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: 9/3/2007 Subject: TV interference by Ham Radio?
Question Several times over the past several months I have been getting interference on our TV set. We only have a TV antenna for broadcast TV (no cable).
I am wondering if the interference is being caused by local ham radio operators. There are at least two neighbors that I know who practice ham radio.
The interference that recently happened on our TV set was garbled speech. The only word I could understand was "over" at the end of a short dialog. Then it was silent for a bit and the garbled speech came on again. It was if I was listening to one side of a conversation. This is why I believe it was caused by local ham radio operators.
Is there a way to find out which of the two ham radio operators might be causing the interference? What recourse do we have to get our TV operating w/o interference.
Answer Well, Dustin, that does sound like radio interference.
Mark down the times that the problem occurs for a few days. Then go talk to your neighbors. Chances are, if they are Hams and not CBers, they will be receptive and helpful.
There are numerous things that can be done to improve your TV situation. Make sure that your antenna connections are solid. Make sure your TV is well grounded (make sure you are plugged into a grounded receptacle). You can buy an inexpensive "high pass filter" at an electronics store (this goes on your antenna line). The Ham can install a low pass filter on his antenna line.
Unfortunately, the FCC no longer investigates interference reports, but that doesn't mean that you can't bluff. You might want to tell your neighbor that you'd really like to resolve the problem in a neighborly way, without getting anyone else involved.
