How to Identify Local QRM/RFI Sources

A quick introduction on locating the source of local QRM issues;
How to rule out (or identify) issues in your own property and how to locate external sources from neighbours, streetlights etc.

[@Dickard66]

Brilliant video, very helpful to a total newbie like me. I haven't read all the replies yet, but just nice to know I'm not suffering alone.

[@w4mkh]

If you have a wideband HT that will cover the AM broadcast band then you can tune to that frequency range and walk about listening for the static between Am stations to locate rf sources. May not work for all rf noise sources. I've also been told to unplug your HF antenna and if the noise doesn't go away then it is in your house and the radio is picking it up. But if the noise does go away then it is being picked up by the antenna and is probably somewhere in your neighborhood.

[@dennisjoiner3717]

I know this is an older video know but I'm just know seeing it. Thanks for the info, "noise pollution" on the HF Bands sure has gotten worse over the years. With all the Wallwarts, Power Supplies, LED's (I hear) and such. Oh and of course the occasional Utility Co. Your video was very informative and I to have a 1st Gen Yaesu FT-817 I'll have to try.

[@tonym7cvk430]

Just a thought you showed an image of a air conditioning unit or air source heat pump exchanger on the house opposite if it’s an air source heat pump unit I know they run a de-ice cycle often when they ice up more so when the air temperature is low enough to form ice on the cooling radiator. Normally you will see vapour clouds if this is happening from the exchangers. Regards Tony

[@alvarogaitan2529]

terrific video thanks 73 from kb2uew

[@elesjuan]

man.. I wish my noise floor was an S5... Most of the time on all HF bands it's 10-15 over 9. Haven't been able to REALLY test if its coming from my own home or not, despite having turned off the mains breaker in the panel, but that doesn't completely kill everything in my hosue as I've got several UPS devices (which are probably also responsible for noise) on a server rack in my basement, my main tele, office PC, my 3d printer..... UGH.
Maybe sometime this winter the power will go out and I'll break out my FT817 before bringing everything back up.

[@chublez]

Can you not shut off the UPS's also? They can usually be turned off. I turned mine off when hunting noise.

[@l.a.2646]

Wondering if you've got your noise under control? And if you have the room maybe put up a good loop or delta loop

[@PH2LB]

For Android there are RTL-SDR dongles applications. They are ideal for portable finding QRM.
Also it's good to use a small RX loop which you can tune.
Check out this video about creating a simple RX loop
th-cam.com/video/56IUtdBK-7U/w-d-xo.html

[@l.a.2646]

And by the way rambling is how us hams communicate ( think of it as thinking out loud)

[@MailmanJustin]

google translate is a wonderful app. give it a try!

[@bawanazad4997]

My friend let me tell you one thing , nothing destroyed hf more than LED lights ! I have no hf signal since 2015 here in my city in Iraq ! I can say RIP hf

[@madalinbetea9871]

If yow leave in apartment building you fuck up with QRM . The only solution is the portable in the woods or field hill and no more QRM.

[@nobraidps]

When I lived in Finland for 18 months most of the people I knew spoke very good English, young and old (mostly young but still) and that was in a village too, Jämijärvi.
Have you ever tried speaking to your neighbor?

[@oh3spnfinland718]

You're correct; most do speak at least some English. However, I was warned by the previous owner that neither neighbour speaks a word of English. I can imagine any attempt at a technical discussion going downhill quickly. But yes, it's definitely worth a try - for the entertainment value if nothing else :)

[@RustyX2010]

Isn’t English a second language there?

[@nobraidps]

@@RustyX2010 Swedish and English

[@PaulaBean]

@@oh3spnfinland718 Perhaps friend them first, despite the language barrier. That would make explaining electrical interference easier, especially if you can solve it for them and they trust you. But before that moment, never let anyone know you're a HAM, because from that point on every electrical and reception issue will be blamed on you, even when you were not listening/transmitting at that time.

[@w8rko470]

When I track HF interference I try going up in frequency to VHF (144 MHz) in USB mode. If the QRN is broadband enough to get into VHF I find a 3-element measuring tape antenna (used for fox hunting) works better than trying to direction find on HF. VHF is more directional and easier to track. You may need to use HF to get closer to the source then switch to VHF. The FT817 will tune up to UHF.

[@oh3spnfinland718]

Thanks for the comment - and I'm sure this will help others in their tracing of QRM too. Thanks again!

[@uhfnutbar1]

throw eggs at there house :)