Lost Really ????????

Started back on the radio a month or so ago after 25+ years off the airways. There don’t seem to be a lot of people out there wanting to help out or even put you in the right direction for help. People want to go on about “there is no point as no one is on anymore!! Or say give up. I have had some QRM issues when post looking for help the only reply you get is look online or deal with it that’s nothing. Maybe if it was like the old days and fellow users helped out each other there maybe more people out there. I will not be giving up as had some really good copys the last few weeks. Just hope to get the QRM down. Sorry for the little rant. But come on we all need to stick together.

73’s

Hello Badger, if you are homebased and suffering Qrm chances are it`s modern  technology related, i suffered Qrm which turned out be a laptop charger, best to turn of all electrical items to see if that improves matters. Best chances of making contacts seems be going static mobile at your local high ground if you have any locally, don`t give up!

Getting contact is not a problem I get out ok and pick so so as QRM is killing me. Just want to get it down as much as I can just looking for as much help as I can really. Really enjoy being on the radio. Thanks for your comment.

Try and narrow down the source of the Qrm by switching various items on and off, that`s what i did, but it could possibly be interference from a neighbour, good luck!

So much switch-mode power supply hash these days, I agree try to eliminate "internal" sources by switching everything except the radio off & if it's much improved then start turning stuff back on until you find the worst culprit. I find laptop chargers and one particular LED lightbulb amongst the worst offenders at home.

If it's coming from external sources then try and eliminate if it's getting through your power supply (run from 12v battery for a short while) or antenna. Hopefully it's antenna, and then you can work towards repositioning the antenna for least rubbish. (this is the big one for me since, like you, I'm getting out fine just struggling to pick other folk out of the egg & bacon. Hoping a decent antenna up over the roofline at the back will be a revelation compared to my current effort lashed to a fencepost).

Running a Sigma 2011 Skip Master 5/8 wave as my main antenna but got a sirio gps27 1/2 silver rod about 50ft away and that is pick up the same s4/7. QRM.

Hello Badger.

QRM is a tricky issue in a world full of devices that have the potential to splatter all over the radio spectrum. It's the bane of many a radio users life. You will suffer particularly on the 11 meter band but it's a problem across the entire radio spectrum. The Ham bands are protected by ofcom so things are a little kinder there but 11 meters (c.b.) is not protected at all so many of those pesky electrical devices don't have any filtering to stop the emissions that you are suffering from. The reason you are being told to research the issue on the internet is probably the fact that the issue is complex and quite extensive so a little study on "Good radio housekeeping" is the way forward.

Obvious offenders for the QRM would be L.E.D lights, cheap Chinese chargers for phones etc, Plasma TV's, Boilers, Solar panels, the list goes on and on. The solution depends entirely on the cause of the problem.

Start by turning everything off in you home at the mains and powering the radio by battery, if the noise drops then you know it's you that's causing the problem. Then power back up turning things on one by one monitoring the QRM on your radio. You might just find the source of the noise. If it's not you then it's obviously coming from a local source in your area. So you would need to do the same with your Neighbours.

If you believe you have a specific problem then by all means raise it and we will try and assist you with it. Good luck with this.

73's Gary.

We suffer the same with QRM, its a pain. I live at the bottom of the estate and my brother lives at the top. We both get the same amount of 6-7lbs of crap static and those we talk to who break through and hit us on a 9 pounder also bring the static in with them. If we go mobile onto the shoreline it is almost gone. At the house my bro has tried a few antennas vetor 4000, a couple 99's a silver rod and so on, meaning fiberglass vs aluminium doesn't come into the debate as the static is bad no matter what. Another bud in couple estates over (1/2 mile) same thing. BTW this is on all bands A,B,C,D,E,F - FM/AM/SSB all I can say is that its a digital world looking to kill off anolog - here comes Skynet and the Terminators next.