Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Dekema2

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 27, 2012
856
437
WNY or Utica
Hello all,

I have a Sony receiver with an AM loop antenna. Pretty archaic, but my local sports station is AM only but they are on iHeartRadio. The problem I have though is with the antenna picking up a strange voice every 10-30 seconds on some days. The voice seems to be an older man talking about Hump Day, a wife pulling into a driveway with some expletives, and random junk. My question is what kind of interference could be so strong that I can hear all this on an antenna? Is it a phone/recorded message? I'm just confused, and if anyone wants a recording of it I might attach it.
 

localoid

macrumors 68020
Feb 20, 2007
2,447
1,739
America's Third World
You're most likely picking up radio frequency interference (RFI) from a ham radio, a CB radio, a police radio, a wireless phone, some kid's walkie-talkie, etc. The RFI could be picked up via bad (AC power) wiring in your home, a faulty antenna connection, over your speaker wires, via an audio patch cord, from a poorly shielded component in your receiver, or from a faulty device in a neighbor's house that's connected to from the same (power) line transformer as your house, etc. The problem could be on your end (faulty wiring, shielded components, etc.) or due to the radio transmission (over legal power limits, transmitter out of spec, faulty equipment, etc.) or some weird combination combination of both.
 
Last edited:

ChrisA

macrumors G5
Jan 5, 2006
12,584
1,700
Redondo Beach, California
You're most likely picking up radio frequency interference (RFI) from a ham radio, a CB radio, a police radio, a wireless phone....


All this is correct but you need to tell the OP how to correct the problem.

If you can identify how the RFI is getting in then it is easy. But you likely can't know that so you have to work on each possible input route untill you fix it. So you do some usless "fixes". The first first thing to try are Ferite beads in the cables. Get the snap-on type and put a few turns of wires around them and snap them closed.
http://www.amazon.com/Ferrite-Core-Cord-Noise-Suppressor/dp/B0002MQGEK/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1380041999&sr=1-4&keywords=bead+ferrite

Make sure your radio is well grounded. Is there a ground terminal or a three conductor AC plug?

Try a GOOD AC line filter, the better grade "tripp lite " brand is good
http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-ISOBAR2-6-Outlet-Protector/dp/B0000510Z9/ref=pd_sim_pc_3

There is more you can do and some can be a lot cheaper than the above
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.