Mark Mallory wrote in message ...

-If I drive to the antenna farm and get the interference,
-does it prove the problem is outside my plane, or just that
-the handheld is also more susceptible to it?

It could mean:
The antenna farm is clean; the handheld and your plane *both* have a problem.

Or, the handheld *is* the problem, since it's normally in the plane?
(but normally disconnected from its antenna)

The antenna farm has a problem; the handheld *may* be clean and
your plane *may* be clean.

Since you don't have enough information to distinguish between the above cases,
you can't rule your plane IN or OUT. On the other hand, if you HADN'T gotten
the interference on the ground with the handheld, you could probably rule the
plane IN (but still not conclusively if the problem is intermittent.)

Isn't troubleshooting fun? ;^)

Just Ducky (pun intended).

So what do you suggest to distinguish?

My ideas a
1) return to antenna farm w/ handheld and try to stay long enough
to get a station ID, also confirm lat long coordinates
if interference received:
2) fly w/out handheld in the plane
if interference received:
3) remove #2 nav com and ELT from plane
fly again
if no interference:
4) put one back

I called the FSDO last week and got the name of their frequency
guy, talked to him. If the problem reproduces today and I have
the street address and lat-long of the antenna, I'll call him back
with an update since "go right here and see what you find" is
an easier proposition than "there's a problem somewhere in this
vicinity"

I'm also thinking it might be worth a call to the TV station,
to see if they have someone who cares because maybe they have
better equipment and could check this out. (or maybe I can get
the FAA guy to call...)

You mentioned the problem was considerably worse on *one* com than the other...
if the problem IS in the plane, that's my guess as to the source (see my other
post). Can you disconnect the antenna from *that* com, and fly with just the
other one?

No problem, but it would be easier (as well as owner-allowed maintenance)
to just remove the radio -- if that would suffice? Or are you thinking
it's the antenna/cable?

IF it's the radio -- unfortunately it's a TKM. Are there bench
checks our local avionics guy should be able to run to see if it's
up to spec, before we ship it out to them?

Thanks!
Sydney