Thanks everyone for the tips and advice. I did go buy a Timewave ANC-4 yesterday. I considered the 1026 but I've had some issues with MFJ/Ameritron equipment lately so prefer to steer away from them if there are other alternatives. I did call Mike at the ARRL and left a voicemail and hope to hear from him soon.

On the ANC-4, I do have a 43' Foot Vertical that also picks up the noise at almost the same level as my 3-element SteppIR so it should do well as a noise antenna.

I'm going to continue gathering information for my FCC complaint and see where that goes.

John K7KB

Gene: I can't think of any valid reason except malicious interference, or accidental. And more likely the former. If you have to tune-up live without the use of a dummy load, it can be done a few kHz away without bothering anyone and still not be de-tuned. I have a Solid State amp so I just wait until the SteppIR gets done and then flip the switch.

John K7KB

Hi all. I'm asking for a bit of advice concerning a neighbor who has a indoor growing operation next door in his garage. The reason I know this is because he ran a business selling Grow Lamps and other Hydroponic supplies until recently. I was able to trace the interference by walking around with a portable SW receiver. When I got close to his garage, there was no doubt where it was coming from. When I went to ask my neighbor about it, he admitted that he was using the lamps, and had no intention on shutting them down or working out some kind of schedule where I could do my DX'ing a couple of hours in the evenings after work, and certain times during the weekends.

Basically the interference is almost a constant S8 to S9+10db on all bands that I operate from 3.5 to 29 mhz. It's the worse I've ever seen from an external noise source. I renders my station completely unusable while the lamps are in operation. Larry Benko (W0QE) wrote up an article about Grow Lamps, and you can read it here at:

http://www.w0qe.com/RF_Interference/grow_light_electronic_ballasts.html

Although Larry had some limited success with filtering, considering the amount of noise coming from the ballasts and lamps, I'm not so sure it's really going to do much good. And considering I have the feeling he is growing 'herbs', not of the eating variety, I really don't want to get involved with installing the filters myself. So about the only filters that might be involved would be those I could hand to him and say "Try these". Installing filters on the lamp side would probably not be something he would be able to do himself, and I wouldn't do for him.

The FCC has guidelines on Grow Lamps and similar circumstances has come before the commission:

http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/AmateurActions/files/Grow_11_09_30_5275.pdf

So what do you think I should do? Work with my neighbor and try to see if any kind of filtering would help, or go directly to the FCC and file a formal complaint?

John K7KB

About the only time I had the chance to work them being a working stiff was Saturday when they were on 15 meters. Trying to break through the East Coast wall was bad enough, and then they QSY'd to 160 for Europe. Figures

I would sure like to see another operation sometime when they are not just concentrating on EU, with multiple operators, decent antennas, and give us left coast guys a break

John K7KB

You did? Are you sure it wasn't TN2T?

And nothing here either.

John K7KB

John K7KB

Unfortunately, PY0S is another one that I need so it looks like I may have a long wait on that one. It seems to me that most current DX'peditions take great care to minimize the impact to the ecosystem. Hopefully something can be worked out with the Amateur community and Brazilian government for a future operation.

John K7KB

Gene: I had hoped that I had used enough smileys and my choice of words that you would know I was just kidding with you. It's apparent YOU took me too seriously, that's for sure Sorry that I ruffled your feathers, it was entirely unintentional. I have a lot of respect for you opinion but I just like to kid you once in awhile. Hope that's OK?

John K7KB

What a whiner!! Just because YOU worked them 3 years ago doesn't mean all of us have had the opportunity. I just got back into the hobby a little over a year ago and still have a few out in the Pacific to pick up, including Conway, Kingman, Ducie, Swains, Scarborough, and possibly a couple of others. So Gene, go find something else to complain about will ya?

John K7KB

That's not the way I read it. Although not exactly clear, I interpret it as this:

KH3 PERMISSION TO LAND APPROVED BY USAF. US Fish & Wildlife says soon. Anticipate arrival late March / early April.

So in other words, she has permission from the Air Force, and still waiting for US Fish & Wildlife, but it should be soon.

I think she has tried for over a year to put Johnson on the air, and I give her credit for sticking with it. Hopefully it will work out.

John K7KB

For those who needed Macquarie Island for DXCC credit, news from the ARRL this morning:

"The following operation is approved for DXCC credit:

VKØTH – Macquarie Island
Current Operation

If you had this operation rejected in a recent application send a note
to bmoore@arrl.org to have your record updated. Note, due to extremely
heavy e-mail DXCC may not respond to your message. Once updated, this
will be reflected in your LoTW account and/or in the live, daily DXCC
standings on the website. (www.arrl.org/dxcc).

73 es DX!"

I'm glad Trevor was able to get this taken care of. On a side note, I noticed this on his QRZ.com page:

"Only 4 weeks of operations left on Macquarie Island.  Heading down Island next week (28/2/2012) for a week.  Will post a schedule and frequencies for those wanting to get VK0/M in the log before operations cease.  The incoming team (2012) have no Amateur Operators so it will be at least May 2013 possibly longer before Macquarie activates again."

Sounds like if you want to get VK0/M in the log, now is the time!

John K7KB

I think the 12V problem in the ALS600/1300 Power Supplies is more prevalent than you might believe. I had mine fail 3 times before Ameritron finally swapped out the PS with one that has the improved 12V modules. With yourself and W7AIT, that's 3 of us just on this forum thread. I've had a couple of people email me also noting issues with their power supplies.

As to Ameritron notifying people of possible problems with the Power Supply 12V sections, I haven't seen anything posted by them. More the "If it breaks, we will fix it" approach to a possible design problem

By the way, my power supply was swapped out in mid December and the ALS-1300 has been running great since then.

John K7KB

That's probably Scarborough Reef (BS7H), of which I think the 2-letter prefix is most appropriate How in the world the ARRL could approve this as a viable entity, I'll never know. But I guess land mass is not the determining factor, that's for sure

As far as next major DX'pedition, I'm going to go with pretty much what the consensus is so far, Navassa, Heard, Bouvet.

John K7KB

Oh well. Last night I was with my wife on a Valentines getaway at the Davenport Hotel here in Spokane. There are priorities, and I know mine

John K7KB

Yep, same here. One thing for sure his band selection hasn't been too favorable to those of us on the West Coast. However if I can't work Darko, I hope to work the club station he setup when he was there. It's very nice of him to be the Ham Radio ambassador

John K7KB