I have heard about video distribution amplifiers doing similar things, especially if the open connections are not terminated properly. (i.e. 50 ohm resistor/F-connector)
A complex in southwest suburban Chicago area had the local police searching for several days before the ham found the source and disconnected it. Mark -N9WYS -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 1:26 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT - funny interference story At 1/11/2006 13:48, you wrote: >We then went to the apartment across the hall. No one was home, so the >apartment Manager opened the door with his master key, and we all went in. >The first thing we tried was unplugging the aquarium heater, since they're >often such a terrible electrical noise maker, but the signal was still >there. Nothing else that we unplugged seemed to make the interfering >signal stop, until we unplugged one AC cord going to something on the >stereo system. It was an amplified FM antenna, which was a unit about a >foot tall. The gain control on it was cranked up to about 8 out of 10, >causing it to go into oscillation and radiate over a wide area. The FCC >Inspector unplugged it completely, coiled up the AC power cord, and left >it on a living room chair with some very important-looking paperwork which >basically said "DO NOT USE", "CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY". The apartment >manager promised to follow up with the owner of the unit with the details >of our "visit". > >The problem never returned! I think this particular problem is rather widespread. A couple of years ago one showed up on my 440 MHz repeater input. It was a mile away from the input RX site. Same thing: indoor amplified antenna. Another one occasionally shows up on my output. I've DF'd that one down to about a 4 house area but haven't found the exact house yet. Fortunately it's been gone for a while now. I also have a user that complains about an occasional "dead carrier" on my output when driving through a particular area. Not very funny when you have to waste hours of time chasing these things down, knocking on doors & explaining to total strangers that they have a nuisance generator within their premises. Bob NO6B Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Repeater-Builder/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
