Funny Thing Happened Last Night...

[ghostyroastytoasty]

I was watching a show on my second TV and then I suddenly heard a voice coming in over what I was watching.. Crazy?? Nope... Somehow, one of my neighbor's CBs was interfering with my TV.. So I reset the channel that the signal comes in on... and while the TV was looking for the channel, the sound was still coming in. It must of been picked up by the coils and not on the TV signal itself. I've never had this happen before, and it was SUPER odd. Anyone else ever have this problem?

 

[steve4810]

This has been happening since guys started broadcasting from home. You should know that the FCC licenses all transmitters and takes a very very very dim view of an operator interfering with anybody.

Go you your neighbor and ask him nicely to come over while a family member at his house uses the transmitter so he can see and hear the problem. And make no mistake this is his problem.

After you have notified him, he must remedy the situation or stop transmitting. If he doesn't the FCC will help him stop. They have the power to confiscate transmitting equipment that is improperly used or is not working correctly and they will do that.

And since these kind of problems are always within "feet" of the offending antenna, your complaint will get as much interest as anybody else's.

Be nice. Give the guy a chance. Then be firm and give him another chance. Then turn his ass in.

 

[kg4ozx]

This depends...

Actually, are you SURE it is a CB? If your neighbor is an FCC Licensed Amateur Radio operator (which is very.. very different from a CB operator) then it is most definitely YOUR problem and your neighbor is under NO obligation to fix it as long as his station is following good engineering practice.

Now, realistically, if you neighbor is an Amateur Radio operator, then most likely he will do what he can to help the situation. By the law he isn't obligated to help you fix the problem, but usually we Hams will assist. Most ham radio operators want to spread good-will about the hobby. If you are getting this type of interference, most likely it is your TV's problem anyway. Usually it can be fixed with a bandpass filter which is relatively inexpensive.

However, if he is really a CB operator I would ask nicely that he move his antenna. If he

A) doesn't move the antenna or
B) moves the antenna but that doesn't fix the problem

Call the FCC field office near you. There is nothing protecting a CB operator that allows him to interfere with your TV.... and if he moves the antenna and it is still a problem, he's most likely running illegal power (CB is VERY low power, if done legally). The FCC frowns on CB operators using illegally high power.

 

[digiblur]

I knew a guy with a 1kw amp on his CB in his truck several years ago. You'd key it up and our TV would go to a bunch of lines through it rendering it totally unwatchable and all you could hear was him talking. He would have a ball with people that had TV's viewable from the street.

The best thing was the punks that had their trunks rattling. Keyed up and it would come right over there car stereo. Shut them down real quick.

He also had another trick where he would show off at night with a florescent light tube. He could light it up just by keying up with it within a few feet of the antenna.

 

[kg4ozx]

This has been happening since guys started broadcasting from home. You should know that the FCC licenses all transmitters and takes a very very very dim view of an operator interfering with anybody.

Go you your neighbor and ask him nicely to come over while a family member at his house uses the transmitter so he can see and hear the problem. And make no mistake this is his problem.

After you have notified him, he must remedy the situation or stop transmitting. If he doesn't the FCC will help him stop. They have the power to confiscate transmitting equipment that is improperly used or is not working correctly and they will do that.

And since these kind of problems are always within "feet" of the offending antenna, your complaint will get as much interest as anybody else's.

Be nice. Give the guy a chance. Then be firm and give him another chance. Then turn his ass in.

Steve, I agree with some of your post, but to say that people are "Broadcasting from home" or that the FCC takes a very "dim view of an operator interfering with anybody" is a little off base.

No one is licensed to "Broadcast" from home (Unless they have a Broadcast station license in the FM or AM band AND they happen to have their tower and transmitter for that station in their back yard.. and yes I have seen that happen). If they are truly "Broadcasting" from home, the most likely do not have a license and are considered Pirates... call the FCC immediately, do not pass go do not collect $200.

The FCC does take a dim view of INTENTIONAL interference, but if the operator is licensed (CB is an exception here) and your station is following good engineering practice, the station and it's operator are not liable for equipment that receives interference.

FCC Part 15 (under which TV receivers are regulated) states that "Operation is subject to the following conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation."

As long as the operator is licensed and the station is operating properly there is nothing that the FCC can do. Interference can and does happen even when operating in the best way possible.

 

[kg4ozx]

I knew a guy with a 1kw amp on his CB in his truck several years ago. You'd key it up and our TV would go to a bunch of lines through it rendering it totally unwatchable and all you could hear was him talking. He would have a ball with people that had TV's viewable from the street.

The best thing was the punks that had their trunks rattling. Keyed up and it would come right over there car stereo. Shut them down real quick.

He also had another trick where he would show off at night with a florescent light tube. He could light it up just by keying up with it within a few feet of the antenna.

That person needed to be reported to the FCC. CB operators are only allowed to legally have 4 watts PEP (Peak Envelope Power) of power using AM and 12 watts of power PEP using Single Sideband on an antenna lower than a certain level (it isn't very high). 1Kw is FAR too much power and that is the kind of person who gives all radio operators a bad name.

Now, it is funny that he messed with the trunk-rattling punks, but never the less he is in the wrong and should be reported.

The light bulb trick sure is fun.

 

[VBToad]

All home electronics are suppose to meet FCC specifications as to not interfere with other electronics and they usually have that little sticker located on the back of electronic equipment. That being said, it may be your speaker wires acting like an antenna due to the length they are cut. If you find that it is an armature radio operator (HAM) that you are hearing talk to him or her and they should be able to offer you a solution to your problem, usually a small capacitor (inexpensive) (under a buck) will fix it if it is a speaker wire problem.

If it is a CB type person running high power, any thing over 5 watts of transmit power is illegally to use on a CB radio, and if they are using high power they probably won't care about your problem, but check with them anyway, if you can't get any positive response from them then by all means turn them in to the FCC.

 

[digiblur]

A couple of years ago, Cox cable had an issue with the CB guy down the street. He was blasting an insane amount of wattage. His signal was getting into the cable system. The cable modems were using an upstream frequency on the cable system just below CB channel 1. He was talking on 14 most of the time. Every time he keyed up the cable modems would start dropping packets in the neighborhood rendering your internet useless. I showed the Cox cable techs this and what was the end result? Turn him into the FCC? Nope. The Cox guy basically said we've dealt with things like this before and the FCC is a joke when it comes to this now days. They ended up moving the cable modems to 34mhz instead.

 

[steve4810]

Actually, are you SURE it is a CB? If your neighbor is an FCC Licensed Amateur Radio operator (which is very.. very different from a CB operator) then it is most definitely YOUR problem and your neighbor is under NO obligation to fix it as long as his station is following good engineering practice.

Doesn't good engineering practice include not siting an emitter in a location where it can reasonably be expected to interfere with the normal operation of reasonably well constructed receiving equipment located in nearby residences or businesses?

If these guys ended up in court, my money would be on the op, not the ham. A judge isn't going to say "Well either build a faraday cage or sell your TVs or move cause it's OK for the defendant to deny you the right to watch TV."

 

[chadzx11]

Shoot his antenna down.

 

[steve4810]

Shoot his antenna down.

I like it!

It's not your fault his antenna got in the way of your bullet.

"Hey gander. Goose here. Wanna know what's good?"

 

[kg4ozx]

Doesn't good engineering practice include not siting an emitter in a location where it can reasonably be expected to interfere with the normal operation of reasonably well constructed receiving equipment located in nearby residences or businesses?

If these guys ended up in court, my money would be on the op, not the ham. A judge isn't going to say "Well either build a faraday cage or sell your TVs or move cause it's OK for the defendant to deny you the right to watch TV."

I would say that good engineering practice and RF safety would both dictate that an emitter not be located in a place that would cause harm to nearby residents, but electronic equipment is designed to be much more sensitive to RF than humans, so what would be a safe distance for RF exposure for humans might still cause some problems with receivers.

As for "If these guys ended up in court" that would depend greatly upon if this is a CB operator or a Ham Radio operator. HUGE difference in the eyes of the FCC. There simply isn't enough information to support a definitive answer either way, based on the information in the original post.

Maybe a quick read of Part 15 would clarify the FCC's stance on this.

Somewhere, I have managed to miss in the constitution the "Right to watch TV". Was that in the Bill of Rights? I forget...

Steve, you seem to have something against radio operators. You are jumping to the conclusion that this guy is operating his station improperly... NOT that perhaps something in the OP's setup is improper or that perhaps, as sometimes happens, there is just GOING to be some interference.

If the station operator is doing something wrong and if they do not take measures to correct their wrong-doing, by all means turn them in to the FCC. As Digi-blur pointed out, most likely they still aren't going to do anything... maybe send a letter. If it continues they will move forward but they aren't incredibly concerned with the pea-shooter CB operators not playing nice for the most part unless they are interfering with a LICENSED station (Again; broadcast, amateur, land mobile etc.)

The TV Manufacturer should have built the device with this paragraph in mind:

Section 15.17 Susceptibility to interference.
(a) Parties responsible for equipment compliance are advised to consider the proximity and the high power of non-Government licensed radio stations, such as broadcast, amateur, land mobile, and nongeostationary mobile satellite feeder link earth stations, and of U.S. Government radio stations, which could include high-powered radar systems, when choosing operating frequencies during the design of
their equipment so as to reduce the susceptibility for receiving harmful interference. Information on non-Government use of the spectrum can be obtained by consulting the Table of Frequency Allocations in §
2.106 of this chapter.

If the OP continues to have a problem I would recommend a High Pass filter or a bandpass filter. A quick google search turned this one up.

 

[steve4810]

As long as the operator is licensed and the station is operating properly there is nothing that the FCC can do. Interference can and does happen even when operating in the best way possible.

I don't believe my government has come to this sad state of affairs. But if this is the way it is people will find their own justice.

Think about it: Would you A. Quit watching TV. B. Sell your house and move. or C. Fix it.

All I can say is if this happened to my house it would stop. Absolutely permanently. Guaranteed.

No justice, no peace. Count on it.

 

[kg4ozx]

I don't believe my government has come to this sad state of affairs. But if this is the way it is people will find their own justice.

Think about it: Would you A. Quit watching TV. B. Sell your house and move. or C. Fix it.

All I can say is if this happened to my house it would stop. Absolutely permanently. Guaranteed.

No justice, no peace. Count on it.

I'm afraid it's been that way for a long, long time. If you were to take this matter into your own hands, as you suggest it is you who would be liable, not the operator. Two wrongs do not, in fact, make a right. If you cause damage to his equipment it doesn't really matter if he is operating legally or not.

You should really read up on the regulations of the FCC before you offer an opinion about what is and is not right. You do not have the right to receive a signal as an unlicensed user. A licensed user wins that battle.

As for your not-so-veiled threats, I would say that you need to REALLY understand the law where you live before taking any actions. The FCC does take INTENTIONAL interference pretty seriously against a licensed operator... just go take a look at the enforcement letters. That is just for Amateur radio....

 

[steve4810]

As for your not-so-veiled threats, I would say that you need to REALLY understand the law where you live before taking any actions. The FCC does take INTENTIONAL interference pretty seriously against a licensed operator... just go take a look at the enforcement letters. That is just for Amateur radio....

Dude, you fail to grasp the obvious fact. The system you claim protects those producing interference also requires any person accused of criminal acts against the interferers be proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Goose-gander again.

You are very naive if you believe enough folks would be cowed by a neighbor waving FCC rules when their TV viewing is hampered that it would be a prudent move ignore a complaint.

More importantly I bet the majority of hams confronted with such complaints would find a way to peacefully co-exist with their neighbors, whether done out of sense of fair play or because they value their safety more than they value amateur radio as a pass time.

I can't think chatting on the radio is that important to anybody.

It would be arrogance beyond comprehension to believe one's hobby is important enough to to interfere with something Americans have come to feel (rightfully so) is as an inalienable a right as those enumerated by our our forefathers.


Get a clue and drop this legalistic crap. Nobody buys it. More importantly some foolish soul might read you postings and feel entitled to mess with the TV of a less than reasonable viewer (and they are legion) and pay a price he couldn't have imagined. Not all of us understand and embrace the concept of proportionality as you and I do. There are people out there with "impulse control issues" and it is a wise man that doesn't seek to find out which of us they are.

 

[chadzx11]

Quick Question.............How did we get from the OP posting that it was a CB to all this ham radio crap? Just wondering, because I got lost along the way. Anyone should be able to tell a ham tower from a CB.

 

[tempVAdish]

Quick Question.............How did we get from the OP posting that it was a CB to all this ham radio crap? Just wondering, because I got lost along the way. Anyone should be able to tell a ham tower from a CB.

I think it began as "are you sure it's a cb & not ameteur?" I think KG4OZX is right, go ask the neighbor. Not too many people have base station cb's now and a good ham will research the issue and resolve it either on his end, or help the one w/ the interferance problem. He could have lost a shield or ground on his TX and not know it unless it's brought to his attention.

Rob
KD4NVS

 

[kg4ozx]

Dude, you fail to grasp the obvious fact. The system you claim protects those producing interference also requires any person accused of criminal acts against the interferers be proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Goose-gander again.

You are very naive if you believe enough folks would be cowed by a neighbor waving FCC rules when their TV viewing is hampered that it would be a prudent move ignore a complaint.

More importantly I bet the majority of hams confronted with such complaints would find a way to peacefully co-exist with their neighbors, whether done out of sense of fair play or because they value their safety more than they value amateur radio as a pass time.

I can't think chatting on the radio is that important to anybody.

It would be arrogance beyond comprehension to believe one's hobby is important enough to to interfere with something Americans have come to feel (rightfully so) is as an inalienable a right as those enumerated by our our forefathers.


Get a clue and drop this legalistic crap. Nobody buys it. More importantly some foolish soul might read you postings and feel entitled to mess with the TV of a less than reasonable viewer (and they are legion) and pay a price he couldn't have imagined. Not all of us understand and embrace the concept of proportionality as you and I do. There are people out there with "impulse control issues" and it is a wise man that doesn't seek to find out which of us they are.

Steve, it is obvious that we are not communicating here. It is not a criminal act to unintentionally interfere with someone.

I believe that according to the law, a licensed operator wins... I believe that in real life, any licensed operator worth his salt will help resolve the problem (as I stated in one of my earlier posts).

The truth is that Amateur Radio and Broadcast radio are protected as such because of the public service they provide. Both are used as resources in the event of disasters. Most of the time, broadcast radio just plays music just like most of the time amateur radio operators talk about the weather and what kind of equipment they are using. They are protected by the law for the times when they are called upon to provide health and safety information.

Steve, i'm not inferring that the operator, IF LICENSED, is correct to intentionally interfere with anyone. What I am saying is that ultimately, by the law, the operator is not compelled to do anything about it. Most will.. I know I would.. in fact I already have. I have pointed out a product that will solve the problem.

As for your ravings about an inalienable constitutional right to watch mindless drivel on television... just... wow. Have you READ the constitution?

 

[kg4ozx]

Quick Question.............How did we get from the OP posting that it was a CB to all this ham radio crap? Just wondering, because I got lost along the way. Anyone should be able to tell a ham tower from a CB.

Chad, Sorry about the deviation from the OP.

To an untrained eye, anything with a hand-mic and a magnet mount antenna is a CB. Same with base antennas. I dont even have a tower.. just a push-up mast and a few pieces of wire. Most folks wouldn't even be able to see my antennas without looking very closely.

 

[ghostyroastytoasty]

The person in question is most likely not carrying a license for this... This area is full (Southern WV) of unlicensed operators. I'm living in my house that my grandfather used to live in, and in this yard is an antenna... The person might have hooked up to it without me noticing because I never use it. I might have to go check it out in a little bit and see what is going on.
Can that get any more redneck?