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In Reply to: DIY Noise Sniffer? posted by cporada@cabnr.unr.edu on March 21, 2007 at 08:49:14:
I have no idea what noises a "noise sniffer" smells but I just use a cheap AM "transistor" radio. If you have never done so you will probably find it a real eye opener.Try tuning it for the lowest frequency that isn't occupied by a local station and wandering around.
Follow Ups:
Hi Rick
Thanks for the tip. Sorry if this is a really dumb question [probably it is :) ] but, when you say "wander around", you mean move the radio around the house plugging it into different outlets and listening, right; or just wandering around with a battery-powered radio listening to which areas/items in the house are putting out "junk" that is picked up by the radio?
Thanks
Chris
Hi Chris,The latter. In fact being battery powered is important because it isolates your test equipment (the radio in this case) from conducted noise.
Just try walking around your house while listening between stations, you will likely find many local noise sources which MIGHT cause problems with your audio equipment such as arcing switches or loose bulbs, electronic ballasts, switching power supplies, noisy rectifiers etc.
You can also follow the noise along the wiring in your walls, the magnetic loopstick antenna used in those radios makes it quite easy to do so. You can follow a noise to it's source or from the source to see how far it goes.
One plan might be to identify as many sources as you can and temporarily unplug them or turn them off. The quieter environment may then allow you to find more. Then go listen to you stereo for a while. Now, go turn them all back on and listen again. Any difference? If not, you're done and will still have the radio to listen to the game.
Just because you hear noise doesn't mean that your system is susceptible to it. But if it is, filtering at the source, as others have suggested, is a good idea. If the source is on the same circuit as your stereo try to plug it into another.
Be methodical. Just because something is very strong within a meter, such as those little plug-in switchers which seem to be on everything these days, doesn't necessarily mean that they cause conducted problems or bother equipment at a distance. But you probably don't want one plugged in right beside your turntable.
Good luck, Rick
I had thought of this but never tried it. Once you know the noise makers put a ferrite on the power cord of each of them.
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