Base Neighbor's Solar Panel install causing lots of noise.

[FredTx63]

My plan someday is to live on a dirt road where my closest neighbors will be like a mile away. My dream is to live some where, that I can’t even see another house.

You and me both!

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

A great write up about the unit.

https://www.w8ji.com/mfj-1025_1026.htm

 

[snippits75]

Bought a QRM Eliminator X-phase. One I bought link below. He has it in black too.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/QRM-Eliminator-X-Phase-Noise-Eliminator-1-8-30-MHz-PTT-VOX/284109304523

Demonstration link below. Talking about solar panel installation noise from neighbor. I get the pulsating inverter noise too.

 

[Crawdad]

Bought a QRM Eliminator X-phase. One I bought link below. He has it in black too

Snippits75,

Thanks much for the post. Am interested to find out how well it works for you. From what I've read they don't always eliminate pulsing type QRM. Hope it does the trick for you.

73 + Merry Christmas & HNY

 

[snippits75]

Read PA9X's blog about solar panel noise, his review of the QRM Eliminator, and then on to the auxiliary antenna he ended up using for maximum broad spectrum QRM reduction.

https://www.pa9x.com/when-the-noise-came-banging-in/

The pulsating noise is mostly in the late evening right before it gets dark. Otherwise, it's just a steady all day long noise that does not pulsate.

From what I have been reading, the auxiliary antenna needs to be vertically polarized, and receive the noise at the same level as the main antenna. I have a 5 ft. SkipShooter fiberglass laying around, and I should be able to rig it up outside to receive the noise on 11 meter.

 

[snippits75]

Finally got the QRM Eliminator. 29 days from the Ukraine to southeast coast USA.

It does work to eliminate solar panel inverter noise. Neighbor's solar panels are especially noisy today because it is cloudy. Got everything hooked up, and now I can hear my friend up in the hills on 11 meter. Went to no copy to a very good copy, but his signal was weaker than normal.

I am only using a 11 meter dipole for the auxiliary antenna. There is about minus three S-units difference of solar panel receive noise compared to my main antenna. Going to mount a 5 ft. SkipShooter vertical antenna to my deck tomorrow, and see if I can get more S-units of solar panel noise on it. That way I can raise the gain of the main antenna more.

The QRM Eliminator I am using does have an automatic relay that cuts off the auxiliary antenna on transmit. I can hear the relay click, and a red light lights on transmit. Only keying about 4 watts through the eliminator. It is recommended in the instructions to use a PTT, and a cable is supplied with one end. I don't have a foot pedal right now, so going to rely on the cutoff relay.

More to come!

 

[Crawdad]

Methinks a 5' Skipshooter alone wont work as well as "only a 11 meter dipole". Could be wrong.

73

 

[Slowmover]

Methinks a 5' Skipshooter alone wont work as well as "only a 11 meter dipole". Could be wrong.

73

Or a 12-gauge


,

 

[snippits75]

Dipole is horizontal. Receive noise is definitely lower than my main vertical Max2000. I am thinking since most QRM is vertically polarized I might have more solar panel noise with the vertical SkipShooter. Just need a little more gain on the auxiliary antenna.

 

[Crawdad]

You could be correct about vertical but it will still need a "second half" to be an efficient RX antenna. Would think you would want as much efficiency as possible to cancel the most noise. Could be wrong though. Am interested in your results as I may have to go the same route.

73

 

[snippits75]

I will post results for sure. Just want to use what I have on hand, and that's the SkipShooter for now. May end up buying a Miniwhip active antenna like PA9X did. Another 30 days probably to get here from Europe.

https://www.pa9x.com/boost-your-qrm-eliminator-performance-with-an-active-antenna/

 

[Crawdad]

Just curious. Have you tried mounting your current dipole vertically? Can't see how that would not work as well or better than anything from across the pond.

 

[snippits75]

Do you mean inverted V? Not sure how I would hang it vertically. I will try anything reasonable to get rid of the solar panel noise! I am half way there now.

 

[Crawdad]

Inverted V is still mostly horizontally polarized. Reckon it's worth a try. I guess I would play with it til I saw the lowest noise level I could get, then decide. Have a second Skipshooter to make a vert dipole maybe?