[SBE] FCC R & R 73.318: FM Blanketing Interference

[Fluker, Steve (CXR-Orlando)]

I had an FM get into someone's cheap tri-mode stereo system, VCR, and
organ.  We replaced the stereo.  Yes it was cheaper, I was able to use
better shielded cables for the VCR to solve the problem, but on the
organ, we had to refer him to the manufacturer.  The electronics were on
open, unshielded circuit boards, and the thing was O-L-D!.  I knew that
if I did anything to it and 6 months from now it failed, he would blame
it on what I did.  

One other incident with that same station was a woman in a retirement
high rise nearby who would get the station in her hearing aid.  Again, I
could only refer her to the manufacturer.  

Also had a station with intermod get into a wireless heart monitor
system at a hospital.  I used a 3rd party consultant there who changed
the frequency of the heart monitor.  The intermod was found to be a mix
of our station and some two-way equipment used at the hospital, but
changing the heart monitor channels was the easiest solution than to
deal with the intermod.  

Chriss is right though, the good neighbor approach is always good.
Visit with them, and do what you can.  The hearing aid woman was upset
that there were no stations playing 40's and 50's music.  When I told
her there was one, and tuned it in on her radio (which was one of my
stations too! - bonus).  She was so happy she sent a rum cake to the
station, and talked to her doctor about the hearing aid.  

Steve Fluker




-----Original Message-----
From: sbe-bounces at sbe.org [mailto:sbe-bounces at sbe.org] On Behalf Of
chscherer at everestkc.net
Sent: Sunday, September 20, 2009 2:25 PM
To: sbe member discussion mail list
Subject: Re: [SBE] FCC R & R 73.318: FM Blanketing Interference

As was noted, the good neighbor approach is often the better course of
action than strict adherance to the rule.

Mike Langer noted installing ferrites in equipment. Like many solutions,
this involves time and testing for success. Would it be cheaper and
quicker to purchase for the neighbor another set of PC speakers or a new
telephone to eliminate the problem? Possibly.

As part of this discussion I would like to hear about specific products
that have shown to be immune or resistant to RF blanketing.


============

>From   Dennis Sloatman <dsloatman at sloatmanassociates.com>  

I am now, for the first time in a nearly forty-year career, dealing with
FM RFI complaints from a new FM station facility (15kW ERP/ 400' HAAT).


These complaints include demodulated audio in PC speakers, garage door
openers that no longer work, as well as the customary "I can no longer
pick up a station I used to hear that's 95 miles away," etc.  My
experiences in this area have all been with AM stations as the
facilities over the years I've had with FM have been operating from
towers in wide-open farmland or in the swamps of Florida (I always
seemed to be the C.E. for an AM  with its site located in
densely-populated residential areas).  AM RFI in some respects, is
easier to resolve inasmuch as good grounding can resolve most
complaints.

I'd like to hear of the experiences/solutions from all of you on this
board.  I believe sharing these would be of benefit to all of us.
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