*** Update***
It was not the power strip after all but it was the Ryobi battery charger that was causing all that noise.
*************

Very happy to report that I solved a MAJOR noise issue thats been affecting my radio for some time! I have been having horrible static and this really loud popping sound across all the bands. I’ve suffered with this noise since I got my Icom IC-7000 HF radio in June. Since I’m new to the hobby and didn’t have any radio experience to know the difference I kinda thought it was just environmental to be honest. I knew there was always going to be some noise so I thought maybe this was just it. However, after posting a video of it and hearing others point out that it was obviously not right and that I should look for the source of the noise I decided to try hunting it down using my handheld radio. I tuned the RX on my Kenwood TH-F6A to the same 10m freq. and could hear lots of noise but I couldn’t hear the popping sound so I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to figure it out.

Initially I walked around the house with my handheld and found plenty of sources of noise when I put the HT near them but I never heard the popping. I kept going and finally decided to try outside since after all that is where my antenna is.

First place I went outside was into the outdoor laundry room we have since it’s the only other place with electrical outlets and appliances (washer and dryer). Anyway, as soon as I walked in the noise got pretty loud on the handheld. As I walked closer the the outlet in there the noise got really loud. Still no popping but it was just so loud. Hanging off the outlet was a really old power strip. I’m talking really old! I unplugged the power strip and the noise instantly went away. I ran inside and checked the radio and sure enough it was dead quiet. Before I unplugged the power strip my noise level was an S7 and the popping would take it over S9 periodically. Now the noise didn’t even register on the S meter on the radio. My NR (noise reducer) actually works now and doesn’t just muffle the noise! Very very happy about this, only wish I had bothered to track it down sooner.

Below is a video I made showing the noise I was experiencing on all the bands. The video starts by demonstrating the really high noise levels. At 30 seconds in to the video I unplug the old power strip in the outdoor laundry room and you can see the noise level drop drastically from about an S7 to nothing. You can even start to hear voices come out of the noise once it drops calling CQ. I think its a pretty good demonstration of how old faulty equipment can generate really high noise levels.

Cause of the noise (Ryobi Lithium Battery Charger):

The noise it was causing:

I’m noticing a lot of interest in ham radio these days and have been asked on numerous occasions what to study and how to get licensed. So I decided to make a note on a few key things to hopefully help others get started.

For many you will be happy to know that you no longer need to know CW “morse code”. This use to keep a lot of people from getting licensed but this should no longer be an excuse. Go ahead and get your license now and later down the road if you decide you want to do CW you can just learn that on your own.

All of the questions and answers are actually publicly available and there are tons of test engines / test banks available for studying. If you review these and practice taking tests then there should be no surprises on the actual tests.

Despite the fact that all of the test questions are available I think it would be pretty difficult to think you can just memorize things. You really need to read some of the study materials out there and understand things. There is just way too much info out there to just memorize things. Not to mention that if your interested in getting licensed then you should be actually interested in the hobby itself and the content that the tests cover. If your not interested in actually learning something and wanting to know as much about the technology and the hobby as you can then I just don’t see the point in getting licensed. You won’t benefit from the license in any way other then personal satisfaction so you need to want to learn this content.

I highly recommend reading the Gordon West study materials. These materials organize the test questions in a logical way and break them down for you. He basically turns the questions and answers into a more readable format that actually flows like your reading a book and not just reviewing questions and answers.

You have two ways to approach the tests, you can just try to read as quickly as possible and review questions so that you can knock out the tests. The fast route would be to just get the Gordon West books and go. Nothing wrong with that I suppose. You can also take a little more time and a more detailed study path. In my opinion this would involve getting both the Gordon West book as well as the ARRL book. The ARRL books are very detailed and you will learn a lot. I really believe they are essential reading to anyone wanting to get started in the hobby. Once you read through the ARRL book then start going through the Gordon West book that will help you understand all the questions and prepare for the test. You should be able to find the ARRL books in your local public library. Make sure you get the most current version which will cover the proper material and test questions.

One final note about preparing and studying for your first test. I really think that a person should actually prepare for both the Technician and General at the same time. Surprisingly the material is darn near identical. In fact I think one could prepare for the General and then go and take the Technician and General in the same sitting. It usually costs about $10 for each of the tests. As soon as you pass the Technician test you can then take the General in the same sitting without having to pay another $10.

You will also want to confirm where you can take your test at and get the details on costs and date/time of the testing. You can usually find out this information from the ARRL website.

Good luck and hope work you on the air one day!