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"No one cares about your stupid radio"

What would happen if the FCC Enforcement Bureau agents carried guns, and were given the power to arrest people who refuse to obey the laws. You know...like every other agent of every other federal, state, county or city enforcement agency.
Would they still be ridiculed? Would people still taunt them? Ignore their orders? Would mayors continue to publicly support pirate stations, while laughing in the faces of FCC agents?
Would property owners threaten the federal agents who knock on their doors while doing investigations?
Would it still take years of letter writing, with the illegal ops just laughing as they shred the notices?
If you gave such crap to a traffic cop, you'd likely get a baton across your throat. So, why should FCC people accept such abuse, and not be allowed to do their jobs effectively?

Three years and counting, trying to get another RFI problem solved.
 
kenglish said:
What would happen if the FCC Enforcement Bureau agents carried guns
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That's an interesting question. Actually the FCC has no real jurisdiction in most states, so they have to rely on local law enforcement (who carry guns and can arrest people) to carry out the law. Why? Because the FCC isn't a law enforcement agency. They are more like the Bureau of Land Management, which also relies on local law enforcement.
 
As critical as radio communication is in a modern society, maybe their authority should be expanded.
 
kenglish said:
As critical as radio communication is in a modern society, maybe their authority should be expanded.
Click to expand...

Honest question - is broadcast radio seen as critical in our society? If we were talking about interference with cel phone reception, people would be demanding action. AM radio?...maybe not.
 
Interference is interference, no matter what band. RFI is found across the spectrum, from DC to light.
The FCC is tasked with enforcing all of it, whether it is affecting AM broadcast, FM (due to pirate activity), ham radio, cell phones (due to electrical interference from lights and signage), public safety, aircraft, etc .
Every day, more stuff is added to the spectrum, both required and unnecessary. It's becoming more chaotic by the day, and only one small agency has any authority to do anything . Unfortunately, that agency has few people, little budget, and very little respect.
 
The FCC has to prioritize, just like anybody operating under cost constraint. Their priorities are set based on who/how many affected and how politically connected those affected are. So, cell phone companies, major broadcasting companies, federal/state agencies.

Speaking as an AM DXer, it would be great if something could be done about AM RFI. It's likely not a priority to the FCC.

On FM, I can only recall hearing one pirate in the 20+ years I've been in Houston. The biggest problem is the proliferation of LP's and translators (sometimes on the same frequency) up and down the band. The FCC probably cares only insofar as it causes interference with full-power broadcasters.

I hear you about the amount of stuff being added to the problem, but the trend is toward more RFI sources, not less (smart lightbulbs for heaven's sakes!). It would be great if RFI shielding requirements were strengthened, but that ship has sailed unless public safety was at issue. In the two hurricanes I've experienced, it was good to have a radio since the cell towers were offline. With the power off, AM was still a problem due to everyone having generators!
 
Turned on the radio around dusk, and all frequencies sound like a grand finale of a July 4 fireworks display. Looks like one too, as many lights are flashing randomly like fireworks.
The interference locator has it's meter nearly pegged, and I hear huge droning, ringing and buzzing noise in the headphones.
Didn't hear quite this much noise when the 250 KV power line failed, around the corner.
 
Saw a post on the ham radio rfi remailer, from a guy in Indiana. He is getting interference from an apartment complex about 3/4 mile away.
He says that he contacted the management, but then the lawyers got involved, and he has to sign a bunch of papers and have someone from the complex accompany him EVERY time he walks through.
They did find a bad fire alarm system controller, but have to wait for the contractor to come work with them....I can understand wanting the complex people involved before messing with their stuff.
What I would like to know is, do they require all this stuff from anyone else who enters their grounds?
Postman? UPS? Uber/Lyft drivers? FedEX? People who free-lance delivering for Amazon? Pizza delivery, and the dozens of similar food delivery schemes?
Does anybody have time to play radio any more, or is it all about begging for help with the noise?
 
I renewed my lease (final time) on Thursday, and asked the new leasing agent about the lights. Friday afternoon, one of the maintenance guys came over and changed six bulbs. I talked to him about the high pressure sodium vapor bulb, but he left without changing it...Maybe because it was starting to snow.
The HPSV is still cycling, but the overall noise level is better.
Maybe they will do the rest next week. I'd love for them to do the other buildings nearby, since there are several bad HPSV that can interfere with radio and TV, but I think I'm the only person who uses OTA any more. Too bad it doesn't affect cellphone.
 
I'm 35 and have lived on my own since I was 18.. I've had to call power companies 3 times in 15 years because what I was pretty sure was their power lines/poles obliterating AM radio reception.

in one casewhen living out west... i emailed the customer service manager of the city owned utility at 6pm one night, got an email 90 minutes, told me someone would call the next day to schedule a visit. I got a call before lunch and the supervisor asked if his guy could come by between 8am and 12noon tomorrow.. i said sure. guy calls me at 6pm that night, says hes in the neighborhood and asks if he can come by now. we do a few things.... turns out what it was all along, was a cable modem power supply that went bad.

next case, i called my utility in a small northeastern town.. big company.. i had them out in 4 to 5 hours... we checked a bunch of things........ turned out it was a battery charger a neighbor left plugged into his rundown car.

third case, living in the midwest.. i suspected a bad power pole and street lamp.... buzzing would show up on my radio but no light ever came on. called them on a saturday, and i heard from my boss who was driving past my house on his lunch break (i was at work) saw a power truck outside my house.. got home, problem GONE... virtually no noise from the light/pole now and my giant loop antenna is in the yard not far from it.


What i think ive learned that helps me is.. i tell them its obliterating my AM radio reception (and im pretty sure theres some kind of Regulations which requires power companies to fix this!).. i also casually mention i work in broadcast radio (and I Do!).. and i think that kinda lets them know that i have some clue about whats going on and what theyre supposed to do (and know that i can probably file a complaint if they dont fix it)
 
I work in broadcasting, too. Part of my job is viewer and listener complaints.
Never had a problem with the power companies...I even have direct access to their operations and RFI people.
The people that give us problems are the ones who don't care if people can get radio and TV, especially if it will cost a few dollars to fix their stuff. Some have said, "why don't they just get cable", or, "maybe those hams will give up and move away".
I wish people wouldn't get so hostile, and just cooperate on fixing the problem.
 
I'm certainly sympathetic to everyone who has unbearable interference issues. I experience fleeting issues of my own on HF and MW from time to time but consider myself lucky that it isn't worse than it is.

What really surprises me is the number of complaints about CFLs and LEDs. My house is full of both and none of them cause any noticeable degradation of any bands, even TV and FM. Dimmer switches, free standing heaters and electric blankets, on the other hand…

Really, the worst interference issues I have are radio station-generated. I'm across the street from a 2.5 kW AM, and on HF, Cuba tends to be the problem child with their "jammin' masheen" spewing trash all up and down the dial instead of just where Radio Martí is broadcasting.
 
Since my last post, five or six more sodium lights have gone bad. Fortunately for my neighbors, they all use services like Spotify, and no longer need old-fashioned broadcast service .
I was going to mention that Chik-Fil-A got cited for a zoning violation after I asked the City about the new, extremely bright lights they put in (that shine directly in to our Windows, as well as blinding drivers leaving our complex). I thought they were being nice, by turning them off the last couple of days, but they are back tonight.
"Merely a Law, Not a Commandment'"
 
kenglish said:
Since my last post, five or six more sodium lights have gone bad. Fortunately for my neighbors, they all use services like Spotify, and no longer need old-fashioned broadcast service .
I was going to mention that Chik-Fil-A got cited for a zoning violation after I asked the City about the new, extremely bright lights they put in (that shine directly in to our Windows, as well as blinding drivers leaving our complex). I thought they were being nice, by turning them off the last couple of days, but they are back tonight.
"Merely a Law, Not a Commandment'"
Click to expand...

I had the same problem with rodeway lights behind my house which were owned by the city. I asked them if they could shade the lights so that the very bright lights didn't illuminate my kid's bedrooms and they complied. Perhaps that might work for you. I've found that most businesses want to be good neighbors.
 
Walked over to the mall, intending to buy more dark trash bags to put over the Windows, and saw contractors over there. They are remodeling over the weekend. The electrician said he turned the breaker on, not knowing it was purposely left off. I talked to him about the lights, including the noisy sodium vapor. He said that "corporate" had him put the LED lights in last month, since they have so much drive-thru business that they now have valet order takers that walk along the row of (usually about 50-60) cars.He said that no one knew they needed permits for the upgrade. He says he'll re-aim them.
 
Noted that the lights across the street have been on every night for a week or so (since I got home). I just got hold of the city planning folks, and they said that the code enforcement staff is being laid off, and the unified city/county police are going to take over. She said the people I talked to last month probably are unemployed now.
I spent a day last week boxing up all my radios, TV and FM DX equipment, and antennas. I'm done....hopefully I can find a nice place on the coast next winter or spring, and move.
No one will fix anything, and the FCC can't make them.
 
kenglish said:
Noted that the lights across the street have been on every night for a week or so (since I got home). I just got hold of the city planning folks, and they said that the code enforcement staff is being laid off, and the unified city/county police are going to take over. She said the people I talked to last month probably are unemployed now.
I spent a day last week boxing up all my radios, TV and FM DX equipment, and antennas. I'm done....hopefully I can find a nice place on the coast next winter or spring, and move.
No one will fix anything, and the FCC can't make them.
Click to expand...


actually, the FCC can make them fix stuff.. you just have to be persistent, and contact the right people
 
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