Magnet near scanner?

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CM1

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Thoughts, input, or opinions on having a magnet near a scanner?
I was thinking about using a moderate strength magnet on the back of a portable scanner, so I can just "stick it" to the inside of my (open) tool box lid.

FYI: using an outside antenna, (connected via BNC/cabe) so antenna on radio is of no concern.
 

VK3RX

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Not sure what effect it would have on the magnet in your portable's internal speaker in the long term ...
 

Ubbe

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To be able to send information in the atmosphere a magnetic component are added to a voltage from a transmitter to produce a radiowave. The receiving antenna then converts it back to pure voltage. If there's a magnet near the antenna the mahnetic field might work as a shield, screening the RF from the antenna. If the coils in the scanner, and metal screening boxes inside, gets magnetised it creates the same problem. The coils Q value gets worse and magnetic metals might interfere with the RF electronics. In some difficult repair and aligments I've done that had strange results where cured by de-magnetise the whole RF module.

/Ubbe
 

iMONITOR

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Should avoid close proximity to CRT displays like what's used in the ICOM IC-R9000 reciver. It will distort it and may have a lasting effect.
 

dlwtrunked

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A magnet will generally have no effect on the radios operation (note it has a magnet in it for the speaker). It is possible that if it is near the speaker another magnet might affect operation of that-you will know right away if it does.
To be able to send information in the atmosphere a magnetic component are added to a voltage from a transmitter to produce a radiowave. The receiving antenna then converts it back to pure voltage. If there's a magnet near the antenna the mahnetic field might work as a shield, screening the RF from the antenna. If the coils in the scanner, and metal screening boxes inside, gets magnetised it creates the same problem. The coils Q value gets worse and magnetic metals might interfere with the RF electronics. In some difficult repair and aligments I've done that had strange results where cured by de-magnetise the whole RF module.

/Ubbe

Since he would be sticking it to the steel cover, the field inside would probably not be significant. Note that the speaker magnet does not effect the electronics. In the case of magnets near the field, things are not really quite per above. Yes, an electromagnetic wave, whether visible light, x-rays, radio waves etc. consists of an electric and magnetic component by their nature (nothing is "added" at the transmitter). You will not observe an additional effect by bringing a magnet near the antenna more than bringing other metal near the antenna.
 

mmckenna

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You mean all this time the magnet has been sucking up my radio waves? What about the one in the speaker?

In other words, unless you do something silly with the magnet, you'll be OK. If magnetism was a huge issue, there'd be a lot of issues with radio around transformers, smelters, earths magnetic poles, etc. Doing some digging, yes, there is an infinitesimally small amount of interaction between strong magnetic fields and RF, but nothing you'll notice on a consumer scanner.
 

fxdscon

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Thoughts, input, or opinions on having a magnet near a scanner?
I was thinking about using a moderate strength magnet on the back of a portable scanner, so I can just "stick it" to the inside of my (open) tool box lid.

FYI: using an outside antenna, (connected via BNC/cabe) so antenna on radio is of no concern.


Shouldn't be any problem. As an example, the Whistler TRX-2 scanner uses very strong magnets to hold the removeable faceplate to the scanner....

From page 11 of the TRX-2 user's manual:
WARNING: Always install the remote head with care, keeping your fingers clear; the magnets are very powerful.
 
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DaveNF2G

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Magnetic fields can bend light, but they have to be a lot stronger than a speaker magnet.

The metal case will shield the scanner from the magnetic field of something attached on the outside.
 

RFI-EMI-GUY

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I just read an article about a class D audio amp failing RF emission specs because it was mounted on a huge speaker magnet. The ferrite chokes that filter the output leads became saturated in the field.

So I would say, don't put a huge mag mount antenna on sensitive electronics.


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