Lately we have ben getting a lot of noise on channels 5 & 6, usually
at certain times of evening and night; almost never during the day.
This interference usually lasts about fifteen minutes, then cuts off.
Is this something caused by my neighbors? Can I call the FCC to track
it down? It's really ****ing up my videotapes.

Ron

In article . com,
Ron wrote:

Lately we have ben getting a lot of noise on channels 5 & 6, usually
at certain times of evening and night; almost never during the day.
This interference usually lasts about fifteen minutes, then cuts off.
Is this something caused by my neighbors? Can I call the FCC to track
it down? It's really ****ing up my videotapes.

Ron

No, the FCC doesn't care. You're on your own.

Ron wrote:
Lately we have ben getting a lot of noise on channels 5 & 6, usually

Channel 5 /76-82 Mhz corresponds with the Third harmonic of 25.33-27.33
Channel 6 /82-88 Mhz corresponds with the Third harmonic of 27.35- 29.33

This would seem to match the legal 26.965- 27.405 CB frequencies and
illegal operations beyond 27.405, usually ~27.555 - 27.755/ 82.665- 83.25
Considering that we are at the bottom of the 11 year Sunspot Cycle it is
unlikely that you are dealing with "Skip" communications.

The timing, would correspond with a 9-5 worker, and does it use the
radio most often on the weekends ??

Are you not on CABLE ??? in the 21 Century !
As I understand it the FCC will Terminate Analog TV Service in about 14
months anyway !!

Yukio YANO

Ron hath wroth:

Lately we have ben getting a lot of noise on channels 5 & 6, usually
at certain times of evening and night; almost never during the day.
This interference usually lasts about fifteen minutes, then cuts off.
Is this something caused by my neighbors? Can I call the FCC to track
it down? It's really ****ing up my videotapes.

The FCC will send you a color broshure detailing several mostly
useless options. Basically, unless you can identify the source, and
they're obviously in violation of some rule or reg, you're on your
own.

Best bet is to identify the source of intereference with a directional
antenna and a portable spectrum analyzer. If that's too messy, try
running around the neighborhood with a battery operated TV receiver
and look for the strongest areas. It's going to be quite a rush
because you only have 15 minutes to find the source.

Assuming you're talking about over the air channels, and not cable or
satellite channels:
CH 5 76-82 MHz
CH 6 82-88 MHz
Hmmm, you probably can also hear it at the bottom of the FM broadcast
band.

With the information you've supplied, I can't even begin to speculate
what the RF source might be. A 15 minute single run in the evening
kinda sounds like a microwave oven cooking dinner. However, those
operate a 2400MHz and are unlikely to cause problems on TV ch 5 and ch
6.

"Certain times of evening and night" implies that you know those
times. Could I trouble you to disclose them? Also, any particular
pattern on the TV screen?

Anyway, if you don't have the equipment or transmitter hunting skills,
try asking for help from the local ham radio operators.

Incidentally, video tapes are kinda like old technology. You might
want to look into recording the shows on a hard disk with a DVR, or a
DVD burner.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Smitty Two hath wroth:

In article . com,
Ron wrote:
Lately we have ben getting a lot of noise on channels 5 & 6, usually
at certain times of evening and night; almost never during the day.
This interference usually lasts about fifteen minutes, then cuts off.
Is this something caused by my neighbors? Can I call the FCC to track
it down? It's really ****ing up my videotapes.

No, the FCC doesn't care. You're on your own.

They sorta care. Here's the FCC Interference Handbook (which was
removed from the FCC web pile).
http://www.radioing.com/eengineer/documents/fccbook.html


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
...

Incidentally, video tapes are kinda like old technology. You might
want to look into recording the shows on a hard disk with a DVR,
or a DVD burner.

But that won't solve the interference problem.

"Ron" wrote in message
ups.com...
Lately we have ben getting a lot of noise on channels 5 & 6, usually
at certain times of evening and night; almost never during the day.
This interference usually lasts about fifteen minutes, then cuts off.
Is this something caused by my neighbors? Can I call the FCC to track
it down? It's really ****ing up my videotapes.

Ron


Complain to the FCC about the quality of your videotapes. Dumbass.

In article ,
Jeff Liebermann wrote:



The FCC will send you a color broshure detailing several mostly
useless options. Basically, unless you can identify the source, and
they're obviously in violation of some rule or reg, you're on your
own.


Correction: Even if you can identify the source, you're on your own. My
neighbor at work uses a 6000 watt amp on his CB radio. He talks to
people halfway across the country when the atmospheric conditions are
right. Yes, it interferes with things in our shop.

I called the FCC. They said they don't have the time or manpower to
track down violators. I said, no tracking down needed. I'm next door. I
know the name, the address, the phone number. They said, well, go talk
to him yourself. We don't enforce things like that.

"William Sommerwerck" hath wroth:

"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
.. .

Incidentally, video tapes are kinda like old technology. You might
want to look into recording the shows on a hard disk with a DVR,
or a DVD burner.

But that won't solve the interference problem.

Of course not. It also won't balance the budget, end hunger, or
supply the meaning of life. That's why I added it at the end and
prefixed it with "incidentally", which means it's not directly
relevant to the problem at hand. I've been slooooooly transcribbling
my VCR tapes to DVD and donating my VCR's to the thrift shops. The
local rental places hardly have any VCR tape on the shelf. While not
totally dead, VCR tapes show all the signs of impending obsolescence
and may soon take their proper place along with reel to reel, vinyl
disks, and wax cylinders.

Incidentally, I do some wi-fi interference hunting and have learned a
few things from the exercise (literally). Besides direction finding
being somewhat of an art instead of a science, knowing the
characteristics and timing of the interference will often point
directly to a culprit. That's why I asked for better time of day
information.
http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi#Interference
These are not applicable for ch 5 and ch 6 interference, but offer
some clue as to what is out there.

I kinda like the image of a high power CB transmitter. The problem is
that a 15 minute "broadcast", with no back and forth tx/rx exchange,
doesn't really sound like the typical CB user. I would expect
something like 30-60 second or less transmissions, with perhaps an
equal time to receive in between. This would go on all evening.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Smitty Two hath wroth:

In article ,
Jeff Liebermann wrote:
The FCC will send you a color broshure detailing several mostly
useless options. Basically, unless you can identify the source, and
they're obviously in violation of some rule or reg, you're on your
own.

Correction: Even if you can identify the source, you're on your own. My
neighbor at work uses a 6000 watt amp on his CB radio. He talks to
people halfway across the country when the atmospheric conditions are
right. Yes, it interferes with things in our shop.

I called the FCC. They said they don't have the time or manpower to
track down violators. I said, no tracking down needed. I'm next door. I
know the name, the address, the phone number. They said, well, go talk
to him yourself. We don't enforce things like that.

All too true and correct. From recent experience, the FCC will do
nothing unless either the correct politician is involved, or that it
involves national security (terrorism). We were getting inteference
from fishermen operating "modified" marine, ham, and commerical
radios. When in the area, they would severely interfere with local
ham repeaters. The FCC did nothing. However, at one point, they
landed on one of the channels used by the local sheriff. Suddenly,
there was interest, action, etc. The result was one person in a van,
shows up in the middle of the afternoon (when the fishermen were not
active), does 30 minutes of listening, doesn't hear a thing, and turns
around to go back home. Upon investigation, it seems that he was only
allocated enough funding by Dept of Homeland Security to make the one
afternoon trip. So much for the war on terrorism.

I have other other horror stories, but that aformentioned is the most
recent. Not only does enforcement require politics and terrorism, but
money is also a great inducer. The FCC does not directly enforce a
"notice of apparent liability" (which incidentally is forfeiture
without a trial). That job goes to the justice department, which
simply isn't interested in collecting fines that cost more to collect
than they collect. So, the FCC has gone on a concientious program of
ever increasing fines, sufficient to get the attention of the supremes
on charges of "cruel and unusual punnishment". The JD is not going to
collect a few thousand from your neighbor, when they can go after
broadcasters and cellular providers, that take in millions. See the
amount of the fines at the FCC Enforcement Burro web pile:
http://www.fcc.gov/eb/
http://www.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/

Anyway, tell your neighbor that the feds monitor home electrical usage
and that anyone using unusually large amounts if probably growing
drugs indoors. Also, tell him that he's running an "alligator".
That's a radio that has a big mouth and small ears. It helps if you
speak the language.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Oct 22, 10:50 pm, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
Ron hath wroth:

Lately we have ben getting a lot of noise on channels 5 & 6, usually
at certain times of evening and night; almost never during the day.
This interference usually lasts about fifteen minutes, then cuts off.
Is this something caused by my neighbors? Can I call the FCC to track
it down? It's really ****ing up my videotapes.

The FCC will send you a color broshure detailing several mostly
useless options. Basically, unless you can identify the source, and
they're obviously in violation of some rule or reg, you're on your
own.

Best bet is to identify the source of intereference with a directional
antenna and a portable spectrum analyzer. If that's too messy, try
running around the neighborhood with a battery operated TV receiver
and look for the strongest areas. It's going to be quite a rush
because you only have 15 minutes to find the source.

Assuming you're talking about over the air channels, and not cable or
satellite channels:
CH 5 76-82 MHz
CH 6 82-88 MHz
Hmmm, you probably can also hear it at the bottom of the FM broadcast
band.

With the information you've supplied, I can't even begin to speculate
what the RF source might be. A 15 minute single run in the evening
kinda sounds like a microwave oven cooking dinner. However, those
operate a 2400MHz and are unlikely to cause problems on TV ch 5 and ch
6.

"Certain times of evening and night" implies that you know those
times. Could I trouble you to disclose them? Also, any particular
pattern on the TV screen?

Anyway, if you don't have the equipment or transmitter hunting skills,
try asking for help from the local ham radio operators.

Incidentally, video tapes are kinda like old technology. You might
want to look into recording the shows on a hard disk with a DVR, or a
DVD burner.

Hmmm, I can get 8 hours on a single videotape; what can I get on a DVD
disk? One hour of recordings at most, if I had seen rightly the last
time I was at Target. Not even comparable... So I think I'll wait
till the new tehnologies catches up with the old. :-)

As for the time issue, I don't have a schedule of times, just that the
problem is intermittent from around 6:30 to 10:30 PM, with no problems
before then and none after those hours, but nothing like clockwork.

Ron hath wroth:

Hmmm, I can get 8 hours on a single videotape; what can I get on a DVD
disk? One hour of recordings at most, if I had seen rightly the last
time I was at Target.

http://www.madhousebeyond.com/?mode=docview&view=vhsdvd
Length of video DVD recording mode
Under 1 hour HQ mode (60 minutes)
Around 90 minutes SP mode (120 minutes)
Around 2 hours SP+ mode (150 minutes)
Up to 3 hours LP mode (180 minutes)
Over 3 hours EP mode (240 minutes)
If you have a DL (double layer) DVD burner, double the record times.

Not even comparable... So I think I'll wait
till the new tehnologies catches up with the old. :-)

Well, Blue Ray prices are sloooooowly coming down.

As for the time issue, I don't have a schedule of times, just that the
problem is intermittent from around 6:30 to 10:30 PM, with no problems
before then and none after those hours, but nothing like clockwork.

That's a fairly wide range of time for a 30 min microwave oven run,
but still possible. Good luck.


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Ron wrote in news:1193287345.405529.209450
@v23g2000prn.googlegroups.com:


Hmmm, I can get 8 hours on a single videotape; what can I get on a DVD
disk? One hour of recordings at most, if I had seen rightly the last
time I was at Target. Not even comparable... So I think I'll wait
till the new tehnologies catches up with the old. :-)


You can get at least 20 hours on HDD based DVRs.

If you have OTA, the lates TiVo does anout 160 hours at its basic mode for
analog SD, plus can tune digital/HD channels, although it sosts about $200,
and has a monely fee.

On Oct 25, 10:08 am, Gary Tait wrote:
Ron wrote in news:1193287345.405529.209450
@v23g2000prn.googlegroups.com:



Hmmm, I can get 8 hours on a single videotape; what can I get on
a DVD
disk? One hour of recordings at most, if I had seen rightly the
last
time I was at Target. Not even comparable... So I think I'll
wait
till the new tehnologies catches up with the old. :-)

You can get at least 20 hours on HDD based DVRs.

If you have OTA, the lates TiVo does anout 160 hours at its basic
mode for
analog SD, plus can tune digital/HD channels, although it sosts
about $200,
and has a monely fee.

In 16 months it will not matter as the analog TV transmitters will all
be turned off permanently. I've been using digital TV for almost 4
years now and I can't imagine dealing with NTSC ever again -- and I
work in a video post house. True, no tape based VCRs but certainly
recorders based on hard disks of which I have 3 units (PCs), often all
3 running to capture HD shows for later - MUCH later as in next
summer. No reruns at our house.

No ghosts, smears, ringing, noise (except for film grain), 5.1 audio.
Bulk storage? I'm using 500 gig USB drives ($110 Fry's) to hold
archived shows -- about 120 42 minute shows in HD (commercials
removed) per drive. 4 times that in std def. 20 years ago Bill Gates
told us TV would be centered on PCs and I thought he was full of it. I
was wrong. Time to take the plunge - the water's great.

GG

In 16 months it will not matter as the analog TV transmitters will all
be turned off permanently. I've been using digital TV for almost 4
years now and I can't imagine dealing with NTSC ever again -- and I
work in a video post house. True, no tape based VCRs but certainly
recorders based on hard disks of which I have 3 units (PCs), often all
3 running to capture HD shows for later - MUCH later as in next
summer. No reruns at our house.

No ghosts, smears, ringing, noise (except for film grain), 5.1 audio.
Bulk storage? I'm using 500 gig USB drives ($110 Fry's) to hold
archived shows -- about 120 42 minute shows in HD (commercials
removed) per drive. 4 times that in std def. 20 years ago Bill Gates
told us TV would be centered on PCs and I thought he was full of it. I
was wrong. Time to take the plunge - the water's great.

GG



I quit watching TV alltogether years ago and don't miss that waste of time,
however for millions of consumers the changeover will be quite a hassle.
Even if the converter boxes are cheap, you still need a new antenna and
those aren't, nor is installing one trivial for everyone. Cable and satelite
customers will essentially be unaffected, but there's a lot of people in
rural areas throughout the country who don't have that luxury.

On Oct 25, 12:25 pm, "James Sweet" wrote:
snip
I quit watching TV alltogether years ago and don't miss that waste
of time,
however for millions of consumers the changeover will be quite a
hassle.
Even if the converter boxes are cheap, you still need a new antenna
and
those aren't, nor is installing one trivial for everyone. Cable and
satelite
customers will essentially be unaffected, but there's a lot of
people in
rural areas throughout the country who don't have that luxury.

Negative on the antenna. If your old one is good with analog, it will
be fine with digital. The spectrum is the same for digital and analog.

GG

hi, dont know what software u using, but i can get eight , 45 minute
episodes on one dvd.
also , how on earth can u say , one hour at most ???? when most movies that
are on dvd are always longer than 1 hour.



"Gary Tait" wrote in message
...
Ron wrote in news:1193287345.405529.209450
@v23g2000prn.googlegroups.com:


Hmmm, I can get 8 hours on a single videotape; what can I get on a DVD
disk? One hour of recordings at most, if I had seen rightly the last
time I was at Target. Not even comparable... So I think I'll wait
till the new tehnologies catches up with the old. :-)


You can get at least 20 hours on HDD based DVRs.

If you have OTA, the lates TiVo does anout 160 hours at its basic mode for
analog SD, plus can tune digital/HD channels, although it sosts about
$200,
and has a monely fee.