Hi ,
I live in Southern NJ and like to listen to sports talk WIP 610 am . My
problem is that about a month ago , at
about 7 every night( for hours) I get loud , blasting sounds for about 30
seconds straight at least every 5 minutes. It sounds like someone is using a
power tool and it is interfering with the reception. Could that be it? Can
it be my neighbor working on something every night? It sounds like when I
turn on certain lights in my house when am radio is on and it interferes.
Just had to post this, this is terrible , it has taken my nightly listening
away. What could it be?
Thanks,
Jazz

On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 21:05:08 -0600, Jazzy wrote
(in message ):

Hi ,
I live in Southern NJ and like to listen to sports talk WIP 610 am .

Is this a local station to you? And are there utility stations near you? 610
is pretty close to "band's end".

My
problem is that about a month ago , at
about 7 every night( for hours) I get loud , blasting sounds for about 30
seconds straight at least every 5 minutes.

Okay, so you've got something "cycling".

It sounds like someone is using a
power tool and it is interfering with the reception. Could that be it?

Extremely unlikely. I can't think of any tool used for anything that would
cycle like that.

Can it be my neighbor working on something every night?

Basically, no.

It sounds like when I
turn on certain lights in my house when am radio is on and it interferes.

Yup; it sounds as if it's pretty standard RFI (radio frequency interference)
and you're going to have to track it down if you want to get rid of it.

Just had to post this, this is terrible , it has taken my nightly listening
away. What could it be?

[A streetlight but I'm not authorized to tell you that yet.]

You're going to need a portable radio which can run on batteries and,
probably a flashlight.

You're actually fortunate with the problem lasting 5 minutes and it being so
regular.

Locate all house/apartment/whatever fuses and circuit breakers (my last house
had four separate boxes - UGH!) and make sure you know which way to flip them
off.

So, the 1st night, turn on your radio (running off batteries) and listen for
the first period of interference and get your radio and flashlight ready
because - when the next period of RFI hits - you're going to be scampering
around and flipping switches.

When the second interference begins, leave your radio in the same place and
cut off every single one - all of them.

If the noise is still there, you are now a "victim" and you may make a "made
for TV movie" and sell it to "Lifetime".

[If you don't live in a neighberhood with streetlights, I'm fixin' to be
really wrong.]

You have streetlights, yes? Good; in all liklihood, that is the source of
your problems (could also be a transformer but I'm guessing at a lamp
re-cycling).

So, the second night, walk around your area outside with the radio running on
batteries (right after the interference has started). Depending on what kind
of area you're in, you might need to use a couple of those 5-minute persiods.

If none of this works, then you need to keep a log, noting what type the
streetlights come one and /exactly/ when the interference is present and go
from there.


Thanks,
Jazz



Hope this is of some help. /gray//

Sound like a Sodium vapor lamp gone bad, it can be FAR away to.
Does it start to decay after 8 seconds then suddenly stop around 30 ?
Build and electrostatic shielded loop receiving antenna, they are the best
to null those things out.

-RP



"Jazzy" wrote in message
...
Hi ,
I live in Southern NJ and like to listen to sports talk WIP 610 am .
My
problem is that about a month ago , at
about 7 every night( for hours) I get loud , blasting sounds for about 30
seconds straight at least every 5 minutes. It sounds like someone is using
a
power tool and it is interfering with the reception. Could that be it? Can
it be my neighbor working on something every night? It sounds like when I
turn on certain lights in my house when am radio is on and it interferes.
Just had to post this, this is terrible , it has taken my nightly
listening
away. What could it be?
Thanks,
Jazz

Next time, turn the radio at various angles and see if you can
null the noise out. Usually the top edge of the radio points
at the direction it's nulling away, and outdoors that would be
pretty horizontal most of the time, but if it's coming from the
wires in your house as well, almost any angle might be the one
you need to try.

Practice nulling a weak station in the daytime. The same thing
works on noise sources.
--
Ron Hardin


On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

"Ron Hardin" wrote in message
...
Next time, turn the radio at various angles and see if you can
null the noise out. Usually the top edge of the radio points
at the direction it's nulling away, and outdoors that would be
pretty horizontal most of the time, but if it's coming from the
wires in your house as well, almost any angle might be the one
you need to try.

Practice nulling a weak station in the daytime. The same thing
works on noise sources.
--
Ron Hardin


On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

I've tried turning the radio, its a very strong interference. My primary
listening device is my stereo , which can't
be moved too much. The strange thing is that I've been in this house 5
years, almost 6 and this just started a month ago.
And its every night. In the morning its fine again. Next I will try a
different radio, or sit out in the car at 7pm to see if it happens there
too. It is a mystery.

Jazzy wrote:
I've tried turning the radio, its a very strong interference. My primary
listening device is my stereo , which can't
be moved too much. The strange thing is that I've been in this house 5
years, almost 6 and this just started a month ago.
And its every night. In the morning its fine again. Next I will try a
different radio, or sit out in the car at 7pm to see if it happens there
too. It is a mystery.

Walk around with a portable AM radio, following the advice previously given,
(nulling the noise) and you can probably solve the mystery pretty quickly.

Things to check:
- *Anything* electrical in your house that's changed around the time the
interference started
- Walk around your property, up and down the street; it may be coming from
next door or a power pole

--
John Miller
Email address: domain, n4vu.com; username, jsm

Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get.

Jazz,

As a previous person noted, check for a street lamp(s). It should be
obvious if you can watch them while listening to the noise.

Other culprits: A heating pad in someone's house nearby. Same thing
applies to those vibrating devices that you can sit up against that
have heaters in them.

Aquarium heaters, heat tapes for pipes, although these should be
acting up all day long, not just at night.

Keep us posted.

John



On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 22:05:08 -0500, "Jazzy"
wrote:

Hi ,
I live in Southern NJ and like to listen to sports talk WIP 610 am . My
problem is that about a month ago , at
about 7 every night( for hours) I get loud , blasting sounds for about 30
seconds straight at least every 5 minutes. It sounds like someone is using a
power tool and it is interfering with the reception. Could that be it? Can
it be my neighbor working on something every night? It sounds like when I
turn on certain lights in my house when am radio is on and it interferes.
Just had to post this, this is terrible , it has taken my nightly listening
away. What could it be?
Thanks,
Jazz

"JRS" wrote in message
...
Jazz,

As a previous person noted, check for a street lamp(s). It should be
obvious if you can watch them while listening to the noise.

Other culprits: A heating pad in someone's house nearby. Same thing
applies to those vibrating devices that you can sit up against that
have heaters in them.

Aquarium heaters, heat tapes for pipes, although these should be
acting up all day long, not just at night.

Keep us posted.

John

One big thing happening is that the gas company is laying this huge yellow
piping past my street. However, they work all day and it doesn't affect it.
Just at night. This is around the time it started tho. Maybe they are
leaving something running at night?


On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 22:05:08 -0500, "Jazzy"
wrote:

Hi ,
I live in Southern NJ and like to listen to sports talk WIP 610 am .
My
problem is that about a month ago , at
about 7 every night( for hours) I get loud , blasting sounds for about
30
seconds straight at least every 5 minutes. It sounds like someone is
using a
power tool and it is interfering with the reception. Could that be it?
Can
it be my neighbor working on something every night? It sounds like when I
turn on certain lights in my house when am radio is on and it interferes.
Just had to post this, this is terrible , it has taken my nightly
listening
away. What could it be?
Thanks,
Jazz