight into the shack and knocked them up, I printed out a local map and went on the hunt.... It took me about four days to track it down to a single house about a mile from my shack, which is on a hill, and about the same height as my attennas. Knocked on the door and explained what I was doing, with my radio and sniffer and said that they might be the house that was causing radio interference..... the loop was overwhelmed by the noise and I attached the sniffer and found it was a power unit for lights and air to an aqurium. They asked me about how they can cure it and I said I would find a "quiet" unit... Off I went to Dobbies with radio and loops, asked if they could "sniff" the fish tanks, none of their units made a noise, so I bought one (£18.00) and went back to the "offenders" home and gave it to them, they promptly replaced it and cut the wires off of the old one.Best £18.00 spent on my hobby and thanks to you, I can enjoy my radios, de G1YYU
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
How brilliant is that! Excellent result and well done that man! 😁
@rasa27453 жыл бұрын
A great outcome on tracking down the source. We can all do this if we try. I prepared the original DF Loop article for QRM.GURU in VK. It's great to see so many operators around the world taking steps to reduce the noise floor. Well done! Cheers, Ian Jackson, VK3BUF, from RASA, the Radio Amateur Society of Australia.
@ianxfs2 жыл бұрын
@@rasa2745 Cheers Ian! Thanks for the design and inspiration 👍🏻
@matknight2 жыл бұрын
Well done on the elimination and good on you rectifying the problem. With operators like yourself the hobby continues to leap forward. Truly inspiring. 73.
@fotografm2 ай бұрын
Congratulations on having compliant neighbours !!!
@jfv653 жыл бұрын
Fun video. Little bit of history: in the Netherlands '40-'45 the occupying forces of the nazi's used similar techniques and mobile loop antenna's to locate transmitters that were used by the resistance to communicate coded messages back and forth with the government in exile in London. Sadly many transmitters and resistance people were captured. But as time passed the resistance got smarter as well and started to use mobile transmitters in order to make it harder for the nazi's to find them.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the interesting history lesson 😀
@Foxsoup3 жыл бұрын
Fantastic work and great news! I’m so pleased you were able to solve the problem and it’s reassuring to hear the homeowner was more than happy to work with you!
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes all went as good as it could! 😀
@mw0lge3 жыл бұрын
brilliant Ian. What a fantastic result, and big thumbs up to the homeowner who was willing to work with you. Sweet result !!!! 73 Richie.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes Richie and thanks! Cheap at the end of the day 😀 At least I wasn’t buying a new tv 😮
@K88MUD3 жыл бұрын
Awesome stuff Ian....not sure if any of my neighbors would be that helpful
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Richie! Yes that’s a shame and something I was dreading. All worked out ok though, so you don’t know ‘til you knock. Ironically, I’d dropped a long, light-hearted, explanatory note around my neighbours some weeks back explaining what’s what and that I may be door-knocking asking for power-down help. This house was outside my immediate area, so never got that far! I’ll send another note out explaining the outcome 😀
@AlreadyThere19653 жыл бұрын
Excellent, I am so glad you had cooperative neighbors. Since the Christmas lights went up in the neighborhood 40 meters is unusable in the evening. I will have to build this sniffer and do some searching if it doesn't disappear in a few days.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Brian! Yes, the loop is the place to start. The sniffer is good to poke at things if everything is still turned on. A loop indoors may pick up upstairs as well as in front and behind you, so sniffer a good plan b of you get confusing signals. Good luck 👍🏻
@ampegor3 жыл бұрын
I have the same problem at my QTH. As soon as the Christmas lights come on 40m is almost unusable at S9++. People have mostly took theirs down now and it’s much better. Funny how all these products meet UL or CSA standards but still emit so much QRM. Thanks for the video from VA3XAP
@iamlyam79 Жыл бұрын
Amazing! Thank you for this. I too have a nasty broadband QRM source in my neighborhood. I will be building the loop you made to identify the source. My noise has peaks every 120hz starting from around 6mhz - 12mhz and only starts at night. Cheers!
@ianxfs Жыл бұрын
Great, good luck Lyam! 👍🏻
@HamRadioCrashCourse3 жыл бұрын
One of my most hated and most loved things is hunting down and finding RF generators in and around my home. Such highs and lows in dealing with RFI. Good video, I like the sniffer idea!
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks! Yes, I made the sniffer in case the loop was overwhelmed close in. Both worked, so bonus 😀
@mohinderkaur66712 жыл бұрын
cheap Cell phone chargers are often the culprit
@mike-M0MSN3 жыл бұрын
Great job done there Ian, also good to see that the home owner was understanding. Brilliant.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes Mike. Played ball throughout. Getting him a new charger👍🏻
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes, bottle of wine when I drop off the new charger 🍷😀
@vincei42523 жыл бұрын
Wow, stumbled in here while looking at QRM eliminator video and all I can say is bravo for tracking down that piece of junk. Kudos to you neighbors for being helpful and supportive.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Vince! Yes, glad it’s long gone 😀 Hopefully there’s other videos in here you’ll like too 👍🏻
@vincei42523 жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs I'll definitely check them out! 73, KC1PAN.
@MM0OPXFieldRadio3 жыл бұрын
Excellent Ian, great to know you have such helpful Neighbours in your area.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Colin! Yes, all went well 👍🏻
@johnmarron19442 жыл бұрын
Absolutely blew me away Ian that the distance from you location could cause so much grief..brilliant. keep em coming..john .73
@ianxfs2 жыл бұрын
Yes, shocking John isn’t it?! 😮
@Steve_Wardley_G6JEF3 жыл бұрын
That was jolly good spirited of your neighbour to go along with your hunt, it could have been very different. It makes for a good series of videos that have a conclusion.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes Stephen. It would be a lot different if people don’t play ball. First impressions count 👍🏻
@matknight2 жыл бұрын
Appreciate you taking the time to give us a step by step run down of build and elimination Ian, been a subscriber ever since. 73, keep up the good work and nice to see Radcom giving you a page.
@ianxfs2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Mat! I still get emails from people who’ve read the article or gone back to it and used the loop to suss their QRM, which is great. Thanks again 😀
@stewartrv3 жыл бұрын
That's awesome Ian! I can't believe how far that charger was interfering, just goes to show.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes Stewart. Frightening to think how far it reaches. I think it was working through the mains cabling as well as the sniffer was detecting it in the consumer unit in garage and on the extension lead plug where it was connected to the socket on the wall 😮
@radiotowers115911 ай бұрын
great work Ian, really need to get mine built. You seem to have very cooperative neighbours.
@ianxfs11 ай бұрын
Great and thanks. See the latest video with an amended loop design 👍🏻Good luck.
@Crusty_Camper Жыл бұрын
That is so impressive. I have only just started Ham Radio ( intermediate test in 2 weeks ) but I soon found there was a powerful QRM near home. Mine was so easy to find, it was my homemade power supply for my electronics hobby. There is only one other source affecting me and I have learned to live with it - it's the bell system of a school near home. I think they need a broadcasting licence !
@ianxfs Жыл бұрын
Shame about the 🔔 👎🏻 Good luck with the test 🤞🏻
@GreyGhost-r4z2 жыл бұрын
That’s Amazing !! I started having interference here and it’s across the entire HF Band. It’s a pulse signal.
@ianxfs2 жыл бұрын
Thanks and good luck finding yours 🤞🏻
@MauriatOttolink3 жыл бұрын
A1... Glad you found a co-operative neighbour.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes, helped a lot 👍🏻
@g0fvt3 жыл бұрын
Well done, maximum respect to the home owner too
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks! Yes, a big factor.
@markg6jvy1353 жыл бұрын
Fabulous Ian well sniffed out 👍👏👏
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes Mark. Thanks!
@kevhaworth53132 жыл бұрын
Ian - this report really comes alive on Video. The printed one was good to read, but this is even easier to follow, Unfortunately, living on an ex-council estate near Liverpool means far too many sources around! All the best. Kev, M0TNX
@ianxfs2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Kev! Have a good 2022 👍🏻
@nigelbrooks67563 жыл бұрын
Fantastic pleased you found the source and great the home owner played ball
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes thanks Nigel! Yes, I’d be scuppered otherwise 😮
@OpSic663 жыл бұрын
Excellent job Ian. That sniffer idea is genius! I hate the cheap "Float" chargers, since they cycle on and off as needed for charging. It makes them harder to find as QRM. The cheaper they are, the worse they offend. I've got 3 of the "Battery Tender" brand in my garage along with my HF gear, and they cause no issue.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks! Yes, this is definitely a dodgy brand and labelling and doesn’t meet the regs. Unfortunately there’s lots on the online sites, so can only get worse for us all 👎🏻
@canicant2 жыл бұрын
Would you mind sharing what make and model charger you bought for your neighbour as i have had exactly the same problem for the last 12 months, it was a window cleaner charging multiple car batteries for his van electric pumps. Without this video i would never have found the problem, so a BIG THANK you for the DF loop idea.
@ianxfs2 жыл бұрын
Brilliant! The model is a Maypole 8A MP7428. I use one myself and costs about £30. Made in Britain 👍🏻Good luck 😀
@James_Bowie3 жыл бұрын
Great work. Such devices are another type of Chinese pandemic. A diplomatic approach is the best (possibly only) way to get a satisfactory resolution to RFI. PS: It would have been good to mention at the end what that resolution is. I see that you've mentioned it in the comments, but the final ep of a cliffhanger needs to be wrapped up -- or do you intend for there to be a Part 4? PPS: This from QRZ forum Oct 2019: "The name brand of the POS charger is FOXSUR and it clearly says it is a 4AH I'm kicking myself for not figuring it out sooner since the noise was a pulse type noise. The range of that interference surprised me. Like WR2E I need to put a charger on my ATV during cold WX (it was 7 degrees last night)." and "If you open it I bet you’ll find an area on the circuit board near the AC power cord for RFI filter components that aren’t stuffed [populated] (or maybe no provision at all). I would also bet that it has a fake CE mark, maybe a fake UL mark too, or none."
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the comment James. I’ll tweak the description to explain I’ve swapped it out for free. No cliffhanger I’m afraid and I’ll be glad to see the back of it 😀 Excellent QRZ extract 😀
@andy2E0JIU3 жыл бұрын
Great outcome 👍 I found my bad source of interference was only on 40m and after powering down was still the ssme UNTIL I took my Samsung mobile phone off my workstation desk (wasn't even on charge) and problem sorted :)
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Well done on finding that one Andy! Would have drove you nuts!
@2e0ggjrobin313 жыл бұрын
Well done Ian. Happy listening (without the noise!) 73
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes Robin! Now need some air time to reap the rewards 😁
@transitiontelevision3 жыл бұрын
Great video. I love the sniffer antenna you made. I have also found a drill charger to be the cause of interference for a customer once before. The same customer also had a gcfi outlet, computer processor, and many LED lights that were causing ingress into his TV antenna. All the accumulated noise caused issues with his VHF band. When neighbors are helpful, it's great to be able to identify the issues, but in cases where we have no access to the noise source, then system changes can sometimes help. Besides identifying the noise sources, I have also found that the inside wiring has to remain completely closed and tight from the balun all the way to the connected devices. All unused ports must be terminated. If there are any RF leaks and ingress in the coax system, it starts to act like an antenna. A slightly loose connection can cause issues and so can a poorly compressed connector Faulty, cheap and in-house leaky equipment can also cause leakage and ingress. Of course, I am speaking mostly of 75 ohm TV systems, but the 50 ohm systems also share the same problems. If we think of the entire coax system as plumbing, it easily becomes clear how and where the weak points are. If a coax accidentally gets poked by a drill when securing the wire, the jab can then allow RF leakage and absorb ingress too. With TVs, the baluns are wound to tie into the outer shielding. It's how 75 ohm systems work. This also closes off the antenna at the balun transformer, making it easier to start our leak free plumbing/coax from the antenna down.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks. Great comment and plumbing analogy 👍🏻
@binky_bun3 жыл бұрын
Good find!. Luckily you have very good neighbours. Sadly my neighbours aren't always as approachable as that. Last year I had one come banging on my door aggressively accusing me of causing TV interference when I wasn't even using the radio. I went round and took a look at it for him and it turned out he hadn't tightened the bolts attaching the pole his tv antenna was mounted on to the wall bracket and it was blowing around in the wind. A week later my burglar alarm went off while I was out and instead of just politely letting me know he tried to smash the bell box off the front of the house then came banging on my windows at 6am the next morning effing and blinding at me.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Crikey Ben, that’s not good is it?
@NICKGAR73 жыл бұрын
Splendid Ian, thanks. The big source of angst among many hams is approaching house owners and dealing with it with diplomacy. Your vid shows good methodology to solving it without fall-outs. Did the chap with the charger agree to buy a new one (perhaps with ‘proper’ CE compliance rather than ‘China Engineering compliance’) or did you go halves or maybe agree if he could just use it overnight when you were dreaming of DX? A couple of years back I did a Churches & Chapels on the Air event (special call etc). Bands were unusable and noise was traced to old-ish heating system (when turned off ALL noise disappeared). It also pointed to the need for possible electrical checkover/maintenance required and they found an issue with a motor on a pump, relatively cheap and easy changed to give some future proofing and possible fire prevention. A win-win! All the best- Nick
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Hi Nick! I’ve ordered him a new one for free. It could have been a tv I suppose, so I got off lightly 😀 I was willing to swap-out whatever was the offending item for the sake of clear bands 👍🏻 Ironically, I’d tee’d up all my neighbours about amateur radio/QRM and helping me find and sort it. They were all keen to power-off for me, but I said I’d do a bit of rf hunting first. Sod’s Law this wasn’t an immediate neighbour, but happy to help none the less 👍🏻
@NICKGAR73 жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs great! The difficulty might be getting a ‘noise-free’ charger (or at least sourcing it with a 14 day ‘no quibble’ returns). I bought a 36Ah LiFePO4 battery approx 6 months ago (amazing weight saving for backpack portable vs lead acid and ace for holding up on V) BUT the charger ain’t half noisy so I charge when not in the shack. I just hope it doesn’t cause probs to my ham mate up the road...... have a good week.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes Nick. Buying another one that I already have. If there’s still noise then will put it on a timer for the middle of the night 👍🏻 You too!
@TimTM-gm6od3 жыл бұрын
Absolutely fantastic (as Gary Barlow would say),,,,what a great ending and it showed some real community spirit on the part of the 'offenders'. I do hope that sniffing out QRM doesn't take up all your time and now become your new hobby,,,or, perhaps it could become your new profession, now there's a thing !
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Ha ha yes Tim! It’s long gone now thank god 😀
@gasturbine1013 жыл бұрын
Hey you are very lucky! I've investigated a similar problem and found residents much less helpful! 73s G6TVJ
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes I can imagine. That’s the tricky bit….
@wdm2133 жыл бұрын
Great to see that you had a cooperative owner of the noise source. Anything in particular that you said to them that persuaded that cooperativeness? Imagine knowing where it's coming from and not being able to eliminated it.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Hi. Ironically I’d already done a leaflet drop to my near neighbours, explaining the hobby, the beauty of a quiet background and the frustration of man-made noise etc etc. Everyone was keen to help and offered power-off tests etc. This house was further away, but I used the same approach on the doorstep. A key aspect may have been my offer to replace the offending item having already explained it was likely to be something small….all went well 👍🏻ps. Everyone (including people in the street) were really interested in what I was doing and quite shocked at me demonstrating the noise 😀
@wdm2133 жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs Thanks. It feels so good know that nice people are still out there. As always it's probably 99.9% but all we seem to hear about is the 0.1%
@OldSal-d8h2 жыл бұрын
Nice detective work. My neighbors would not help me as yours did. Cheers de N9NY Gregg
@ianxfs2 жыл бұрын
Ok thanks Gregg.
@Bernard-John3 жыл бұрын
HI,good video, interesting subject, it's not too practical were i live, but good for you, thanks from Rotterdam.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks John!
@combatwombat712 жыл бұрын
Back again!... just today, 6m here has become wiped out with S9+20dB of noise. 6m has been great until this morning and now the band is completely unusable. The noise sounds very similar to your experience with the charger. Someone online pointed me to the RadCom edition of your DF loop. Looks like I will have to put one together and go DF hunting with my FT817. Looking in my log we worked on 2m SSB 5th April this year. Not bad 'DX' from here! 73 - G0MOH, IO70.
@ianxfs2 жыл бұрын
Nice to work you and good luck with that QRM hunt 👍🏻
@Jamesblaxland3 жыл бұрын
Fantastic Ian! Excellent Videos as always, very informative, thanks for putting together.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks James! Glad it’s sorted 😮
@earlrichardet21023 жыл бұрын
Very good video. I now have a plan to track down similar interference in my area. Thank You!
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks and good luck Earl!
@Tommy_Boy.2 жыл бұрын
Nicely done!! ⚡️📻🍺
@ianxfs2 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@chrisbartlett60223 жыл бұрын
That is great. The sniffer idea looks like it could be something that a lot of folks could use, even in their own homes. Magic result too. and you now have another battery charger :-)
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Ha ha, yes Chris, a spare charger that’s about to meet up with a 🔨😁
@chrisbartlett60223 жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs :-)
@VK5KU3 жыл бұрын
Brilliant Ian. Very happy you got to the button of that noise source. Very helpful video. I may build a similar set-up in the near future too. 73 de Kevin, VK4KK
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Kevin! Yes, easy project with some straightforward bits 👍🏻
@gbamck3 жыл бұрын
Great result, Ian. I've been reading your replies to comments and I can see you put a good amount of preliminary work into the job as well. Full marks. I'm certain Steve M1ACB will know of someone interested in the offending item! Cheers, Mick
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Mick! 👍🏻
@Director4483 жыл бұрын
Very well done Ian, am I right in thinking that you use the loops null to get a line? I had a very loud QRN and used an FT817 with it's rubber duck and did it by looking at the null direction. I think a loop like yours would be much better and quicker though. I eventually traced my QRN to an Estate Agent about 300 yards away and of course walking up to the door (at 2AM) found the signal was swamping the little 817's front end. Went in the next day and like your neighbour they were very cooperative. It was traced to a decorative LED light of Chinese manufacture, They very kindly left it switched off. They recently sold the property to a Kitchen shop and I had a chat with the new owner who said dont worry I am stripping it out as It's Chinese rubbish. Thankfully new shop fit is RF quiet so it was job done. 73 Mike G3ZCC
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Excellent Mike! Yes, the loop face-on is a deep null. Easy to walk about twisting it on it’s axis between face and edge-on to get a bearing and another line 😀
@dxscotland59013 жыл бұрын
Well done! I can’t get over the distance from the qrm source it’s scary
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks! Yes, imagine other dodgy chargers being bought by others and the distance could have been much further going on the signal strength on the main antenna. Scary 😮
@TheHamRadioJunkie3 жыл бұрын
Outstanding work. Great set of videos too. 👍
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@mike945603 жыл бұрын
I had a battery charger get me too. It was on my boat right next to the antenna. It made a heck of a racket. I put it on a timer so it's on when I'm asleep. But I should get a better one.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes Mike, a timer is another idea 👍🏻
@Scif643 жыл бұрын
Nice solution Ian. I suffer virtually the same issue here and some more even using a magnetic loop.. it's almost impossible for me to locate the source as it could be from any apartment or house near me. frustration is an understatement. 73s
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Ah yes Steve, if there’s multiple heights involved then that would be difficult. Fingers crossed you get a break 👍🏻
@rasa27453 жыл бұрын
When the interference seems to be coming from all directions, start working your way up the spectrum as you use the loop. When you find the highest frequency that the noise occurs, it will be easier to DF. Take a look at a video I uploaded on the topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKmWdZWapN6GgMk
@ED_K3CU3 жыл бұрын
Glad you found it 👍
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Eddie!
@ei3ixbdavidgardiner2703 жыл бұрын
Excellent work. I had terrible local RFI,it was a wire laid around a neighbors garden pumping out 24/7 HF rfi to control a robot lawnmower . Luckily neighbors cooperated and a filter solved the problem. Cheers Dave. Ei3ixb
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Dave! That’s an unusual one, but well spotted and sorted 👍🏻
@sean26073 жыл бұрын
I've been waiting in anticipation for this! :) Great final result Ian. I see you have the charger now, was the gentleman happy to replace it themselves or did you offer to?
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Sean! Yes, I offered at the outset that I’d replace whatever was faulty, if possible. Might have been £hundreds, but fortunately it wasn’t 👍🏻
@M7BCN3 жыл бұрын
Hi Ian, I’ve been following this with a great deal of interest. I’m so pleased that you managed to track and resolve the QRM issue. Also some excellent little antenna projects to help others lactate noise of their own. Great work. M7BCN
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Brian! Yes, hopefully others can benefit too 👍🏻
@mw0cvt3 жыл бұрын
Hi Ian Thanks for sharing your experience for RFI finding. How did decide which battery charger would be less or free from RFI for the replacement?
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Hi, I went for a make/model made here in the UK so I knew it would be compliant. Plus it was a model I already had myself for charging my /P leisure battery.
@mattblack133 Жыл бұрын
You have a good neighbor!!!!
@ianxfs Жыл бұрын
Yes it helps a lot! 👍🏻
@hamradiostation_M0UGE3 жыл бұрын
Great work Ian ! I presume the QRM was airborne and not mains driven ? It's such a relief when you are able to track down and deal with the QRM, isn't it ! I had a very similar issue a few months back myself, neighbours TV pumping hash in to the bands making them totally un workable. Some direction finding really helped and I offered to buy them a brand new TV and took the old one away. It was an older plasma style tv (video on my youtube page of the QRM it produced) I found your videos very useful, thank you. Enjoy the radio and maybe catch you on the air one day. 2E0UGE 73
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Ross! Yes, that was my worst case scenario, having to fork out to replace a plasma TV 😮 It was airborne, but seemed to be using the mains lead, at least up to the consumer unit, as an antenna. The sniffer could pick up the rf along this chain. Will catch you on the air 👍🏻 73
@DonDegidio3 жыл бұрын
Hi Ian, Nice series of videos to track down the noise source. Kind of the neighbors to help out. If you have the charger, how about trying some toroid RFI filters to see if the noise can be eliminated? 73 WJ3U
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Hi Don and thanks! I’m going to contact the RSGB to see if they want to dissect it for the greater good 👍🏻
@ZL1BQDRoly3 жыл бұрын
Very well done Ian. So have you "fixed" the offending charger or replaced it? Or do co=ordinate with your neighbour when you want to go on the bands? ....cheers
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Roly! I’ve already ordered a new one to replace it. I’m going to offer to send this to the RSGB as they may want to dissect as part of their RFI work.
@Ei2iP3 жыл бұрын
I suppose one thing to note out of this is, be it a 500 or 5000 pound radio, interference is no 1 enemy...and will only get worse in time, as everything is electronic these days. Glad you got it sorted Ian.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks and yes Robbie!
@billbates78104 ай бұрын
Were you able to fit any type of suppressor to the charger to resolve the problem? Thanks for an interesting video. G6ATO
@ianxfs4 ай бұрын
Hi Bill. I didn’t bother. I sent it off to the RSGB for analysis. It appeared in Apr 21 Radcom I think it was. The article accompanying this video was out of sync and appeared in Sep 21. Lots of info in the analysis article. Thanks for watching & commenting 😀
@chazrw2chz2903 жыл бұрын
A small battery tender, never would have suspected that. Congrats.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Sorted and gone now Chaz 👍🏻
@martinvanek59513 жыл бұрын
Really good instructional video. Thanks
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Martin!
@spanners733 жыл бұрын
Good work Ian!! Another great video 👍
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Paul!
@cliffordcrawford57232 жыл бұрын
I had a pulse charger for a cordless drill. It caused interference for a 1.5-mile range. The problem is, I didn't have that problem before. So I unplugged it and ran it off a battery/ inverter -- no problems, no signals. Only while operating with the mains/electrical receptacle.
@ianxfs2 жыл бұрын
At least you sorted it Clifford 👍🏻
@powernumpty3 жыл бұрын
Experienced the same sort of thing on an SDR receiver here, same Foxsur brand charger in a shed. I ended up "financially encouraging" the guy to use a Ring RSC804, not heard a peep out of that one.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Brilliant!
@pa3fat3 жыл бұрын
Good job. Well done.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@scottb56623 жыл бұрын
Good technical and personal skills om! 73, W0KU
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Scott!
@Jonshome3373 жыл бұрын
Really enjoyed this and great news you found it! And i am sure you bought him a better charger!!??
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes Jon. New one on order 👍🏻
@Jonshome3373 жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs Ian i went into the Shack had a big QRM issue tracked it down across the road to a VW Camper Van having its battery charged!! Thanks for the Vid !
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
@@Jonshome337 Brilliant Jon. Really glad you got sorted 👍🏻
@smartazz61 Жыл бұрын
Was that enough to really affect your ability to use your radio. I.E. making tough DX contacts? I ask because I have what I believe is Power Company Power line RFI. It actually gets up as high as S9+. I used a police scanner and home made Yagi (made for 130 Mhz) to find two seperate power poles that I believed were at issue. The power company came out and agreed that the two poles were both arcing. Unfortunately one of them because of difficulty to get to and a need to turn off many, many customers temporarily, pole number two may take a month to get to. I'm told by a guy at ARRL that I am doing well with my power company and I just need to give them some time. It has been a but of a nightmare. Weather and customer demand give a variable result. It started as the weather grew hotter and seems to be dropping off as things cool off. The one pole they did work on may have made things a bit better, but the pole they can't get to yet always seemed to be the big culprit. I am currently just trying to learn as much as I can. I fear there's a chance it's something like you dealt with in this video. I must admit though I've read that RFI that has hills and valleys as yours did would not be the power company. In your case of course it wasn't. I congratulate you. This is not the easiest thing to tackle and in my case has virtually destroyed my ability to get on the air for now. I am so curious as to just how strong was the RFI coming from this charger? If you turned off all preamp and filters in your beautiful Yaesu and point your antenna at the source, what was the S level?
@ianxfs Жыл бұрын
Hi and good luck with the power pole getting fixed. It sounds like that’s your main source and you’ll only know what’s lurking underneath that noise, if anything, once it’s gone. Yes, a strong RFI source can block contacts on certain frequencies, but it’s also a constant annoyance as you scroll through the band, both in your ears and on the waterfall. It just shouldn’t be there. I have wire antennas and no longer have the problem, so I can’t say in terms of preamps etc. However, it was a significant impact on my normal operating procedures and settings, so that was bad enough for me. If you haven’t seen it already, one of the recent videos on the channel is also based on a RFI hunt. Good luck sorting yours 👍🏻
@smartazz61 Жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs wow I didn't really expect a reply but you did and told me what I wanted to know. I've always felt so bad for people that end up with this problem. I guess I thought it wouldn't happen to me. Oh my it's horrible. It sure was a nice turn that your neighbor didn't mind letting you explore his property. You must be really good with people. I like to think I am, but yesterday was weird. I was trying to use my portable short wave to zone in on the RFI. It's a good tool but it can just work from way too far away. Anyhow a woman that lives in the house in front of a pole that PGE concurred with me that it's arcing, started asking me questions about what I was doing. I wasn't in her yard or peering in her windows. I was just standing across the street from her house. I was explaining exactly what I was trying to do. She said, "I don't have any problems with MY radio". I told her if she played AM and turned her radio around in a circle she would definitely hear it. She started acting angry. Taking it very personally. As if I was criticizing her home. So I put my portable on AM and tuned near the high end of the scale. A super loud annoying buzz came out of the speaker. I asked her if she heard that. "Yes" she said. Well I told her, "thats AM radio". Then she says, "You must bot anything else to do with your time". (Holy smokes I thought) Well O said, I word five ten hour days a week, drive 3 hours a day in traffic to get there and back, then I run twenty miles a week to stay in shape so no, I do have many things I have to do every week. And I'd really rather not have to find a faulty piece of PGE's equipment so I can enjoy my hobby. "What do you mean faulty equipment?" Oh boy I steppes in it now. "Well I said, things wear out. I find out if there's a problem before the equipment can cause a problem." Then she says, "how come my radios don't have a problem?" Well I just showed you what an am radio sounds like across the street from your home. (She's quite elderly by way. And quite a pistol.) Now, the other twenty people I've run in to while walking the neighborhood with a Yagi and police scanner have been really great. They're very curious and I explain the best I can what the deal is. She's the first one that seemed irritated at my presence. And by the way, I love your portable setup to sniff the neighborhood. I would like to do something similar. I can't decide what to purchase though. They only radio I own currently that will do 2 meters and 70cm is my police scanner. Today and tomorrow I'm going to "improve" my home brew 2M Yagi. If that goes well I'll make one for 70cm. I just watched an ARRL video on the subject and this one says "you must" sniff on 440Mhz. O.K. I'll give it a try. Supposedly, the higher you move up in frequency, the closer you must be to the source of the arc. So 440Mhz is supposedly better to pinpoint the arc. Then I've read that you need an ultrasonic/rf sniffer to verify the arc. I have an ultrasonic dish, but from what I understand, you must have a line of sight path to the actual arc for an ultrasonic detector to show anything. I must admit, so far the only thing I've found with ultrasonic dish is a bee. Buy I haven't yet tried it on a PowerPoint that PGE had told me does actually have an arc. Yikes! It's quite complicated. Take care.
@JonnyCraig013 жыл бұрын
I recently bought an RTLSDR and have a similar issue across many bands. I do live in Port Talbot within half a mile of the Steelworks so that prob doesn’t help as they have an arcFurnace among other things.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Crikey, yes Jonny it might melt!
@annaplojharova14003 жыл бұрын
It was not that much the charger itself radiating, but the wires from it were the antenna. A few clamp on ferrites and it should be better. But I'm suspecting some of the internal components of the charger are just about to die, with a big smoke, normally it is hardly ever necessary to add any extra filter components around a SMPS for anything higher than above 2MHz, beside a reasonable design of the SMPS physical construction (and that is a must even to reach any good efficiency and reliability, so save quite a lot of cost on heatsink, by the way, so dtrong motivation even for cheepeese to do it right), it does not need any extra expensive components (just one cheap Y2 capacitor as an emi-only related component is enough). That makes me think it is just faulty unit (some sparking cold joint or a bad capacitor) and not a bad design by itself...
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Hi Anna. Thanks for the reply. This charger also appeared in an RSGB article here in the UK. They have no suppression built in apparently. I’m swapping this one out 👍🏻
@london196573 жыл бұрын
Very interesting, thanks.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@combatwombat713 жыл бұрын
Did I read about this one on Facebook? It was all solved, but then the noise restarted and they've started using the charger again and refuse to turn it off? You mentioned about OfCom looking into it? It just sounds a familiar story. 73 de G0MOH.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
No. This one definitely sorted 👍🏻
@Al-vc1kw Жыл бұрын
If only I had such cooperative neighbors :/
@ianxfs Жыл бұрын
Sorry to hear that Al…
@davewright30883 жыл бұрын
Yes, the Chinese chargers are a problem. Tracked some 40kHz noise to a neighbors house, with hood up on car and tiny charger at work. Similar situation in marina, with switchmode chargers on every vessel. Some good, some very bad...
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
It’s not good Dave is it? As time goes on, these things will multiply, as guessing old ones take a while to die...👎🏻
@Cardassiaprime3 жыл бұрын
Great little sleuthing series there Ian, So what did you do to erase the problem permanently. Ie - buy the guy a new no noise charger- or open it up for filter modification. Job Done, Well Done. 73 Barnie M7PBX.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Hi Barnie! I’ve got it now and ordered him another, so all happy! 😀
@Cardassiaprime3 жыл бұрын
Nice one, a small price to pay for QRM harmony, I Suppose👍
@lookitsahorner2 жыл бұрын
This and Bat Willows pinned comment genuinely shocked me. I don't do anything with radio in this regard but I do find it super interesting. It also really quite worries me. Your QRM being a tiny box several blocks away and Bat Willows being presumably an equally small one a MILE away. How much power do these tiny devices really put out, and why do they do it? I'm incredibly intrigued!
@ianxfs2 жыл бұрын
Yes frightening isn’t it? Small amount of power but well radiated unfortunately.
@JohnStruemph3 жыл бұрын
Awesome! Thanks!!
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Great!
@davescott89083 жыл бұрын
Were does the 3.5mm Former go please as you do not show this in the video? Thank you.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Hi Dave. I don’t have a 3.5mm drill bit, but I point out in the video that the piece of black wire I found which is on the work table is 3.5mm. After using it, I’m not sure whether the half mm to either 3 or 4 mm would make much of a difference? You might have a screwdriver handle or nail etc that might be 3.5? Good luck!
@2e1paw3 жыл бұрын
My neighbours sadly would just shut the door in my face , because I’m the problem having a DX commander in the garden .
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Not good Paul. Hopefully you never get into the same position with QRM.
@rasa27453 жыл бұрын
There is an approach you can use Paul. Invoke their own self-interest. Tell them that the interference is also slowing down their own Wifi speed and range. Also interference is often a sign of a power supply or charger overheating fault that could start a fire in their home. Cheers, Ian VK3BUF
@thuff32073 жыл бұрын
Thank you for sharing and I hate to say it but many products from this area do not meet emissions. Why its cheaper to not use anything to stop the noise.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
It’s a bad situation indeed 👎🏻
@mm3nrx3 жыл бұрын
well done, will make one and go around my area as the QRM is that high its blanking MW as well! OFCOM and the BBC are not interested!
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Jason and good luck!
@chriscutting57733 жыл бұрын
If your a licenced ham operator ofcom dont have a choice they have to investergate but word of warning if they find that it is something in your own home that causing the rfi then they will charge you it used to be £70 per hour so do your homework first
@JamesAnderson-bz4cg3 жыл бұрын
I've a very similar problem that's wiping out all of 80M and 40M. It's a constant awful S9 (sometimes ++) of similar crackling. OFCOM are involved but due to the pandemic are limited as to how involved they can get right now. They've located a very possible source yet the shop owner isn't responding to their contact. I'd be very interested in the details of the larger loop antenna for doing a similar thing myself as it renders most of the HF portion of the bands completely unworkable. It even gets to 6M and 2M on wet days. I was quite surprised as to just how far away from you the source was! But the usual cheap culprit to blame... Thank you for the video.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks and good luck James 🤞🏻
@andycampbell54163 жыл бұрын
hi ian,,,,,, would mini 8 coax work for the loop or would you reccomend the rg213
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Hi Andy. I would think it would be ok and worth a try if you have a bit spare and the plugs. I’m not 100% sure though. At worse, 1 metre of 213 plus two cheap plugs will probably be a fiver if all else fails. Good luck!
@adriansaldana712711 ай бұрын
What’s the dimensions of the loop? (Perimeter) Also, is there any special length for 10m? Thanks
@ianxfs11 ай бұрын
That’s the third video in the series Adrian. If you look in the description the previous two video links are there. How to make the main loop is part of those (& measurements). It’s not frequency specific, so there is no 10m version, but it will work on 10m 👍🏻
@johnratcliffe64383 жыл бұрын
Ian, not sure if I have asked this when you first uploaded, but what can you do if the home owner is uncooperative?
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Ultimately Ofcom John. With a log of evidence, timings etc.
@johnratcliffe64383 жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs Thank you Ian; I suspected that would be the path.
@rasa27453 жыл бұрын
There is another approach John. Invoke their own self-interest. Tell them that the interference is also slowing down their own Wifi speed and range. Also interference is often a sign of a power supply or charger overheating fault that could start a fire in their home. Cheers, Ian VK3BUF
@19AT3217 ай бұрын
@ianxfs on which frequency did you listen for the QRM, and on AM of SSB?
@ianxfs7 ай бұрын
Sorry I can’t remember the frequency, but it will be specific to the QRM you’re receiving, so not worth copying. I was on SSB as I found it easier than AM. Good luck if you go hunting 👍🏻
@nathanw8513 жыл бұрын
Is that one of the wish dot com chargers? A neighbour had a battery explode using one of those. It was chugging well over 15v so we suspect gassing and... there was little left of the 120AH battery case. Edit: I commented before the end of the vid. It's the same brand. I'd avoid them. They're battery killers, and apparently spurious emitters too.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Yes Nathan. It will never see service again! ⚰️👀👍🏻
@bobkozlarekwa2sqq593 жыл бұрын
So will a larger loop work better? I also have some 75m QRM in the local area
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
I’m not sure Bob. This definitely worked on both 15m & 80m, so seems to cover the HF bands. The only other thing is sensitivity, but you’ll have the rig’s pre-amps to increase or reduce the QRM signal. Worth trying this design of the sake of 3 foot of coax. Good luck 👍🏻
@Roddy19652 жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs Well, not sure what I've done wrong. I've got occasional, egregious, multiband QRM (same source). For example, one frequency is 14175 has a strong signal on my rig (NB kills it, but it would be nice to find the source). I built this loop, checked for closed/open continuity, everything seems to make sense. But my S-meter shows S0 with no loop attached (check) and S0 with the loop attached. But you say it appears to cover 15 to 80m in your experience.
@ianxfs2 жыл бұрын
@@Roddy1965 Hi! Not sure what’s happened there 🤔 I would suggest a double-check that the centre conductor isn’t touching on the side where it’s cut off. Also position the loop close to a noise source in the house to see if it’s picking up anything eg PC, TV, monitors. Pre-amp on maybe? Then all’s left is to walk around the area to see if you come across the source perhaps? Good luck!
@Roddy19652 жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs There were some moments where I could *just* hear the interfering noise, so I guess it's working, but it sure is weak. I hooked it up to my antenna analyzer, and if I read it correctly it's probably a lot more sensitive on 2m band. Looking more online it seems 14MHz loops would generally be much bigger, which makes sense. The RASA video gives a demo, but only when they're quite close to the offending unit. I'll keep trying.
@whitefordpipeshandmadebymi72383 жыл бұрын
Excellent now I must try to do the same lol least now I know how to go about it ..tnx 73 de ve3hip from Welland Ontario Canada 🇨🇦
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks and hello to Canada 🇨🇦 😀
@JohnStruemph3 жыл бұрын
Awesome
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@MauriatOttolink3 жыл бұрын
Don't worry about the appearance. You build 'em to work, not to look at!
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Ha ha yes!
@user-qm5vs3ik3b5 ай бұрын
Taki problem jest u mnie w Polsce. Gdyby mnie zobaczyli sasiedzi z antena magnetyczna na ulicy to by mnie spotkala kara z ich strony. Nie chcialbym byc pobity. UKE balo sie wejsc do sasiadow.. Takie tu kolo krakowa mamy spoleczenstwo. Podoba mi sie ten pomysl z petla na rurce plastikowej. Jak zrobiles ta petle magnetyczna z koax ?
@ianxfs5 ай бұрын
☹️
@mplmpl77803 жыл бұрын
Subscribed loved the videos well presented.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@elektrophysiklk5 ай бұрын
great 👍 73s
@ianxfs5 ай бұрын
👍🏻
@JamesAnderson-bz4cg3 жыл бұрын
Just watching the loop build video now.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
There’s three in that particular series James. You may be watching them backwards....😁
@JamesAnderson-bz4cg3 жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs I was indeed Ian but rearranged myself somewhat and watched them all HiHi, once again, thank you for taking the time to produce such a useful set of short videos. Very helpful. Hopefully I can find the source of my interference as its really spoiling the hobby for me. I can't see Ofcom being able to take it up for the foreseeable and I've been plagued with this noise for over a year now. Its so frustrating but a sign of the times as we all fear. Cutting into some RG213 as I write!
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Fingers crossed James!
@BoB4jjjjs3 жыл бұрын
The job's a good one as they say! Enjoy the interference free zone you created.
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Bob! Yes, now time to get back on the air 😀
@r188ops83 жыл бұрын
Brilliant, glad you got it sorted Ian 👍🏻 Paul - 2E0OPV
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Paul! Glad that’s over 👍🏻
@Mark300win2 жыл бұрын
Thats why every HAM operator should invest in a QRM phasor like mfj1026 or wimo to tackle this serious noise problem! Unregulated chinese chargers are everywhere
@ianxfs2 жыл бұрын
Yes, or better still, track it down 👍🏻
@o00scorpion00o Жыл бұрын
In my case I don't think this loop would work because I have power line noise so the power line radiates this interference over quite a distance and I've tried a 2m/70cm Yagi and I can't hear it at all on the poles near my house and there''s no point trying on HF because the noise travels miles. Worse is that because I live in the sticks the poles are going thought fields and it's not easy access fields here in Ireland with barbed wire, electric fences and high thorny ditches absolutely everywhere, if I get in my car I wouldn't be driving parallel with this 10 Kva line. It would be close enough to the road but not close enough probably. I must try again in the car and bring the FT-818 and yagi. I've been chasing this noise for years and I was told by COMREG the OFCOM equivalent to find the noise myself and contact them when and if I find the source so they can verify it. Nice of them isn't it ? The noise has got very bad over the last year or two.
@ianxfs Жыл бұрын
That’s sounds like a right pain. You know the source, but getting the authority to act is another thing. Good luck….
@o00scorpion00o Жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs Well you know what ? your video inspired me to go out again yesterday evening and see if I can find the source and I did. On previous attempts I tried to find with my portable shortwave radio and because the noise is so broadband it was really a hopeless task + I couldn't get a bearing on the source at all and on HF the noise can travel quite a distance. Since my last attempt to find the noise source I bought the FT-818 and more recent a 2m/70cm Yagi but I set off with a MFJ 20m whip and drove as parallel to the power line that I could and after a while I got fed up and set off back home but kept the FT-818 on and drove with the antenna sticking out of the window and then all of a sudden I heard a loud buzzing so I turned around and parked where I heard the noise, got out and it was buzzing like mad, took out the yagi and switched to 2m and it was incredibly loud, switched to 70cm and it was S5 on the meter so I knew I had found it because I could not hear the noise even on 2m anywhere near my house and I read that if you hear it on 2m you are very close and if you hear it on 70cm you've practically found it. So now I'm going to send an email with video and photos to the power company and see what they do, if I don't get a response I will contact the communications regulator COMREG here in Ireland. For anyone reading this with a similar problem, I was convinced that I had found the offending pole because the noise was really loud on the portable Shortwave radio but I was wrong. You need 2m/70cm and a yagi, without this you will never find the source because it can only be heard on 2m and especially 70cm when you are at the source. Of course your portable radio will hear this noise at the source but it travels a couple of miles so it's really pointless without 2m/70cm. It was pure luck I heard this noise in the car and I only heard it probably because the pole is close to the road, if it had been in one of the fields I probably wouldn't have heard it and it's a very difficult task here in Ireland to get from one field to the other with high ditches, barbed wire, electric fences and gates absolutely everywhere. But lucky because it took me years to find it so definitely the proper equipment helps and some luck.
@ianxfs Жыл бұрын
@@o00scorpion00o Well done on persevering! Power company need to act now.
@o00scorpion00o Жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs Thanks, I won't hold my breath because I contacted them several times in the last 7 years and I was ignored, then I contacted the regulator COMREG who are equally as useless and told me it would be better if I was member of a radio club and said the best way is to find the noise and contact them back to verify, so I had to do the work...... Anyway I sent off an email to the power company, so we'll see what happens this time.
@djflexlive3 жыл бұрын
Hi, I don't get the part where you put the loop on the rf sniffer after pluggin the coil to the pl through the coax.... any plans more detailled?
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
Hi and thanks for commenting. Please can you clarify the part of the video you mean? I’m not sure if you mean the build or in use? The minute & second will point me to the correct part 👍🏻
@djflexlive3 жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs Hey yes. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqjFnGuvhZuGf80 , at 2:29. I can see the tube, the coil soldered to the coax going to the pl inside the tube. But I don't see how it's connected to the loop
@ianxfs3 жыл бұрын
@@djflexlive Ah right! The sniffer is a separate device to the main loop. I only use one at a time. So once I was close to the RFI source, I disconnected the main loop from the rig patch lead and connected the smaller sniffer instead. Hope that’s clarified things 😀
@djflexlive3 жыл бұрын
@@ianxfs Oh yeah ok I get it :) Is it a single loop like the one here ? kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6fVaomYiMydi7c