FM radio interference from planes

"RST Engineering" wrote in message
...
Macklin, I like you, you are a nice guy. But sometimes you give advice
that is way the hell out of your depth. Like this one.

Jim, I don't know you except by what you post here, but you've gotta be the
most pompous PITA in the Western Hemisphere.





"Jim Macklin" wrote in message
news:AVTtg.67782$ZW3.26133@dukeread04...
104.1 FM is below the aircraft navigation and below the
communication assigned frequencies. But there are harmonic
signals that you cheap FM transmitter is not screening out.
Are you using a wired connection from the PC to the FM
transmitter or a WiFi or other radio? Most likely you're
getting the interference in that way.

You may be in violation of FCC rules.

Probably not, with a store-boughten transmitter. And harmonics (which are
integral multiples of a fundamental signal) probably have little to do
with it.

Consider the most probable cause. An FM receiver at 104.1 has a local
oscillator at 114.8 MHz to produce an IF of 10.7 MHz. Not only will that
beat with 104.1 on the low side of the LO, it will beat with 125.5 on the
high side. Most FM receivers have at least a +/- 50 kHz. wide IF strip to
allow the stereo subcarrier at 38 kHz. to come through, so 125.45, 125.5,
and 125.55 will come through as well.

The OP said that he doesn't get any interference when his transmitter is
off, so my best place to start looking is the front end of the receiver,
where the normal filtering of any decent FM receiver should take care of
the "image" problem. However, when a very strong signal (like from a 100
mW legal transmitter) comes blowing into the front end of the receiver
from a few feet away, crossmod and intermod are NOT your friend, and no
designer in this world can make a brick wall filter that will take care of
it.

Having said all that, the real problem is to keep whatever small amount of
aircraft band com energy is present at the front end from getting into the
receiver.

And, before we start off on a wild goose chase, I'd advise the OP to get a
small handheld aircraft band transceiver or scanner and see if the real
transmitter is somewhere around 125.5 MHz.. It is always good to be able
to do a math calculation to see exactly what is getting into what before
spending a lot of time chasing your tail.

For those who say "you can't hear AM on an FM receiver", I say
horsefeathers. It may be reduced in volume, it may be distorted, but it
will get through.

Do the test, tell me what frequency from 118-136.975 MHz. the aircraft is
on, and we'll go from there.

Jim

grin


"Matt Barrow" wrote in message
...
|
| "RST Engineering" wrote in
message
| ...
| Macklin, I like you, you are a nice guy. But sometimes
you give advice
| that is way the hell out of your depth. Like this one.
|
| Jim, I don't know you except by what you post here, but
you've gotta be the
| most pompous PITA in the Western Hemisphere.
|
|
|
|
|
| "Jim Macklin"
wrote in message
| news:AVTtg.67782$ZW3.26133@dukeread04...
| 104.1 FM is below the aircraft navigation and below the
| communication assigned frequencies. But there are
harmonic
| signals that you cheap FM transmitter is not screening
out.
| Are you using a wired connection from the PC to the FM
| transmitter or a WiFi or other radio? Most likely
you're
| getting the interference in that way.
|
| You may be in violation of FCC rules.
|
| Probably not, with a store-boughten transmitter. And
harmonics (which are
| integral multiples of a fundamental signal) probably
have little to do
| with it.
|
| Consider the most probable cause. An FM receiver at
104.1 has a local
| oscillator at 114.8 MHz to produce an IF of 10.7 MHz.
Not only will that
| beat with 104.1 on the low side of the LO, it will beat
with 125.5 on the
| high side. Most FM receivers have at least a +/- 50
kHz. wide IF strip to
| allow the stereo subcarrier at 38 kHz. to come through,
so 125.45, 125.5,
| and 125.55 will come through as well.
|
| The OP said that he doesn't get any interference when
his transmitter is
| off, so my best place to start looking is the front end
of the receiver,
| where the normal filtering of any decent FM receiver
should take care of
| the "image" problem. However, when a very strong signal
(like from a 100
| mW legal transmitter) comes blowing into the front end
of the receiver
| from a few feet away, crossmod and intermod are NOT your
friend, and no
| designer in this world can make a brick wall filter that
will take care of
| it.
|
| Having said all that, the real problem is to keep
whatever small amount of
| aircraft band com energy is present at the front end
from getting into the
| receiver.
|
| And, before we start off on a wild goose chase, I'd
advise the OP to get a
| small handheld aircraft band transceiver or scanner and
see if the real
| transmitter is somewhere around 125.5 MHz.. It is
always good to be able
| to do a math calculation to see exactly what is getting
into what before
| spending a lot of time chasing your tail.
|
| For those who say "you can't hear AM on an FM receiver",
I say
| horsefeathers. It may be reduced in volume, it may be
distorted, but it
| will get through.
|
| Do the test, tell me what frequency from 118-136.975
MHz. the aircraft is
| on, and we'll go from there.
|
| Jim
|
|
|
|
|

Matt,

Macklin, I like you, you are a nice guy. But sometimes you give advice
that is way the hell out of your depth. Like this one.

Jim, I don't know you except by what you post here, but you've gotta be the
most pompous PITA in the Western Hemisphere.


The person involved not-withstanding, what's more pompous, posting about
something you don't know much about or saying someone else did that? gd&r

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)