Very severe interference on the AM band.

[dieseljeep]

I do most of my old radio repair and restoration in my building that is in a complex of storage and workshop buildings. The only utilities available are natural gas and single phase electric, no water or sewer, so it really can't be considered as an industrial complex.
The interference is totally unreal! Most of it is from the line, a nasty buzz.
I'm blaming the remote reading electric meters. I was trying to trace the noise from the area with my Optima high performance portable radio, similar to a GE Superadio. You put the radio next to the electric meter and it emits all kinds all kinds of strange noises.
I'm calling the electric supplier.

[Electronic M]

We've got a remote reading meter here too and it doesn't seem to put out noticable noise...

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

We've got a remote reading meter here too and it doesn't seem to put out noticable noise...

My residence meter doesn't create any interference like the one in my shop.
The main reason I'm inquiring is because I read on another website that someone else was experiencing the same problem.
I'll end up doing some more research on the issue.

[Sandy G]

Don't really know it, can't prove it, but I have a STRONG sneaking suspicion that our local utility does a REMARKABLY Piss Poor Job on interference... You drive down a street, anywhere in town,, & almost every transformer you pass the AM radio sounds like it needs new caps...Unhhhhh.. doesn't rise & fall, just a harsh "Bad Cap" noise we're ALL too familiar with.. When one of the gummint offices, banks whatever sends out a data stream, THAT has a similar sound. But WHY do you wanna lissen to Junky, Clunky Ol' AM anyway, right ?!? Grrrrrrrrr...Gawd, I LOVE Moderne Life...

[maxhifi]

I went through this a while back.. traced it mostly to LED and CFL energy saver light bulbs. A computer monitor power supply was bad news too.

[Chip Chester]

If you do find it's the meter, invite the FCC to the party.

[decojoe67]

It's funny, but when I use my transmitter I get a buzz. If I ground the transmitter and, get this, turn on my hall light, the buzz is all but gone! I would suggest turning different lamps on and off.

[Electronic M]

The worst interference source in my house is the commercial grade fluorescent fixtures in the garage... only 1-2 am stations can make it through that wide band buzz storm. I'm glad it isn't run when I typically listen to AM, but I have to remember to only variac radios that are 'decontaminating' in the garage during the day so I can get meaningful reception.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by maxhifi

I went through this a while back.. traced it mostly to LED and CFL energy saver light bulbs. A computer monitor power supply was bad news too.

I shut off all breakers in the building but one. The only item connected to the one circuit is the radio under test. The very same noise!
I fully understand that switching power supplies, LED and CFL lamps cause line noise.

[Kevin Kuehn]

Rf interference can ride just fine on any long earth grounded wire, so shutting off breakers doesn't really isolate it much.. Tried taking the radio outside and plugged into a long extension cord, as far from the buildings as possible? If your buildings are metal siding it's almost like being inside a Faraday cage with all the interference being emitted from internal wiring along with the radio signals. What you really need is a long outdoor antenna(as far from building wiring as possible) with a shielded lead in.

[jr_tech]

If the interference is entering the radio through the power cord, a battery operated radio might be somewhat immune to the problem, and imho, a better choice for “sniffing” out the source.

jr

[maxhifi]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

I shut off all breakers in the building but one. The only item connected to the one circuit is the radio under test. The very same noise!
I fully understand that switching power supplies, LED and CFL lamps cause line noise.

Battery radio has same problem? Can be interference from neighbor too.

[vortalexfan]

I don't have any issues with the AM Band in this regard but I do have issues like this on the FM Band ALL THE TIME! Whenever I go by any sort of business like a gas station or even where I work at a higher end Amish Inspired Restaurant in a town that is mostly dead when it comes to cell phone signals the FM band gets a loud buzzing noise on it that completely wipes out the station until you drive away from those locations, even traffic signals have been known to cause tons of interference on the FM band in my car. And where I work (speaking of which) I've tried to use a walkman radio on the FM Band and it is completely dead signal wise, it won't pick up anything just a loud humming/buzzing noise.

In the home setting my parents have overhead electronically ballasted florescent lights (T9 Style Florescent Tubes) and whenever those lights are turned on the FM Band on any tabletop radio or stereo receiver just hums really loud and doesn't pick up any stations.

weird thing is that at my house I have no issues with the FM band (but I don't have any modern electronically ballasted florescent lights in my home either or any "dirty" switching power supplies).

[dtvmcdonald]

I have a minor problem with FM at my house. There are carriers every 31 kHz across the FM band, worst between 96 and 104 MHz. They appear at some other frequency
ranges from 27MHz to 300 MHz, and not at all at some other places.
They drift about at harmonics of 31+-0.5 kHz.

Luckily its FM and they are weak enough to be audible only if within 3 kHz of the main carrier or 38kHz, as they are 30 dB below the 19 kHz signal. They are not from
my apartment.

[Titan1a]

I want to travel way out west in the boonies to evade QRM. I'm getting tired of AM and HF buzz! My loop rejects most interference but trying for GOOD DX is a real pain! What ever happened to Uncle Charlie?