Got Interference on Your New HDTV? It's a Ham...

[PA5COR]

He now looks for CE, not FCC stickers

CE like Chinese Export?

[WØTKX]

He now looks for CE, not FCC stickers

CE like Chinese Export?

Smartass Socialist!

[kb2vxa]

I could tell SO many stories your funny bone would go numb from over-stimulation before we run out of server space and half of them based on a scanner antenna when I had no transmitters. It seems Kel, you're not the only engineer driven to distraction, only their stories aren't funny but just as stupid. As for cable leakage, I've experienced everything from crap on the scanner to 2M RFI in both directions and at one QTH a leak a block away so bad I could watch cable by switching from air to cable and turning my antenna to it. BTW this is a good way to monitor a couple of 70cM ATV channels too. Oh, Comcast finally got wise and dropped channel 18 so bye bye 2M problems.

Being a magnet for every idiot in three counties I don't need a Mr. Helpful and there is another side to the coin, a Mr. Helpful who was really helpful, a ham. Once upon a time I was receiving a strong image on an old single conversion scanner, turns out it was a scheduled net control op on a local repeater. I was hearing his input signal, just a block away it was pretty strong. I paid him a friendly visit one day, told him what was happening and assured him it was on my end and all I needed to know was his transmit frequency. He obliged and I cut a quarter wave coax stub, put it in line with a T connector, problem solved.

Here's an oldie but a goody, enjoy.

[KG4CGC]

I could tell SO many stories your funny bone would go numb from over-stimulation before we run out of server space and half of them based on a scanner antenna when I had no transmitters. It seems Kel, you're not the only engineer driven to distraction, only their stories aren't funny but just as stupid. As for cable leakage, I've experienced everything from crap on the scanner to 2M RFI in both directions and at one QTH a leak a block away so bad I could watch cable by switching from air to cable and turning my antenna to it. BTW this is a good way to monitor a couple of 70cM ATV channels too. Oh, Comcast finally got wise and dropped channel 18 so bye bye 2M problems.

<snip>

Been there. 145.250 or 146.250??? There was a repeater I could receive on that frequency. Cable leak, happened, true story. Pointed the antenna at it and it was clear viewing. Being an honest citizen, I reported it to the cable office in charge and got cussed up one side and down the other. I said fine, I can call the FCC if you prefer or you can come down here and I can show you where it is. They hung up. I made a phone call. 5 days later they (cable co) had DF trucks combing the whole area and replacing junction boxes and wire.

[kf0rt]

Here's an oldie but a goody, enjoy.

My mom had that cartoon (original, cut out of the Sunday funnies) hanging up on a kitchen cabinet for eons.

Thanks (and a hat tip) for the trip back. ;)

[W3WN]

I< snip >
As for cable leakage, I've experienced everything from crap on the scanner to 2M RFI in both directions and at one QTH a leak a block away so bad I could watch cable by switching from air to cable and turning my antenna to it. BTW this is a good way to monitor a couple of 70cM ATV channels too. Oh, Comcast finally got wise and dropped channel 18 so bye bye 2M problems.
< snip >

Back at the old QTH, several years back, when the cable company was still TCI...

Massive interference to Cable Channel 18, which was supposed to show one of the local low power stations. And I could tell you exactly where the signals were coming from... there was (and still is) a 100 foot or so tower up on McRoberts Road, just about across the street from the Castle Shannon Municipal Building. That tower has all sorts of communications on it -- public service, GMRS, utility, private repeaters, and so forth (and no ham anything, the tower owner wants $$ and no freebies). The specific interference was from the CS VFD transmissions. Obvious that there was a cable leak somewhere letting the signals in.

So one day, I got irritated enough to call the local TCI office and let them know.

Guess what? Yup. The told me it was "that goddam ham cb'er up on Rosalia, right down the street from you. You & your neighbors should all get together report him to the FCC and get him thrown in jail." That explained why we suddenly had bags of dried dog poop show up on our front porch.

So I said, very calmly and quietly "Ah, you are recording this for 'quality assurance', aren't you?"

Pause. "Yeah. Why?"

"Because I want your full name. Because I'm that goddam ham on Rosalia. And I certainly can't be causing interference when (a) I'm on the phone with you, not on the air transmitting, and (b) I don't make fire calls from the dispatcher to the Castle Shannon VFD."

< click >

Yes, I reported it to the FCC. And a week later, we switched to DirecTV anyway.

[N2NH]

Here's an oldie but a goody, enjoy.

Thanks Warren, that's a cartoon I haven't seen in ages. Very true too.

[KG4CGC]

Nope. Just found out it's Kelli.
It's all Kelli.

[NQ6U]

Nope. Just found out it's Kelli.
It's all Kelli.

No it's not. She was on the Grassy Knoll with me at the time.

[KG4CGC]

No it's not. She was on the Grassy Knoll with me at the time.

So, that puts you at 11 and her at ... at ... a mineral in a field or pasture somewhere or possibly a molecule of air in the atmosphere.
Hey, Carl. Ever think about entropy?