Isn't this just grand?

[KA1GJU]

This QRM appeared within the last few days on all my servers at the QTH, worst is on Super Station #2, which was my best system.
Starts at 1800kHz to about 2900kHz and again at 4050kHz to 4750kHz.
Heading out with the Youloop and AirspyHF+ to track it down or at least get a bearing on it now.

73 Kriss KA1GJU

[Max]

This QRM appeared within the last few days on all my servers at the QTH, worst is on Super Station #2, which was my best system.
Starts at 1800kHz to about 2900kHz and again at 4050kHz to 4750kHz.
Heading out with the Youloop and AirspyHF+ to track it down or at least get a bearing on it now.

73 Kriss KA1GJU

Let's hope it's a SM PSU gone rogue on your own site.

Max

[KA1GJU]

Laptop, SDR, and Youloop was a bust, but must have made the neighbors think I was off my medication though!
Will have to pull out the 1m active loop and see if it will hear it. Just a bit of a pain in the arse with all the cables, battery for pre-amp, etc.

[KA1GJU]

I got it nailed down to a specific house, will try and stop by Sunday when they're home. The house is 0.2miles to the WSW of me, and all lines plotted point to it. Will take my FT-817 on internal batteries and my sniffer antenna as well as the Youloop just to be sure. I just did a drive by at 20:00 hrs (nearly dark) as to not alert the neighborhood of a trolling truck with loop antenna sticking out above the drivers window! Would have been easier in my XYL's convertable, but it's still in winter storage on a four post lift in shop. Plus it's only 47f outside.
Now waiting for the northern light again, quite the display last night!

[Max]

I got it nailed down to a specific house, will try and stop by Sunday when they're home. The house is 0.2miles to the WSW of me, and all lines plotted point to it.
Now waiting for the northern light again, quite the display last night!

Good news that you found it. Now for the resolution (hopefully)

Astonishing display of northern lights here to on Friday night also, on the south coast of UK. For us here, looking at the records, it's pretty much a one in 200 year event for us here at the magnitude we saw it, which was breath-taking and also all elevations from horizon to overhead and pretty much 360 degrees. Amazed that for us the brightest patches were at about 40 degree elevation and diametrically opposed, NE and SW which was most unexpected as I assumed if we ever saw it it would only be in the north, and in fact the SW patch was possibly the brightest. Also something akin to sunbeams radiating all over the sky. Quite an incredible sight and truly a "once in a lifetime" experience for this location. As far as I can figure it the last event of anywhere similar magnitude was 1958, and before that 1859 (Carrington). I told my daughter she should savour it because she might not see the like again in her lifetime, and certainly not likely in mine!

Anyway, I digress. Let us know what you find assuming the neighbours are willing to allow investigation. What a mess they are generating.

73

Max

[jdow]

I'd not be surprised if it turns out to be some form of information over power lines, perhaps Ethernet over power lines or something else. It also might be some exotic form of DSL over the phone lines. The display varies with time which is not typical of power supplies.

{^_^}

[KA1GJU]

Well, spent an hour with the home owner!
Circuit breaker for outdoor outlets (as labeled) killed the noise. Upon lot's of poking around in garage, it's something to do with a home automation system. Uses the house wiring to control modules throughout house. Using the you loop antenna and Airspy, I managed to pinpoint it left of the front door. Turns out that's where the brains are. On battery power now and all is well, so maybe the power supply has gone bad? I didn't go in to see it, but when he texts me I will have him take pics of unit.

For a while I didn't think I was gonna get to the bottom of it, but neighbor was nice enough to assist by switching stuff off at breaker panel.

Will update with more later as it becomes available...

UPDATE...

Just texted me with other devices that were off line with the breaker off. Turns out it was his house server (computer) that was causing it.
Water treatment center, gigabit switch and server were on that breaker (go figure). When he turned it back on I got the following attched image...
Says he's gonna install a new power supply in the server!
These images are of a power supply that's 2/10 mile away!! WTH?

[Max]

Just texted me with other devices that were off line with the breaker off. Turns out it was his house server (computer) that was causing it.
Water treatment center, gigabit switch and server were on that breaker (go figure). When he turned it back on I got the following attched image...
Says he's gonna install a new power supply in the server!
These images are of a power supply that's 2/10 mile away!! WTH?

It's terrifying how just one bit of rogue kit at a neighbouring property can totally ruin the day. You were lucky to find a helpful neighbour. I think there are many reports of neighbours who just shut the door with a "not my problem" attitude, or worse. Well done for tracking it down and let's hope he does actually follow through. Keep us posted.

Personally, and possibly not the right precedent to set I know, but for the sale of quiet RF I'd eventually be prepared to pay to have rogue items replaced if it meant salvation of a clear spectrum (up to a point obviously). Thankfully I've not yet been put in that situation.

Why on earth the authorities cannot work with standards to preserve a clear spectrum I do not know. RF pollution should be viewed as being just as antisocial as light pollution is to astronomers or air pollution to general population.

73

Max

[KA1GJU]

Well, in the interest of safety, I mentioned I had previously located a bad wire splice that was hidden in the wall cavity of a house... preventing a house fire.

Long story short, a friend called me up and said he would lose TV signals when pointed his rotatable TV antenna at his neighbors house (pre-digital era). So I came over with Airband HT and a 2M beam antenna and located a broad band noise in the upper floor of house from standing outside. When I knocked on the door and asked if they were having any electrical work done she said yes, the electrician was trying to figure out why the lights in the guest bedroom would flicker. You could hear the arcing from a splice hidden in the wall cavity of the bedroom's closet! I told her to keep the breaker off and have the electrician come back and poke a hole in the wall at a specific location. lol

[KA1GJU]

Well, in the interest of safety, I mentioned I had previously located a bad wire splice that was hidden in the wall cavity of a house... preventing a house fire.

Long story short, a friend called me up and said he would lose TV signals when pointed his rotatable TV antenna at his neighbors house (pre-digital era). So I came over with Airband HT and a 2M beam antenna and located a broad band noise in the upper floor of house from standing outside. When I knocked on the door and asked if they were having any electrical work done she said yes, the electrician was trying to figure out why the lights in the guest bedroom would flicker. You could hear the arcing from a splice hidden in the wall cavity of the bedroom's closet! I told her to keep the breaker off and have the electrician come back and poke a hole in the wall at a specific location. lol