Radio interference from solar farms

XXavier

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2006
Messages
1,481
Location
Madrid, Spain
Aircraft
ELA R-100 and Magni M24 autogyros
Total Flight Time
913 gyro (June 2023)
A couple of weeks ago, while overflying a 'solar farm', I heard a strong signal, a sort of 'white noise' in my headphones. It was as if someone was strongly blowing on the mike, in my frequency. The intensity was so annoying, that I turned off my radio.
Another day, I flew again, low and slow, over the same 'solar farm', and again came the noise, very intense. It persisted for some time, even after leaving the area.

These doesn't happen with all solar farms. We have quite a number of them in our area, and it was the first time I got that interference. I believe it may have something to do with the conversion to high-voltage AC of the low-tension DC produced by the solar panels. Anyone here with a similar experience?
 
Hi

I am Amateur Radio Operator, and budding Gyro builder. My solar system, small as it is, uses a cheap modified sine inverter for the moment. There is so much hash produced by that inverter that it interferes with my reception. I surmise that the Solar Farm you went by has an inverter system that is not regulated/inhibited for spurious emissions. And since it is radiating through the power lines from the inverter to the grid, it is also a long antenna untill it hits a transformer, the transformer being one big inductor that will block the RF past that point.

Just my $.02 worth.

Curtis Scholl
 
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