When my neighbors turn their TVs on, I have to turn off my shortwave
radio because I get a terrible buzzing interference over most of the
shortwave band. I can't hear a thing. I also get a similar problem
when my wife turns on a florescent light in the kitchen. Is there
anyway to reduce or eliminate this kind of interference?

Rob KC7BUM
Portland, Oregon

I have tried various ferrite rings, coiling the power lines tightly to form
chokes (on the receiver and the TV), and clip-on ferrites of all sorts, and
they all help slightly but not significantly. The only real solution is to
turn these items off. I have found that with the TV additional noise can be
eliminated by unplugging the TV in place of turning it off. Apparently there
are some keep-alive circuits in the TV to help it come on sooner which are
active when the TV is plugged in. The only thing that works for me with
fluorescent light is also, turn them off.

Perhaps you could give the xyl a credit card and have her go shopping while
you listen to the radio. Things will be nice and quiet then. As to the
neighbors, well....that's a tough one.

Al KA5JGV




"Robert Williams" wrote in message
om...
When my neighbors turn their TVs on, I have to turn off my shortwave
radio because I get a terrible buzzing interference over most of the
shortwave band. I can't hear a thing. I also get a similar problem
when my wife turns on a florescent light in the kitchen. Is there
anyway to reduce or eliminate this kind of interference?

Rob KC7BUM
Portland, Oregon

"Robert Williams" wrote in message
om...
When my neighbors turn their TVs on, I have to turn off my shortwave
radio because I get a terrible buzzing interference over most of the
shortwave band. I can't hear a thing. I also get a similar problem
when my wife turns on a florescent light in the kitchen. Is there
anyway to reduce or eliminate this kind of interference?

Rob KC7BUM
Portland, Oregon


1) The Florescent Light

Nearly all of the newer florescent lights use an electronic ballast in place
of the older, heavier, more expenxive inductance type ballast. Some of them
are inadaquately filtered (even cheaper!) and make a lot of electronic hash.
You can take your chances with a different light/ballast, try filtereing the
existing light or install an incandesant light. An outdoor antenna and
shielded lead in should help with this one.

2) The Neighbor's TV

Are you getting buzzy interference about every 16kHz? That's probably the
TV, and I can't think of any easy fix. I don't know what sort of RFI a
plasma display TV might produce but it could be even worse. If it's a
continous buzz across the bands, it might be a lamp dimmer that's used at
the same time as the TV. Some are better than others. If it is a lamp
dimmer, you might offer to replace the gadget with another. I don't know
which the quietest ones are, but this topic has come up here before. A
google search will dig it out, if the answer doesn't come up this time.

You could also try one of those Radio Shack split ferrite chokes on your
radio's power cord. It might help a bit, but they are most effective on the
source of interference.

Frank Dresser

A filter for the SW bands should help. A low pass filter. However your
neighbors set is not in line with FCC law.

Bill, N5NOB

Bill Hennessy wrote:
A filter for the SW bands should help. A low pass filter. However your
neighbors set is not in line with FCC law.

That won't help. The TV is radiating on the shortwave frequencies.

Art N2AH

RW,

What Make and Model of Shortwave Radio ?

NOTE: Both Signal and Noise usually originate at the radio's Antenna.

So here are a few Antenna Questions:

Are you simply using the built-in WHIP Antenna,
* Simple InDoor Antenna (Active?),
* * or an External "OutSide" Antenna ?

If you are using the Whip Antenna or and InDoor Antenna then consider
upgrading to an External "OutSide" Antenna.

If you are using an External "OutSide" Antenna ?
- Is it something simple like a Random Wire (LongWire) Antenna ?
- - What type of FeedLine are you using ?
- - - Are you using a Ground ?


iane ~ RHF
..
..
= = = (Robert Williams)
= = = wrote in message . com...
When my neighbors turn their TVs on, I have to turn off my shortwave
radio because I get a terrible buzzing interference over most of the
shortwave band. I can't hear a thing. I also get a similar problem
when my wife turns on a florescent light in the kitchen. Is there
anyway to reduce or eliminate this kind of interference?

Rob KC7BUM
Portland, Oregon

What Make and Model of Shortwave Radio ?

I'm using a Kenwood R-2000 Communications Receiver. For now, I've got
a flaky temporary setup with a longwire antenna strung up from the
back of the receiver and running the perimeter of the ceiling
throughout the inside of the house. The wire is attached directly to
the clip on the back fo the receiver, with no grounding. This is no
doubt a large part of my interference problem. Once I get time to
feed my radio with coax out to an outdoor, elevated longwire, with
appropriate grounding, I'm sure my problems will greatly diminish.
I've received a large number of replies to this query, with some great
suggestions, so we'll see how it goes. Thanks.

Rob KC7BUM
Portland, Oregon

If your neighbor's TV has a poor shield connection between it and the cable
box, it can put out a large amount of radaition. Even worse, sometimes
people stick bell wire or speaker wire or whatever in the centers of the F
connectors and use that for cable. That will radaite MUCH worse than a TV
set.

Frank Dresser

Here you go:

http://www.greertech.com/hfloop/mymagloop.html

A coaxial loop antenna all but eliminated TVI and power
line noise at my QTH. It only cost 25 bucks for coax and
a connector (and some antenna seal), and noise that used
to be S8 is now S1. Stations literally "pop out" of the quiet
now.

Try it - I bet it helps!

73,

Steve Lawrence
Burnsville, MN

"Robert Williams" wrote in message
om...
| When my neighbors turn their TVs on, I have to turn off my shortwave
| radio because I get a terrible buzzing interference over most of the
| shortwave band. I can't hear a thing. I also get a similar problem
| when my wife turns on a florescent light in the kitchen. Is there
| anyway to reduce or eliminate this kind of interference?
|
| Rob KC7BUM
| Portland, Oregon


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Hi Stephen,I just built the loop and tried it out. WOW! and without a
tuner.
do you use a tuner or a preselector/amp ? Thanks for the link !
Frank
"Stephen M.H. Lawrence" a écrit dans le message de
nk.net...
Here you go:

http://www.greertech.com/hfloop/mymagloop.html

A coaxial loop antenna all but eliminated TVI and power
line noise at my QTH. It only cost 25 bucks for coax and
a connector (and some antenna seal), and noise that used
to be S8 is now S1. Stations literally "pop out" of the quiet
now.

Try it - I bet it helps!

73,

Steve Lawrence
Burnsville, MN

"Robert Williams" wrote in message
om...
| When my neighbors turn their TVs on, I have to turn off my shortwave
| radio because I get a terrible buzzing interference over most of the
| shortwave band. I can't hear a thing. I also get a similar problem
| when my wife turns on a florescent light in the kitchen. Is there
| anyway to reduce or eliminate this kind of interference?
|
| Rob KC7BUM
| Portland, Oregon


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