AboutChris Bushman Expertise I have been an amateur radio operator for about 36 years.
Experience In real life I manage a small motion picture film lab in Hollywood. I've been a fireman, a teacher of English in Okinawa, a personal computer tutor.
I am an Advanced Class Ham radio operator using my originally issued callsign WB6EEQ. I have operated for extended periods of time from Okinawa (KR6FX & KR6OP), Texas (K5VXG), and Mississippi (K5TYP).
While in the Air Force, I was a Manual Morse Radio Intercept Operator.
BS Zoology, UC Davis
Member, Society of Motion Picture/Television Engineers http://www.smpte.org/ - Member, American Radio Relay League http://www.arrl.org/ - Member, Quarter Century Wireless Assn. http://www.lockport-ny.com/radio.htm - President, Zen Nippon Airinkai, So Cal Chapter http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Chris_Bushman/ - Member, Maltose Falcons Homebrewing Society http://www.westval.com/mfalcons/ - Alumni, American Brewers' Guild http://www.abgbrew.com/
Expert: Chris Bushman Date: 6/3/2008 Subject: Ham Radio Interference
Question My neighbor is a ham radio afficianado and is getting more and more into it -- he now has 4 different antennae. I receive his broadcasts on my computer speakers, one television, and a treadmill! How can I block these annoying and constant (4:30 am!) blasts of noise?
Answer Well, Jolene, there is no specific cure all for this problem, but I have a couple of suggestions.
First of all talk to him. Responsible Hams do not want to annoy people. Since he knows enough about radio to get a license (I hope) he should know all the things that can be done to help the problem. I have 6 neighbors that have told me they have a problem with my Hamming. I have fixed the problem for all of them. There was a 7th complaint, but it was in the form of anonymous hate mail taped to my front door - I couldn't fix that one.
There are "filters" - devices that can filter out radio signals that can be added to things that radios interfere with - like TV's. These filters are called "high pass" filters - they can pass high frequency TV but filter out lower frequency Ham signals. They are simple and cheap and can be purchased at Radio Shack (I bought the ones for my neighbors). Good grounding (that third thingie on some plugs) also can help. Maybe your treadmill is one of those grounding issues.
There is also a filter that your Ham neighbor can add to his system. It's called a "low pass" filter. Same idea as the filter mentioned above, but it passes the low frequency Ham signals and filters out any unintentional high frequency radiation that might interfere with your stuff. It's much more expensive than the "high pass" filters mentioned above - I bought mine for around $200 - but it's a great investment.
If polite, neighborly negotiation doesn't work then file a police report. Radio waves interfering with your right to peace and quiet is no different that sound waves from the stereo at the next door party. If the police tell you to call the FCC, tell them that the FCC no longer investigates Ham Radio interference, so they are elected.
If all the above fails, maybe we can talk about some reverse interference strategies. But let's hope it doesn't come to that.
