Picking up 5.8 GHz phone on scanner

[vs1988]

Today I was doing a basic search and recieved our 5.8 Ghz cordless phone (someone in the house was on it). The frequency was 463.000, which is the repeater output for MED 1. It was actually picking up both sides of the conversation.

Why is the 5.8 Ghz phone being picked up in the UHF band?

Thanks

Vince

[rjschave]

What brand and model cordless phone do you have?

I have seen some cordless phones that advertise they are 2.4GHz, but it turns out that is only 1 side of the conversation. The other side is in the 900MHz range.

[Forts]

I had a Uniden 5.8 that did this as well.... when I dug thru the specs for the phone, base to handet (or vice versa) was 5.8Ghz, while the other way was in the 900mhz range. When replacing the phone I specifically picked one that was full 5.8Ghz (its a Panasonic).

[ScanManQSL]

Originally Posted by Forts

I had a Uniden 5.8 that did this as well.... when I dug thru the specs for the phone, base to handet (or vice versa) was 5.8Ghz, while the other way was in the 900mhz range. When replacing the phone I specifically picked one that was full 5.8Ghz (its a Panasonic).

[EDIT Spelling Error] What model did you used to own before you bought a new full 5.8Ghz phone? Im curious because I also own a Uniden 5.8Ghz. (TRU8885-2)

[jimyleg]

What model uniden 5.8 is it???

[MississippiPI]

I would very very careful in letting folk know you are monitoring phone conversations--don't want to get caught up in no mess do ya?

Be safe

[Tom-H]

Originally Posted by MississippiPI

I would very very careful in letting folk know you are monitoring phone conversations--don't want to get caught up in no mess do ya?

Be safe

I see absolutely nothing wrong with monitoring your own phone calls, just be mindful when scanning, as you may pick up others.

[eorange]

Originally Posted by vs1988

The frequency was 463.000

Do you pick up 900 MHz images in the 463 MHz range?

[Tom-H]

Originally Posted by eorange

Do you pick up 900 MHz images in the 463 MHz range?

Well, 463 mhz times 2 is 926 mhz, which would be in the range of the 900 mhz phones, but I was told that harmonics don't work this way, so who knows what's going on.

[scanfan03]

Originally Posted by MississippiPI

I would very very careful in letting folk know you are monitoring phone conversations--don't want to get caught up in no mess do ya?

Be safe

It sounds like he wasn't trying to pick up cordless phones. His cordless phone came in on an EMS frequency.

[Al42]

Originally Posted by Tom-H

Well, 463 mhz times 2 is 926 mhz, which would be in the range of the 900 mhz phones, but I was told that harmonics don't work this way, so who knows what's going on.

It's the frequency + or minus twice the IF frequency which, these days, is so high that you'd have to very close to a powerful transmitter to receive an image. The Pro-95, for example, has a 380.8 MHz first IF, so images would have to be 761.6 MHz from the actual frequency - which the front end filters would kill. (You'd probably get more 1224 MHz signal leaking directly into the demodulator through the plastic case - at 455 KHz - than would come through the 450 MHz filters.)

Three times the frequency is also possible if the transmitter is putting out harmonics, or there's something near the transmitting antenna producing harmonics (like a rusty joint between two pieces of metal). Or it could be intermod, if it's not continuous, which it probably was (continuous, not intermod) in this case.