Dealing with fluorescent lights and interference

[KyDXIn]

Amen to that! There is a particular house I drive by on the way to and from work every day.
They must be splitting atoms in the basement, because when I go by there something blows out
EVERY AM station (including the strongest locals) on my car radio. Just overpowers them for about
a block in either direction. I have come to refer to it as The Soviet Jamming House.

I am guessing that they have one of the biggest plasma TV's on the market and they
never turn it off.

The other trouble spot is where I drive by a local hospital, where they are using MRI equipment.
But even that interference is nowhere near as bad as what comes out of this house.

Growing Pot is a distinct possibility. Those huge grow lamps put out a ton of RF.
How's their electric meter running?

Something funny is going on there for sure. It reminds me of what happened to Lucy.

http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/fillings.asp

 

[kenglish]

Several times in the past year or two, I've been tempted to pick up the phone, call the FCC, and ask if I can ship them my radio, to see if they can find out why it only gets static and noise. ;D

I may just carry it home to Georgia, and pay a visit to the Powder Springs lab.

 

[K6JHU]

Out here in the MON (Middle of Nowhere) where I know what is running in the house and no really close neighbors, I have a lot of interference (Am bradcast through about 14 MHz). I put it down to the electric cattle fence controllers. Then I realized what it is most likely is that I just have really lousy power coming in off the grid from the electric company. When I hahve time I intend to run that issue down.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Amen to that! There is a particular house I drive by on the way to and from work every day.
They must be splitting atoms in the basement, because when I go by there something blows out
EVERY AM station (including the strongest locals) on my car radio. Just overpowers them for about
a block in either direction. I have come to refer to it as The Soviet Jamming House.

I am guessing that they have one of the biggest plasma TV's on the market and they
never turn it off.

The other trouble spot is where I drive by a local hospital, where they are using MRI equipment.
But even that interference is nowhere near as bad as what comes out of this house.

Growing Pot is a distinct possibility. Those huge grow lamps put out a ton of RF.
How's their electric meter running?

hmmm.....interesting theory! The fact that the interference is on at any time of day when
I drive by would appear to confirm it.

It is actually not that far from a part of town where I would fully
expect to find such activity. I wonder if I just narc'd on them because I'm the one guy still driving
around with his AM radio on?

 

[Big 121]

Two of the worst RFI generators in my house are NEW appliances. A Whirlpool refrigerator that uses a 220V compressor sourced from
Brazil. Whirlpool steps up the voltage with a switching inverter that sprays out fundamentals on LW(150khz), but is rich in carrier
harmonics that appear ALL over the BCB. An 8 amp ac input filter is now bolted on the back; QRM gone.
The second is a Frigidaire front-loader washer. Huge switching amp drives the drum motor and sends buzz-saw RFI thru the house.
Used 1 or 2 times a week, it's livable. No "part 15" labels on either.. uhh FCC, what do you say??

 

[Icangelp]

Two of the worst RFI generators in my house are NEW appliances. A Whirlpool refrigerator that uses a 220V compressor sourced from
Brazil. Whirlpool steps up the voltage with a switching inverter that sprays out fundamentals on LW(150khz), but is rich in carrier
harmonics that appear ALL over the BCB. An 8 amp ac input filter is now bolted on the back; QRM gone.
The second is a Frigidaire front-loader washer. Huge switching amp drives the drum motor and sends buzz-saw RFI thru the house.
Used 1 or 2 times a week, it's livable. No "part 15" labels on either.. uhh FCC, what do you say??

Back in the good old days when the FCC had field people tripping over each other, they would have shut you down, taken your washer, and fined you for illegal broadcasting.
;D
Maybe not. Your refrigerator would have required an ice man, and your washer would no doubt been a ringer model. Or maybe you would have had a Crosley Icy Ball or a Servel, neither of which required electricity or an ice man.

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

I easily recall first dealing with fluorescent lights when I took an AM radio to school in the seventh grade and picked up all of the buzzing. Now, with computers, it's just more interference.

Just a few ideas.........If possible, try to get the radio as far away as possible from any computer screen and against an outside wall. Also, if possible, try to get the radio up next to a window. Sometimes it helps to place the radio against a waterpipe. The pipe can act as an antenna and most pipes lead out of the building and away from the sources of interference.

 

[K6JHU]

Except that most water pipes are now plastic

 

[FreddyE1977]

Two of the worst RFI generators in my house are NEW appliances. A Whirlpool refrigerator that uses a 220V compressor sourced from
Brazil. Whirlpool steps up the voltage with a switching inverter that sprays out fundamentals on LW(150khz), but is rich in carrier
harmonics that appear ALL over the BCB. An 8 amp ac input filter is now bolted on the back; QRM gone.
The second is a Frigidaire front-loader washer. Huge switching amp drives the drum motor and sends buzz-saw RFI thru the house.
Used 1 or 2 times a week, it's livable. No "part 15" labels on either.. uhh FCC, what do you say??

I wonder if this might be a case of the World Trade Organization trumping Part 15?