So I have found the source for the unreal amount of noise I am getting from power lines leading to a set of street lights. I am getting 5-7db of noise from 50-75 feet away. It also causes a lot of noise on the stereo.
One would think that it could be a hazard for anyone working on those poles.
I think one other source is a Comcast amp. It starts there and goes down the street several 100 feet and around the corner.
I just want to talk on my radio!
You can certainly complain, and probably should.
But first, you need to know who to complain to.
While it should be easier to just call someone and they'll fix it, this is rarely the case. Anything you can do to narrow down the cause will improve your chances of a positive resolution.
You mentioned "lights". Some LED lamps can be quiet noisy. If there is a street light on the pole in question, check to see if the noise is there when the light is off. If it goes away during the daytime, it's the likely culprit. Your city may be the best place to start. Some cities have the electric utility operate the street lights, so it may get booted over to them. Let the city figure that out.
There is no shortage of complaints from people about crappy LED lamps that do not meet the FCC Part 15 rules. In other words, some cheap LED lamps are way exceeding the limits on what the can radiate in the RF spectrum. Could be one bad lamp, could be that all of them in your area are bad. Anything you can do to narrow that down will help.
If the noise is present all the time, (and the street lights turn off during the day), then you'd need to look at the Cable TV system or arcing across insulators.
Dirty insulators arcing is usually a broad band noise that you'd pick up on AM radios, CB's, etc. The noise could change depending on the moisture content of the air.
Could also be faulty connections, loose bolts, corrosion, etc.
Not saying you should do this, but I've heard of guys going up to poles with suspect hardware and smacking it with a big hammer and checking to see if the noise changes on their radios. Usually a good indication of a loose/corroded connection. Of course smacking a utility pole with a BFH isn't the best idea.
Cable TV systems can also be a source. Even modernized systems fed with fiber optic cable still transition to coax for the drop to the homes. Any number of issues can cause system leakage. Loose connections, unterminated ports, unused drops, etc.
You might need to narrow it down a bit better, then start calling. If it's the street lights, call the city. If it's the power distribution, contact them, and let them know you are getting unacceptable levels of radio interference. You may have to start with one, have them tell you "it's not ours" and move on down the line. Being able to isolate it to one pole will help the process quite a bit.
