[462ron]

Just a thought, could there be one of those invisible dog fences around or electric fences for keeping livestock contained nearby?

Ron

[morzh]

If anything adds directionality, it is the ferrite antenna that is in every portable. The source, being local, will be strong enough to not have to pull the telescopic rod out.
However I am not sure how sensitive that to the distance from the source.

This is where ARDF portable would help, it's made for that.

[jcassity]

your gonna make me google that one! LOL

[cpollock]

Just a thought, the dipole antenna is sensitive to electrostatic noise, which is pretty common from anything that sparks. If you use a loop antenna, as when you attached the other end of your antenna wire to the ground terminal, both ends of the wire see the same electrostatic noise, so most electrostatic noise cancels.
Loop antennas respond to the magnetic field of the RF wave. Magnetic fields are created by currents, which are less common in natural sources, so there is generally less magnetic noise in the environment.
The challenge with the loop is that ideally it has a circumference almost equal to the wavelength, so it is not very practical for AM bands. Some of the Philco models incorporated multiturm loop antennas in the cabinet that were impedance matched through the input coil to provide optimal signal.
There are other ways to make small loop antennas ( see makearadio.com/loops/index.php for a few ideas). I'm just putting one together based on this site, and will fill you in if it works.

[tbone]

I've put chokes in all light dimmers and all LED fixtures.  The switching supplies create enormous noise that feeds through the entire electrical system of the house.  I have to unplug battery chargers and some wall warts to listen to any AM receivers.  Thank goodness for FM!  Love my Scott 16A in my shop for that reason.

I found my interference was coming from my neighbors LED lighting and dimmers. I walked over, called my wife on speaker phone near the radio, and had him turn his lights on and off. He was shocked that his lights would bother my radios across the street. Same transformer for 3 houses, I’m doomed. Too expensive to replace all his lights. Plus every room has a dimmer. Double doomed!

[Ed Locker]

I have the same problem here. I have to wait for my neighbor to hit the sack and turn off their noise makers ( florescent lights ) before I have decent AM without the constant, annoying buzz. We also share the same transformer. I called AEP and was told that they didn't want to get involved.

Luckily, my neighbor usually hits the sack at about 9:30PM.

[Ron Ramirez]

Ed

Maybe a nice letter, email or phone call to Uncle Charlie is in order? That would get AEP's attention...

[Ed Locker]

Ron

Uncle Charlie? 

FCC?

Huh?

Ed

[Ron Ramirez]

Yup, FCC.

[cpollock]

Just curious, is the noise radiated by the LED dimmer as a radio wave, or is it carried by the power lines?   If it is in the power line, have you tried an EMI filter on the power cord for the radio? They are pretty good at stopping noise from leaving the unit, they should work reciprocally the other way as well. You can get a power entry filter for $6. It might be worth a try, at least it is under your control.

[Paul Philco322]

My friend Ross has a pal who would wander the neighborhood looking for issues with power lines, went around with a radio listening for sounds.

He had to complain seeral times for the power company to fess up.

Paul

[Radioroslyn]

Yous guys need to start collecting more farm sets!!!!!!!

[John Bartley]

Yous guys need to start collecting more farm sets!!!!!!!

Yes, farm sets are great at getting rid of mains noise, and when the power is off over a wide area they perform well, at least the couple that I have used do. I have a nice Viking (Phonola) A+B set here that is a fabulous receiver, but ..... being a battery set doesn't help under normal circumstances during the day, when the RF noise is so loud.
We have no AM stations around here....none. During the day on AM all I get is noise, but as the sun approaches the horizon at dusk, the noise diminishes and the bands come alive with all manner of AM stations, from LF beacons to the pulpit pounders on SW.

[Ed Locker]

And handheld battery transistor sets pick up the buzz too, a farm set wouldn't be any different.

That's how I discovered the origin of the noise; I took a walk around the neighborhood with a transistor set and isolated the buzz to be coming from my neighbors house. It comes through the air and through the AC line.

[tbone]

The LED/Dimmer noise is coming through the power line. If you take a pocket radio and go anywhere in the vicinity of a power cable or outlet, the noise just radiates off it. You really need to stop it at the source.

Here is a nice article from a company that makes dimmers. Interestingly enough, they make a de-buzzing coil to put in line with the hot feed to the lamps. One can read between the lines here. The guilty always come up with a solution after the fact.

https://www.lutron.com/TechnicalDocument...360484.pdf