Noise Floor Group

Noise Floor Group

Finding Solutions to Receive Interference

Updated 24th March 2020

noisefloor@vmars.org.uk


This is the file for a VMARS Special Interest Group (SIG) which is creating a database of information generated to assist operators who are suffering from high levels of noise floor and general interference to reception.

If you have any useful information, positive experiences, videos or solutions on finding cures for the increasing noise levels that are blighting amateur radio, please share them with us at noisefloor@vmars.org.uk so that we can publish them on here in order to assist other sufferers in finding answers.

Click on either picture above to hear the interference about 30 seconds into the recording


An example of the sort of noise that radio amateurs are having to cope with. First is an SDR screen shot of the acceptable S4 noise floor level of a quiet 80m band at around 10:00hrs in early November and the same frequency after a single unfiltered local LED light has been switched on and creates S8 interference. Click on either of the pictures to listen to the effect that the same LED light has on an AM signal from a portable station operating in Belgium when the LED light is switched on at the receive location about 30 seconds into the recording.

Above – the small LED panel light that caused the interference seen and heard in this example. Note the CE mark which should denote that it meets European standards of electromagnetic interference among other standards.

Amateur Radio blogger Callum McKormick, M0MCX, with observations on the rising noise floor. A succinct view of the problem of noise. Click here for a 13 minute video

The following links will provide some basic information:-


Welcome to the UKQRM site 

Welcome to the Ban Power Line Technology site

Checking & identifying noise sources

Lots of sites covering this topic on the internet – just Google Radio Frequency Interference

G8AOJ George Smith – Gives useful advice and help on using an AM air band to locate overhead line noise

RSGB Convention lecture by GM3SEK concerning noise and interference. A very useful video of about 55 minutes in length

A video from a young Australian amateur (VK3FBIC) about checking out your home QTH for generated noise. Click here,10 minutes


Useful Links

Clean up your shack – GM3SEK Technical Blog

QRM Guru – Resolving Interference for Amateur Radio


Product Reviews

This section includes items which are sold as being capable of assisting operators to reduce noise interference. Their inclusion on this site is for information only and does not imply any endorsement of their capability by VMARS.

MFJ1026 Noise and Interference Canceler – video review – Example of removing local power line noise
MFJ1026 Noise and Interference Canceler – written review by G4ILO

Ideas & Solutions

M0NWK – Make a mains filter – video

Personal Experiences with OFCOM Complaints

If you have direct personal experiences of the oucome of complaints to OFCOM about interference on the radio spectrum, please tell us about them.

Contact the Noise Floor Group at noisefloor@vmars.org.uk