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590+ New Transmitters in my Neighborhood :(

K

kenglish

Guest
Noticed a new type of noise on the low VHF TV bands last week, in my apartment complex. It sounded like "popcorn popping"....random bursts of pops and crackles.
At first, I thought that the antenna connector was bad on my handheld scanner I was playing with.
I went out to the dumpster, and passed a couple of trucks that said "Rocky Mountain Power Company Contractor", and saw people working on several roofs.
THEN..........I remembered getting a notice on my door a few days ago, saying we were all being enrolled in one of those programs where they turn off your air conditioners momentarily in hot weather, to save energy.
I talked to one of the installers, and got a copy of the info sheet from the units.
They monitor the current going to your compressor, and send data back to the Power Company. Then, the company can turn the compressors off and back on.

Looks like the new units, which are being deployed to replace older styles, use the 902-928 MHz ISM Band (Unlicensed, Spread-Spectrum), running as much as a watt. Problem is, I'm hearing the data packets going on and off.
Not sure if it's just the scanner being overloaded or not. I'm going to have to try some experiments with the UHF TV antenna, preamps, etc. I noticed some flashing in analog TV channel 50.
Wonder how it will affect the DTV bands?

I see that Radio Shack has discontinued their LTE Filter, which was about 6 bucks. The alternative is to order one from Europe, or buy the MATV one for USA frequencies for $200.
 
Why does everything have to talk with everything else? I remember enrolling in the power saver program for A/C over 10 years ago. The individual A/C control units I'm pretty sure didn't transmit data back, rather it picked up a radio signal that, when triggered, alternated the compressor into 10 minutes on/10 minutes off patterns.

I'd like to see the cost-benefit analysis that proves these interactive control devices are going to save more money than these earlier receive-only devices.
 
Yet another addition to the ambient noise level. I've been in my house for 34 years. When I moved in, it was more or less pristine for DXing purposes. Now sometimes I feel like I may as well be placing my radio on top of a room full of mainframe computers, x-ray machines, and buzz saws.
 
MarioMania said:
Does it interfere with FM DXing?
Click to expand...

Haven't had a chance to chase it more....I already have three or four clusters of a strong WBFM noise that sounds much like a telephone "Busy Signal", that runs from about 70 to 95 MHz, and a very fast "Gatling Gun" noise that covers the FM and much of the aviation radio bands. That's in addition to a half-dozen or more other noises.
 
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