The AM Forum

I am having a real heck of a time getting my RF signal out of the neighbors TV.  He is a real nice guy and family so I am willing to do what it takes.  Maybe I have overlooked something. 

At anything over 100 watts out of the icom, The TV shows Blue and black Bars on across it. The screen is totaly gone and they cant watch TV.

I had my friend go over to his house with Hi pass TV filters and a bag of snap on 43 and 77 chokes from amidon.  I stayed at the radio and keyed up as he added the filters and chokes one at a time.  We communicated over cell phone. Nothing worked. Some filters helped a little. But it was never solved.  We then added a Brute force filter on the TV's power line, Radio shack model, This helped. But again, Did not solve it.

I opened his cable interface box at the side of the house and found the cable co had added a "wide band RF amplifier and splitter. Its made by scientific atlanta and it has 6 outputs. The ground wire was broken.  Cox never mounted the unit, It was hanging in the elements. I mounted the unit and put an MFJ hi pass filter out of the unit leading to his TV.  Then I ran a ground wire to the service ground and to the lug on the Amp

This seemed to really help. In fact, I can run the big box at legal limit AM on 75 meters and all is well.  I can run the GK 500 on 160 and he never has a problem.

If I try to use 40 meters and above its all over. This morning I keyed up the Icom and Commander 2500E tuned up at 1kw SSB and the phone rang in less then 5 minutes. 

It makes no difference if I am on the vertical or the wire antenna.  It makes no difference what radio or amp. I even used my FT450 and he called right away.  His daughter is in town with a toddler for the hollidays and the toddler was watching Cartoons this morning at 8am.

So, Anything I can do to solve this once and for all?  The cable co added the RF amp becuase the signal strength at his house was low.  Can I filter this thing?  Or is the real solution to pay to have that run of Coax replaced and then bypass the RF amp?  My gut tells me that the issue is the 1985 coax that is stiff as glass that wraps his house.  If you bypass the amp now, The signal is weak at the TV.

What would you do? Please dont get into the fact that its not my issue and he should do this or that... These are good people and I want to just fix this and move on.  He rebuilt my lawn tractor, He watches my dog ect..  I just want to fix it.


C

C

TV cable systems are by FCC regs a closed system, so 1st step get the cable company involved. If RF is getting into the cable system, their cable is leaking. Big NO-NO.

Should be interesting, lets us know how the world turns. I've been fighting an RFI issue for months with no luck or support from the FEE CEE CEE.

Craig,

Is the house coax also 25 years old ?   When you say "wraps the house" I don't know if you mean just the feed from the street pedestal, which could be older and more deteriorated than what's in a house built much later.

We had some RG-59A/U in our 1975 vintage house, and the center insulation had deteriorated from the heat in the attic, where the builder laid the grid feeding the upstairs rooms.  It was very lossy, so the proportion of desired signal was quite low and vulnerable to my transmitter.

The solution was to replace it all with modern foil/shield RG-6, using the old stuff as a puller to the room boxes and plate-mounted "F" connectors, which I also upgraded.  You could probably test the idea of whole-house replacement, by selecting a run and directly connecting the new stuff to the distribution amp. Even before that, try disconnecting a combination of existing runs to perhaps help you target the culprit for replacement or further remediation.

Just for the heck of it buy a length of good quality RG6 that will go from the cable box to the TV. Run the cable outside the house and shoot it in a window near the TV. First connect the output of the amplifier to the TV through the new coax. Try your rig.
If there is a problem it is the coax in the house, if not.
2. Disconnect the amplifier and get a barrel connector to connect the cable from the street directly to the new RG6. Try the rig
If problem goes away there is a good chance you are saturating the amplifier causing IMD.
If the problem is still happening then the cable company needs to replace the cable to the street.
You might try to measure the shield resistance to ground to see if there is an open shield termination. This could be the real reason the cable signal is weak.
Sounds like the amplifier was used as a bandaide for the real problem.

Maybe with new coax temporarily in place, the signal will be sufficient without the amplifier. In that case the old coax needs replacing. Hopefully that wouldn't be too much a PITA.  The cable co may or may not have installed the in-house cable wiring.

Back in the rooftop antenna/fringe area days, a lot of TVI was due to "booster" amplifiers that mounted right on the outdoor TV antenna.

Maybe the cable co. could be convinced to replace the cable at their own expense, if you told them that signal from your transmitter could get into the system via that defective coax and interfere with other customers as well.

Is he getting a digital signal off cable, using a converter box or does the cable co supply an analogue signal for older TVs? Your description definitely sounds like analogue TVI.

my little girl came running back a few weeks ago and said i was messing up the tv. there was no tvi when on the tv antenna, only when she was playing her wii. all it ended up being was the rca connector at the tv for video coming from wii was loose. i pushed it in all the way and problem was solved.

Cable TV techs are a bunch of trained monkeys stamping cookie cutters! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Most of those guys dont know their arses from holes in the ground. I have had a similar experience with my own neighborhood. It was driving me nuts, every time I would get on 75M, my telephone would ring!!

the problem was Common Mode interference!! (RF on the coass shield.) The cable jerks would come in and hook their anal izer box to the end of the cable, and if the signal level was acceptable, they would leave and tell my neighbors there was nothing wrong with their stuff and leave. After a while this began to really piss me off more than my neighbors. They swore that nothing could be done about it.

the real problem was that all of the drop lines that fed from the main cable trunk to the houses were right between 60 an 65 feet long!! A perfect 1/4 wave on 75m, go figger.
I tried the little Rat Shack Hypass filterz and they did absolutely nothing. I tried the little snap-on chokes, they helped ever so slightly, but nothing dramatic. Then..............

I experimented with some common mode chokes...............POOF, PROBLEM GONE!!!
I ended up wrapping as much rg-59 coass as I could on 2" red toroids and distributing them to the neighbors closest to me, told them to install them between the incoming line and the splitter and my phone never rang again!! No matter how much power I run!

Now with all of the television and most of the telefonium service gone digital, it's all a moot point! Go figger ! ! ! ! ! ! !   ::)  ::)

Just for the heck of it I measured the inductance of a common mode snap on bead last week. It was only 3uh. So a number of turns on a 2 inch core would be a lot higher.

Sounds like I need to pay for the highest quality coax and then ditch the RF amp/booster.  I will call the cable co.


C

C

Just food for thought, how does anyone know where the leak IS? Could be on the street and not AT the house. Get the cable company involved.

Craig,

PS: My last 2 cents, are you treating a symptom, the leak is still there. The cable company will thank you for spending your money. Or will someone go for the cure? Fix the leak.

no no no
Clark
You can go online ( I hope) and get a common mode filter specifically designed for cable TV coax. cleared up a stubborn problem I had with a neighbor a few years ago.
Googled around and cannot find a source for a common mode choke with the Cable TV terminations

Fred

Clark
As I recall you told me to use a counterpoise perhaps that will work. If not try these people they are very helpful www.coilws.com | www.cwsbytemark.com

73 N8QPC

Why waste good money on a commercial choke when you can wind one yourself.

It's not a leak from the cable. It's the Amateur radio TX riding on the ground shield of the coax and getting into the TV. The common mode choke breaks the path of the shield from the TV circuits.
Fred

No use any of us getting into a p*ssing match. Have the cable company fix the problem or at a minimum check for leaks, cost nothing.

Clark.
If you have a plug in 120 volt service checker I recommend you try it. I'm talking about those yellow plug in checkers that tell you if your 120 and neutral are reversed or if your safety ground is disconnected. I fixed my neighbors bedroom TV when I found the outlet wires reversed and on ground. Some times it's the easy stuff we miss.

Mike

 " No use any of us getting into a p*ssing match "

There were very few takers for Festivus this year. A real disapointment.

klc

Thanks for all the help.  

The problem is not my station.  Its clean as tested on the spec AN.  No Issues here or with any other people around that I know of.  

No RF in shack, Shack is cold.  My TV, speakers, coffer maker, ect ect are all fine.

The MFJ "shield breaker" filters have great reviews.  These are hi pass coble tv coax filters. They did help but did not cure the problem. We experimented by placing them at every location possible.  

I think the real issue here is the ancient RG59 coax that is rock solid that wraps his house and runs to his main TV.  They wanted to charge him to replace it and he refused. So the cable company put a booster on the wall  at the interface from the street to his house.  

I am sure that this booster is taking my signal and shoving it into his TV which causes the black screen and bars.

I found a 500 roll of 9275 duoshield coax cable.  This stuff is 100% foil and 40% braid.   Should I use it?  Or should I go down and get some new RG6?  

He needs to call the cable company, Its his house.  I dont want to bother them now because his Daughter and new born are here from Germany (son in law is in military).  They are here until the 3rd.  After that, I will talk to him about us replacing the run or him calling Cox and getting a price to have it done which I will have to pay.

I just want this over with once and for all.

C

Clark,
You mentioned that there's an amp/splitter at the entrance.  Are all the output connections on the splitter being used?  If not, are the unused connections on the splitter terminated with 75ohm plugs or are they open?  If they're open terminate them with 75ohm plugs/caps.  Also, make sure all cable connections are crimped tight and screwed on tight, not hand tight but socked down with a pair of pliers.

Before you go to the expense of replacing that cable do like Frank suggested and run out some nice cable (just enough RG-6) on the ground and through a window to see if it works. You wouldn't believe how easy it is during installation to put a staple through the cable. That might explain why they have a distribution amp in the first place.

If your guess is correct the booster/RG59 is leaking: A Cox problem if they installed it! Neighbor's problem if he installed it. That is the reason for asking to check for leaks. Leaks on the street might be causing issues elsewhere and others are just bitting their lips and not saying anything. Last; the system belongs to Cox, don't make changes that make you liable.

Ok. After the hollidays, I will run some RG6 on the ground and run a test one saturday.  I will call cox tomorrow but I have a feeling I will get nowhere. I think I will call and say I am having trouble with my cable and pay the fee to get them out here, then when the guy gets here, Show him the shotty install of the booster and let him test it.

ALL ports are used on the splitter as far as I can tell.  However,  Some are no longer used. The kids have all moved out, I would not be suprised if some of those 6 lines are now laying on the floor or just panel jacks in the room open.  I am going to get some terminators and ask to plug up all the unused portions.  He only has two Tv's and one is used for internet.

C

Put the high pass filter ahead of the signal amplifier,  Most of those broad band amps are 5Mhz-1000Mhz amps.  Your signal is getting into the signal amp and overloading it.  The fact that your 40M signal is still giving you a problem is probably due to the fact that 40M is within the bandpass of the amp.

Also make sure the "F" connectors are in good shape, not corroded and are tight (use a wrench).  Check to make sure the shields are making good contact with the "F" connectors.

If the "F" connectors are these newer waterproof type with a rubber "O" ring inside, make sure these connectors are tighten with a small wrench.  I've seen where the "O" ring has isolated the back of the "F" connector from the front part and the ground shield is open inside.  An open shield anywhere in the system will cause all sorts of strange problems.

the real Fred,   not to be confused with "the other Fred"

Options:
1.Demonstrate to the home owner that the problem is in his house and suggest he get it fixed.
2. If you really like him offer to help him replace the coax.
3. Do the job yourself and take the risk of doing damage that could come back to haunt you.
4. Have the home owner call KB3AHE for spiritial advice

Hi C
Involving the cable company will get complicated. They do not understand what is going on.
That booster amp might be your problem. I know you do not want to disturb the family now but try an experiment to see what happens to his cable TV without the booster. There cannot be that much loss within the house no matter what cable is there now. Unless it's been skunned while pulling it through tight places. And it is damaged now
Cable TV folks only know that you need millivolts to get their trash to your TV.
The other FRED

Past issues in my neighborhood: All I had to do is call Comcast and use the words "leak in their cable plant & FCC" in the same sentence. In a couple of hours Comcast techs were there in a van, with the correct lab equipment. It is their system and will repair it at their cost. Just gotta use the correct language.

Craig,

Fred, If the booster is removed then the signal is poor.  Its not an option to remove it with the old coax.

All connectors are tight. I took a wrench them last time I laid in the ant hill and shrubs against the side of the house :(

In AZ, There is a DMZ point.  That point is the box on the side of the house. The cable co will not help past that box period without paying a service charge, parts and labor.  They will let you cancel the service before they do anything to the house for free.

C

Why would anyone go into a house and do free service?
Not the power co, telephone or water

Just like the phone company.

For testing purposes, try to connect one TV directly to the incoming cable line without the amplifier and see if that clears up all the problems (even with snowy pictures.)

Is the problem on every TV in the house or only some??
Is the RFI on every channel or only some??
Is this analog TV or digital TV (snowy pictures?? must be analog??)

I find it to be strange that connecting a single coax (directly to one TV) to the incoming cable feed will give you snowy pictures on the one TV (no splitters).

If this is the case, you need to run a good piece of RG-6 from the cable feed directly to a TV.  For testing, just run it on the ground, in the front door, thru a window or whatever.

If after running a good cable to a single TV, you still have snowy pictures,  there is something wrong with the incoming cable signal.  Bad underground or overhead cable (or connectors) to the side of the house.

The cable tapoff from the main line should give you plenty of signal to run one or two TV's without amps.

To repeat what I've said earlier, the signal amp is most likely the cause of the RFI problems.  You need to confirm this by doing the single-TV test I outlined above.

If there is anything wrong with the incoming cable feed, it could be leaking signal (big no no).  Most cable systems have a beacon signal around 118Mhz.  If you have a receiver of sorts you may be able to hear the beacon if it's leaking.  The cable service trucks usually have beacon receivers on at all times to detect signal leakage.

the real Fred

the amp might just be there to overcome the loss from a 5-port splitter. If all of the ports are no longer needed, it may pay to go to a 2-port splitter and try eliminating the booster / amplifier.

You may also have a common mode problem with the incoming 120vac line to the TV, try winding the power cord around a toroid. Or the cord to the amp as well.


Yes, Frank's custom cussing service is always at your service!!
 We have whatever kind of good cussing you need in stock  ;D  ;D

Clark,

I subscribe to Cox here in CT for television/phone/internet and also have a Scientific Atlanta SV-A15-2PRS amplifier that was installed at the entry point of the house to overcome signal level drops from where they split the line for the phone, and again where they split the line for the HD run, data run to the Docsis 3.0 modem, and distribution to 3 standard definition televisions throughout the house. The amp is bulletproof for RFI here and I have no phone/internet/television interference from 160 - 10 meters while running full legal limit power. No problems with 100 watts on 6 meters or 50 watts on the 2 meter band and 440 band. I did have to do some de-coupling where my old CAT-3 telephone wiring connected to the NID they installed. But that consisted of a couple of .01uf caps and a common mode choke made with about 10 feet of CAT-3 cable through a split ferrite core. I have to believe your neighbor has some unterminated runs of coax in the residence, or bad connections somewhere behind the walls.

When I had signal level issues here, Cox priced out how much it would cost for their techs to re-do the residential side of the wiring. It was enough that I figured I would do it myself. Then the service tech pulled me aside and told me to call Cox and order the residential wiring plan. It cost less than 3 bucks a month! With that plan, they will take care of of everything, period. He told me to order the plan, and then drop it after the work was done if I wanted to. I ended up doing a bundle with them and the residential wiring plan is part of the bundle. Your neighbor might want to inquire about that.

I know he is a good neighbor, but I would definitely not get involved with providing materials and labor to fix a service he is paying someone else to provide. It puts you right in his sights anytime a problem comes up. It really is between him and Cox to stop his television receiving system from acting like a shortwave receiver. As someone else mentioned in the thread, the problem could even be a plant issue out on the street.

I hope he gets the problem resolved successfully and quickly. Cox does have the resources to correct this problem. If the local techs are unable to resolve it, you or your neighbor might want to subscribe to this forum:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/coxhsi

You can post a description of the issue to the forum. The Cox techs that lurk there and help out appear to have all kinds of leverage to get things done. They know exactly who to contact at your local level to push things along. They have resolved several problems for me when Cox contractors who were sent out messed things up.

73,

Rob W1AEX

 

I also have COX. It works fine but their price sucks almost as much as their programming.
Comcast down south is even worse.

Rob,

The SA amplifier might be bulletproof for RFI.  The problem I have is the snowy pictures he has without using the amp.  The case of the amp is probably shielded for 100+dB.  But, if signal leaks into the incoming cable feed, that signal gets right into the amp.  No amplifier, regardless of how bulletproof it is, can withstand not being overloaded by a very strong signal.  A strong nearby signal will just block the amplifier.

Clark just needs to determine if he can get a good picture with only one TV connected directly to the cable feed (using a known good piece of coax from the cable feed to the TV).  If he still has snowy pictures, then there is something defective with the cable from the main line to the house.  A bad cable feed will act like an antenna and allow Clark's signal to enter the amp.


the real Fred

Fred,

I agree with you regarding the signal level at the tap. If it's low, inserting a line amp in the residence is not a winning solution, and it may make issues caused by ingress on the street even worse. Plant problems on the street need to be fixed on the pole, not compensated for somewhere else. Personally, I would never troubleshoot a neighbor's cable installation. However, before Cox did their 1 GHz expansion and Docsis 3.0 upgrade to my area, I had piss poor signal levels from the street. I did exactly what you are suggesting to establish that, by running a straight shot of RG6 from the tap directly to my cable modem and taking a screenshot of the downstream signal level, which turned out to be 18 dB below the target Cox aims for. I then switched the RG6 run directly into my cable STD and ran the STD diagnostics to display the crappy signal levels, crappy SNR, and thousands of uncorrectable errors. When the tech arrived, and he understood that I knew it was a street issue, he got the trucks to roll to fix the problem. I also received a month's credit for my patience as I was not receiving the services I was paying for.

In Clark's case, it really is up to Cox and his neighbor to correct this. The Cox tech can plug his little meter into the residential tap and see exactly what's going on in less than 5 minutes. If the signal level is poor, he needs to roll the trucks. If the signal level is good, then the neighbor needs to take care of it, or pay Cox to fix it. If they can't or won't fix it, the neighbor will have to decide if it's time to switch to satellite. Clark is operating legally in a licensed service and has no responsibility what-so-ever for troubleshooting someone's cable installation. I love the statement that appears in the FCC correspondence to consumers who complain about interference to their coffee maker, toaster, phone, television, and whatever:

"The general rule is that consumer electronics are protected only by manufacturer design from receiving any unwanted radio signals and home electronics have no priority over any radio or broadcast service."

That pretty much says it all...

73,

Rob W1AEX

Rob,

Thanks for all your input on this problem.

I spent the last 48 years working on TV antenna systems (fully retired as of Dec.) and have seen hundreds of RFI problems of every type you can think of and then some.

I agree with your comment about adding an amp to overcome a deficiency somewhere else in the system.

In Clark's case, I don't know if the amp is there to overcome the splitter loss or the amp is there to overcome a weak signal reaching the house from the cable system or both, or additionally to overcome high losses in old cable running to the TV sets in the house or all three.

Without measuring the incoming signal it's hard to tell exactly what the conditions are.

I still think the cause of Clark's RFI problem is the use of the amplifier.  Cable amps are usually wideband 5-1000Mhz.  Any of Clark's signal, even 75M and more so 40M, that gets into the amp will quickly overload it and block the cable signal.

Question is, how is the signal getting into the amp??  Something I just thought of, the amp is probably a two way amplifier.  So, it's possible the signal is leaking into the amp backwards from one of the drop lines.

Hard to troubleshoot a RFI problem in AZ from NJ.

I'm sure Clark will figure it out, hopefully.

Fred

I'm thinking that the signal from the cable company is low and they are boosting to save their ass. Usually they can tap the signal up from their side. You might lose a couple of dB inside the house but not enough to make a snowy picture. Something is really wrong with this cable connection.
The OTHER FRED

This situation came ot a head yesterday.  We ran 17 meters SSB at 50 watts about 3 pm for about 10 minutes  No real contacts so we shut down and went back to BBq'ing for new years day.  The guy came to the fence and started screaming at me, my brother and my good friend.  He was very rude and I told him that we need to replace the coax and we would handle it next week.  He said " I am not doing anything, Its NOT MY PROBLEM, Its YOUR problem" and then yelled obcene comments at me.  Obviously, alcohol played a big roll here.

So,he made a stand saying that he would not do anything and that it was all me.  My Brother(extra) and my Friend both inspected my entire station, all grounds, Coax runs, Connectors, ect.. All grounds where Cleaned and tightened. We then transmited while watching on the motorola Station monitor. The icom is 60 DB down + No harmonics. Nothing. The station is 100%.

I printed off a copy of my license and Part 15.  I have made the choice to just operate as I normaly would and if he knocks on the door, I wont answer. If the cops come over, I will hand them the paperwork and explain to them that I am doing nothing wrong.

Its a shame that it came to this. We just purchased a 200ft roll of coax for him and where going to do all the work for free this week. Nothing is going to help with that RF booster shotgunning RF into his house.

Moral = Do not befriend your neighbors.

C

C,

Ya did the correct thing in trying. To bad the neighbor believes Rome was built in one day and couldn't wait. First step for these issues are for both parties to work in peace & get r done.

My point of view has already been said: Part 15 has turned out to be smoke n' mirrors. Manufacturers, their lobbiest, & the Fee Cee Cee created Part 15, unshielded, poorly designed crap, etc., and put the monkey on the cosumer's back.

More hams need to file official complaints with the Fee Cee Cee, flood them big time with complaints. Somehow get their attention focused on this issue. It ain't getting better folks.

Craig,

From DEC 28, or so, to now JAN 2. You are now enemies with the nice neighbor with a TVI problem.
I'm surprised it went down hill that fast. They must watch TV all day. It's too late now. You might have asked what their viewing habits are and you would operate around their TV times until this went away permanently.
Coz it can be cleared up and you would have no worries.
I'm thinking the interference has been for a long time and he was hoping for a fast fix. Some people let something like this fester for weeks before going to the Ham op and complain.

Fred

Lovely.  Excuse me if you've answered these questions already but a) is there TVI at your house or are you fine?  b) Is this with the vertical?

Sorry about the behavior of your neighbors.

Fred,  Alcohol is playing a roll.  We where all stone cold sober.

No TVI here.. Full legal limit. Phones, TV, stereo ect.. Is all perfect. No TVI at any other house around me.

Happens at 50 watts or higher on:

T368
GK500
Ranger 1
Icom 756 Pro
2x4 rig

Either one of my 2 verticals and the dipole wire.  Makes no difference.  Even 2 meter FM blasts through his TV.

The higher the band the worse it is. 17 meters SSB at 50 watts PEP is the worst.. 160 is not so bad.

The RF amp they put on the side of the house is rated at 15DB Gain.  Very close to this unit here:

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Signal-Booster-4-Port-Amplifier/dp/B000WPGRKK/ref=pd_cp_e_1_img



C

Well, there's your problem.  :P

geeze, Clark!! that is so familiar, it is like I wrote it!! I went through the EXACT same thing and exact dialogue with one of my neighbors!! I offered to put common mode filters on his stuff to correct the problem. (For a rare change, I was being a nice guy) He told me the exact same thing: "It's not my problem, its your problem", put the filters on your stuff. He has even accused me of "burning up and destroying" 2 answering machines.

I proceded to tell him to "Go pound sand up your a$$!!" It all really came to a head about a year later when he cussed my wife out in the front street and reduced her to tears. (She was still crying and begging me not to do it when I stormed out the door.) That was enough for me I hit the ceiling!! I stormed out of the house and went up and knocked on his door. He wouldn't answer it (I guess not after what he did) I walked back home and fixed a cup of coffee and sat on my front porch waiting for him. (I knew he would be out later to walk his dog) I caught him and layed him out in front of all of the neighbors. I told him that I would put his nose through the back of his head and break every bone in his body the next time he did it. I wanted the rest of the neighbors to overhear it so they would know what an a$$ he was.

I have had obscene phone calls that hung up after cussing me out, even times when I wasn't even on the air!! I *69ed them and found out who it was and called them back, that stopped that cold!! One time I really pissed one neighbor off when she called me and cussed me out, bitching for me to "give it a break I havent been able to watch tv all day". I had worked all day that day and was in the kitchen cooking supper when she called. It really pissed her off when I invited her to come up and get a plate ;D  ;D

I used to run low power in the early evening hours, and the big rig late at night, just to be considerate of my neighbors. When I finally got enough of their szht I starting running the big rig ALL of the time. Then the advent of digital has now made just about all of it a moot point!!

I am sure that most of us here have had some kind of similar problems over the years. The bottom line is that it is THEIR problem and NOT ours!!

That reminds me of that new show on Spike TV about how to Firearm training. The guys from the old TV show "Simon and Simon" are on it.  He tells a story just like yours only the guy next door screamed at his wife after her dog crapped in his yard.  Jameson came home, saw his wife crying and knocked on the guys door. The guy answered the door and shot him instantly with a 357mag.  He lived.

You never know how these people really are. Best not to fool around with any of them.

I have been blamed for radio interferance many times over the years and the radio was off.  The first sign of trouble and people think its me.  The other neighbor though I could some how listen to here phone calls since she could hear me... hahaha.  I gave her a Kcom filter and that fixed it instantly.

C

the best one of all was this one whacked out old biddy who lived 4 doors down from me. She was blaming me for her tv turning itself on and off, and changing channels by itself. It would only do it during the day while I was at work ???  ???

Quite often she would be waiting in my driveway for me to come home from work so she could give me a hard time. She would stand there for hours tapping her toe on the ground like an old school teacher. After I finally had enough of her, I cussed her out pretty good and told her to call the FCC. After cussing her back down to her house, that pretty much put an end to that. I'm told that she now resides in the looney bin.


After being blamed for so much crap that I had nothing to do with, the cries started falling on deaf ears!! (kinda like the old "boy who cried wolf" story)

And furthermore, the guy who used to fix their cars, lawnmowers, and other things for free now refused to do it anymore, and they had to dig into their pockets to boot!  ;D  ;D

Go sit in the bushes by your front door in the morning. Wear your nicest camo. Maye sure your face is nicely painted. Say good morning to your neighbors as they go to work. Your problems will be solved, or greatly minimized.


klc

P.S.
Invite them to have a burger and a beer when you grill at 7AM.

HA! There was an RCA TV that would do that very same thing. Turned itself on and full volume, changed channels.

Fred

Gee you guys have all the fun.
Never under estimate the resources of a nut

Sorry to hear about the harassment you're getting, Clark. SADLY to say, the first mistake you made was being a nice guy about it. Usually, in their (neighbor's) eyes that means you're a doormat for them to wipe their feet on. The attitude you get of "It's you're problem to fix, not mine; I'm not doing anything wrong" is just purely pass the buck syndrome. You can't or scarcely ever will fix that problem. Now that he's thrown down the gauntlet, there will never be an amicable agreement or solution; it will probably get worse. Just keep you're cool!

After dealing with this problem only one time in my past, I can tell you how I solved my problem. There wasn't even a reasoning period extended to me; I was just told I had better stop enjoying my hobby -- period.

Funny thing about neighbors; they have hobbies and special activities they enjoy also. All you have to do is think about it, remember their past activities and such. They may just inconvenience you also. Watch inconspicuously for a few weeks.

My offended neighbor had a penchant for large, loud outdoor parties with his friends nearly every weekend. The next time he approached me, I told him I would gladly call the nearest FCC field office to get an agent to come out and help with the problem right after I called the city police the next time I was disturbed by one of his parties. SILENCE.

I hate to sound so clandestine about the situation and I'm generally a pretty easygoing guy, but if'n someone steps on my toes, I can grow a D_CK on my shoulders just as quick as they can.

As a last resort, maybe this could be of help to you.

73, Phil     

<snip> "My offended neighbor had a penchant for large, loud outdoor parties with his friends nearly every weekend. The next time he approached me, I told him I would gladly call the nearest FCC field office to get an agent to come out and help with the problem right after I called the city police the next time I was disturbed by one of his parties. SILENCE." <snip>

Sometimes beong a 300lb gorilla beating your chest works well, but it's always nice to have an "ace in the hole"  ;D  ;D

I had one neighbor that had moved in 2 doors down and brought a hot tub with him.
for about 2 years I was blasted with a 25 over S9 or better hash level from his heaters in the tub. We had a discussion about me getting into his stereo. I told him that I had as much right to enjoy my hobby as he did. A couple of raucus parties with naked people running around the yard gave me the ammo that I needed to totally shut him up. He since fell victim to the recession and no longer lives there.

the bottom line is that if you live in a suburban area and want to enjoy this hobby, be ready for some RFI complaints!! It's gonna happen!!