Radio/CB interferance

My neighbor across the street has a cb/radio setup (he talks to people across the country and has a huge antenae). His equiptment puts out a big signal, we can hear it through the telephone, the tv, our stereos, and even the computer. Does anyone know of a way to keep his stuff from bleeding through our stuff? None of the local authorities will do anything either (this is in the U.S., apparently it is legal) and it's really annoying.

 

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<IMG SRC = "http://users.esc.net.au/~nitro/BBoard_member_gifs/bowser_anim.gif">If it were me, I would be tempted to cut the cable to that antenna.

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It's all very large.

 

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Wait a minute! Are you sure that's legal? There is a reason why there are FCC rules! Even computer equipment has to pass emissions compliance to be legal. So I find it hard to believe that this guy's equipment can be legal, and at the same time stray outside of permitted emission bands.

Radio emissions, no matter how intense, should not interfere with your phone or your computer! Even if you use a wireless phone, it's probably using microwaves, not radio waves. It sounds like this guy's rig is leaking over the top, and should definitely be breaking some law.

Other than legal remedies, your only alternative recourse is to build an encompassing metal cage around your house (i.e. shield yourself.) But I don't suppose that's very reasonable, is it? Or, you could cut the guy's wire

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Radio Interference

You can speculate all day long as to the legality of the radio operators station, That don't help the problem. On the other hand there are things that you can do to try an make the problem less of a problem. First anytime you have wires running around the house for speakers, telephones, computers you are at risk of having some interference. First Computer speakers are nothing more than an antenna just waiting for a chance to receive a CB signal. If the cables are not shielded that is one thing that could help I understand this is not within the abilities of most home-owners to make changes of this nature but it's still something that should be done. At the same time that is being done the proper ferrite beads and associated RFI filters should be installed to make sure all bases are covered. The first things to try these methods with are the Stereo speakers and computer speakers and possibly the phone lines. Phone lines are notorious for picking up stray RF from all kinds of communications equipment. Since phones lines are never shielded and they often are run throughout the house they are the perfect antenna array for RFI. (Radio Frequency Interference).
I have successfully reduced and or eliminated this problem in many homes but it is sometimes time consuming and can cost some money to cure.

 

ham radio operators, sitting around all day swigging beer and burping while they expose their butt-cracks in their ill-fitting, dirty denim jeans. breaker, breaker, 10-4

 

The ham has a license to broadcast with certain amounts of power in certain specified bands (depending upon his level of license). He is 100% allowed to talk all he'd like.

On the other hand, if he's really just using a CB radio, then he might well be breaking the law. CB operators are not licensed, and there is a limit to the amount of power one can broadcast. I don't remember off the top of my head how much, but it's not a lot. Licensed hams can use much higher power.

Your electronic equipment is probably FCC part 15 certified, which means the following:

(1) The device may not cause harmful interference
(2) The device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

In other words, your TV, telephone, and other devices are not legally allowd by the FCC to broadcast any signals. You don't have a license to broadcast energy with your TV. In general, the device is not allowed to change the outside world. Curiously, even "rejecting" interference will affect the outside world, so the device must accept interference.

Most devices are shielded with metal plates and so on, to limit both the amount of energy they broadcast, and the amount of energy they pick up from interference.

Your best bet, confound, is to befriend the neighbor. Surely they don't intend to piss you off. Perhaps you can make friends, and just explain that sometimes his radio hobby interferes with the things you like to do. Perhaps you can work out some kind of deal so that he will use his radio only during specific hours, or at limit the use of the bands that interfere most during specific hours. You may also want to suggest that he could move his antenna, or perhaps upgrade to a more directional design that would send most of its radiated energy away from your house.

- Warren

 

Those would be truck drivers. Generally, hams are scrawny people with pale complexions and an assortment of soldering irons. If anything, their pants fit too tightly.

- Warren

 

This is a link to the FCC Regulations

http://wireless.fcc.gov/rules.html

Number 15 might give you the relevant information.

Better to speak to your neighbour about the problem first, if his transmitter's broadcast is spreading to other frequencies then he is wasting power.

 

This is a discussion on RFI/TVI that may help, it is Amateur Radio so I am not sure whether CB operators are under the same requirements

http://lists.contesting.com/_rfi/1999-January/000286.html

Has tips for RFI/TVI suppression.

 

Yours is a common complaint.

It is very probable that the neighbor is running illegal power booster/s. Yes, they make interferance filters for some equipment. If you have a Radio Shack, go see them and explain your problem. Sheilded wiring will help.

You can always turn your neighbor in to the FCC. It usually takes some time as the government is always slow to respond. It would be better if you and your neighbor could come to some kind of agreement.

If you have other neighbors, bet they have the same problem. Get a signed petition with them on it as a multiple complaint.

You could ask your "powered up neighbor" to pay for the problems he is causing others. That should guide you into the next step. If he doesn't care, then neither should you when it comes to notifing the FCC.

 

I have the same problem. I hear it on the phone. Sometimes, it even comes out of the speaker when the handset is on the cradle. Its my next door neighbors fault. My other next door neighbor has it even worse. The FCC does not care, they suggest "put a filter on your antanae" which didn't work.


I've just learned to try to ignore it, although its very annoying when everytime someone speaks to you on the phone you hear your neighbors mumbling.

 

Radio Interference

There are some pretty good filters out there and they can be quite effective. The url below is just one of many but one I have used with some success. Although I will say that modifications to the phone internally are usually more effective. Its worth a try.

http://www.k-comfilters.com/p_rf1s.asp

 

as a long time Ham/CB radio operator,i can tell you that your propblem is one that has been discussed in length many million times. one of the first things that pops into everyones mind when they hear of a station operator "bleeding" into other equipment is that "they must be breaking the law"...most of the time, there not. the problem you are experiencing is caused by the radio, thats a given, but it NOT HIS FAULT. its the fault of your equipments maker/manufacterer. if youll take the time to read the manual of TVI published by the FCC, ( located at http://www.kyes.com/antenna/interference/tvibook.html ) it clearly states in the first paragraph, and i quote directly from the manual:


"Many interference problems are the direct result of poor equipment installation. Cost-cutting manufacturing techniques, such as insufficient shielding or inadequate filtering, may also cause your equipment to react to a nearby radio transmitter. This is not the fault of the transmitter and little can be done to the transmitter to correct the problem. If a correction cannot be made at the transmitter, actions must be taken to stop your equipment from reacting to the transmitter. These methods may be as easy as adjusting your equipment or replacing a broken wire. These and other simple corrections may be accomplished without the help of a service technician"


so you see, it is likely that the object at fault is not the radio operators equipment, but actually YOUR equipment. electronics are a wonderful thing, but in todays rush to make everything smaller and inexpensive, two major components are left out. filtering and shielding. without these present in your electronics, youll receive all sorts of interference. dont assume hes breaking the law, cause hes most likely not. for this reason, the FCC has STOPPED ENFORCING CB RADIO , illegal power or not. why?....because 9 out of 10 Investigations by the FCC have actually shown that most stations are well within the limits of the law. they found it is not cost effective to spend thousands of $$$ and hundreds of man hours just to find out that the operators radio is totally legal. in our area, the FCC has past the responsibility of policing CB radio over to the police (lol)....even then, they will not even presue anything related because of the thousands of $$ it would cost to send each and every officer to school to learn whats actually legal or not.

one more thing.

these days, it is so simple for anyone to get a ham operators license, that you cant assume that its a CB operator bleeding on your stuff. it might well be a ham radio operator. if it is, there only required to make sure that there equipment doenst interfere with there own stuff. ham operators are licensed to run whatever legal limit power is on the bands there licensed for, which, by the way is THOUSANDS of watts.

anyway, i hope this info has helped you some. please take the time to read the fcc handbook at the link ive provided

 

twinn towers has it right
im assuming in the states that you have the same regs as we do here down under(fairly safe bet as we accept your fcc accreditations as equalling our own lisc requirements)

for cb 12w on ssb or 4w on am for 27 meg for cb or 400w am/fm/data or 1200w ssb for the amateurs

if his eq is legal(and anyone using a tower and yagis is most likely legal-cause they are so flamin obvious lol) then your own eq is most likely the problem-because why spend an extra 30 cents to provide decent filtering to every stereo sold when they could pocket that money-esp as there is no legal requirement for the manufacters to do so

:-(




but i have been on one side of this before(i still use packet on 27 and 468 lol)

wander over and tel him(politely-dont get out the baseball bat yet) that he is causing problems with your stuff

i had a neighbour do this to me(he was still using 300 ohm ribbon cable for his tv ant-which was the cause of his problems)-i was able to quickly rig a simply bypass filter for him(that consisted of a bit of elec tape,a pair of scissors and his existing 300 ohm cable)

he was happy,i was happy and we went on to share many a beer

so its worth a try

(and i fixed his faulty vcr that wouldnt record-helps if its actually in the antenna circuit lol)

he became one of my biggest defenders in the neighbourhood

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be polite-but firm ;-)
tell him you are hearing his tranmisitions through your equipement(its called bleedthro) and could he help to minimise it??

all hams(yuck i hate that term) and most cbers have enough knowledge to suggest ways of stopping it at no or minimal cost
and most are well aware of the `big antenna sydrome' and are more than willing to help you with your problems

then email the manufacters of your equipement thats being affected and tell them how s... they are not to put that 30cent component in in the first place

:-(