Cell phone Interference

[hcsd35-32]

I have a Pro-96, and when ever I am in the same room with the scanner and I get or make a cell phone call the scanner makes a clicking noise. This noise is very annoying, and comes through regearless of what the volume is set at. So, basically I can't talk on my cell phone and listen to the scanner at the same time . I recently switched cell providers from Verizon to Centennial, and Just noticed it since I got the new phone. My Verizon phone never did this. Anyone else experiencing the same problem? Any Suggestions?

Thanks!

--Nick
Huntington County, IN

 

[N_Jay]

I have a Pro-96, and when ever I am in the same room with the scanner and I get or make a cell phone call the scanner makes a clicking noise. This noise is very annoying, and comes through regearless of what the volume is set at. So, basically I can't talk on my cell phone and listen to the scanner at the same time . I recently switched cell providers from Verizon to Centennial, and Just noticed it since I got the new phone. My Verizon phone never did this. Anyone else experiencing the same problem? Any Suggestions?

Thanks!

--Nick
Huntington County, IN

Verizon is CDMA and in not likely to cause interference.

TDMA and GSM usually cause a buzz, and clicking is typically iDEN (Nextel).

An external antenna can help but not always.

 

[FPO703]

I get the same thing on ANY electronic thing with a speaker that has power applied to it if my NexTel is in use via either Direct Connect or telephone.

This includes speakerphones, car/house stereos, scanners, etc...

If it's got a speaker and it's powered on, it will give this sound.

It's annoying. But, I live with it.

 

[N_Jay]

I get the same thing on ANY electronic thing with a speaker that has power applied to it if my NexTel is in use via either Direct Connect or telephone.

This includes speakerphones, car/house stereos, scanners, etc...

If it's got a speaker and it's powered on, it will give this sound.

It's annoying. But, I live with it.

The only absolute is there are no absolutes. :twisted:

However that nbeing said, many consumer products are terrible in avoiding this type of interference, and iDEN technology unfourtunatly does a rather good job at creating it.

 

[FPO703]

Especially when the FCC states that products must be able to 'accept any interference'.....

 

[N_Jay]

Especially when the FCC states that products must be able to 'accept any interference'.....

Ugg??? :roll:

 

[FPO703]

Go look at their website. you'll see what I mean

 

[N_Jay]

Go look at their website. you'll see what I mean

I understand that the user of a device listed under part 15 must tolerate interference, in that they are given no leagal protection, as are devices opperating under other FCC Parts.

It does not mean that it has to be designed in a way wherby it IOS interfered with by undesired signals.

So, I am still a bit confused as to where it falls in this discussion other than pointing out you have little or no legal recourse. (FCC wise)

 

[K5MAR]

I think the point he is trying to make is that the manufacturers of some of the less expensive (read cheap) electronics devices cut corners in order to save money, knowing that the ultimate owners have little choice but to accept the interference. When you have to pay shipping both ways to get a "warranty" repair, and the shipping costs are generally higher than the actual value of the item, most people just chuck the item in the trash. So the manufacturer wins, and the consumers lose. Who's going to start a class-action lawsuit over a $20 phone or other cheap electronics items, and what other way is there to compel the manufacturer to build better. The FCC has bigger problems to deal with, don't count on any help there.

Mark S.

 

[N_Jay]

I think the point he is trying to make is that the manufacturers of some of the less expensive (read cheap) electronics devices cut corners in order to save money, knowing that the ultimate owners have little choice but to accept the interference. When you have to pay shipping both ways to get a "warranty" repair, and the shipping costs are generally higher than the actual value of the item, most people just chuck the item in the trash. So the manufacturer wins, and the consumers lose. Who's going to start a class-action lawsuit over a $20 phone or other cheap electronics items, and what other way is there to compel the manufacturer to build better. The FCC has bigger problems to deal with, don't count on any help there.

Mark S.

I see what you are saying, but if someone is going to build a cheap piece of crap, I don't think the FCC Part 15 rules help them justify it.
The market place does.

 

[K5MAR]

I see what you are saying, but if someone is going to build a cheap piece of crap, I don't think the FCC Part 15 rules help them justify it.
The market place does.

Justify? No. Get by with it, YES! You go back with your cheap POS, and the store says you have to contact the manufacturer. You contact the manufacturer, and they point to Part 15. You say they should still build the item to reduce or eliminate the problem, they say not their problem, etc, etc, etc. Most people give up long before that point, trash the item, and go buy a different brand (which is probably as cheaply made as the first). And there just isn't a way to track the reliability of most consumer products. So the manufacturer is able to escape the consequences of their actions, and continue to make and sell cheaply-made products.

I used to be the Parts Manager at a local new car dealership, and when people complained about the cost of genuine parts vs. the aftermarket stuff, I would tell them this: "You may not always get what you pay for, but you'll never get MORE than you pay for. You buy cheap, you get cheap." And lets face it, how many people buy the BEST TV or stereo in the store? Mostly, they buy the CHEAPEST item with the most bells and whistles. Three guesses which one is most likely to suffer from interference or fail prematurely?

Mark S.

 

[N_Jay]

I see what you are saying, but if someone is going to build a cheap piece of crap, I don't think the FCC Part 15 rules help them justify it.
The market place does.

Justify? No. Get by with it, YES! You go back with your cheap POS, and the store says you have to contact the manufacturer. You contact the manufacturer, and they point to Part 15. You say they should still build the item to reduce or eliminate the problem, they say not their problem, etc, etc, etc. Most people give up long before that point, trash the item, and go buy a different brand (which is probably as cheaply made as the first). And there just isn't a way to track the reliability of most consumer products. So the manufacturer is able to escape the consequences of their actions, and continue to make and sell cheaply-made products.

I used to be the Parts Manager at a local new car dealership, and when people complained about the cost of genuine parts vs. the aftermarket stuff, I would tell them this: "You may not always get what you pay for, but you'll never get MORE than you pay for. You buy cheap, you get cheap." And lets face it, how many people buy the BEST TV or stereo in the store? Mostly, they buy the CHEAPEST item with the most bells and whistles. Three guesses which one is most likely to suffer from interference or fail prematurely?

Mark S.

It still has to be "suitable for the intended purpose".

If it is that bad, take it back to the store, and tell them it is NOT SUITABLE FOR THE INTENDED PURPOSE. In most states that is a leagaly required warranty!

Part 15 has more to doth recieving "intentional transmissions" that interfere with unlicensed users (or licensed users).

The noise we are discussion is the suceptability of amplifiers to wideband impuse noise which TDMA transmitteres are so good at making. (iDEN and GSM are both TDMA formats.)

 

[Voyager]

I have a Pro-96, and when ever I am in the same room with the scanner and I get or make a cell phone call the scanner makes a clicking noise. This noise is very annoying, and comes through regearless of what the volume is set at. So, basically I can't talk on my cell phone and listen to the scanner at the same time . I recently switched cell providers from Verizon to Centennial, and Just noticed it since I got the new phone. My Verizon phone never did this. Anyone else experiencing the same problem? Any Suggestions?

Thanks!

--Nick
Huntington County, IN

Lots of replies, but I didn't see any confirm the same thing. I have it when I transmit on UHF - a clicking like you described. Mine does vary level with the volume control. It's the strong RF field overloading something in the audio circuit. It's not necessarily a flaw, or doesn't make the scanner useless - it's merely the strong RF field you are creating reacting with the scanner.

If you think that is a problem, you could just as easily argue that strong RF fields cause desense to reception in the same band. I don't believe either case is a justification for claiming that it is 'not suitable', as any (literally ANY) receiver will desense with a strong in-band signal nearby unless you add filters to deal with the strong RF field.

That said, I have many scanners, and only my PRO-96 seems to react to the strong RF this way. Maybe it is the length of the traces used in the speaker leads, or some other coincidental factor that makes the unit react this way. I don't think I've seen the same reaction on VHF (low or high) - just UHF. I don't recall 800 MHz, either.

So, you're not alone, but making a big deal likely won't solve anything. But, hey! It's a free country - knock yourself out! 8)

Joe M.

 

[Spleen]

My PRO-94 emits the same clicking noise when listening to 800MHz trunks in proximity to a cell phone in use (and driving too close to certain cell towers, too).

 

[CSL126]

PRO-93s also make a clicking noise when they're around cell phones. It was never very severe though, I could still hear all of the radio traffic that was coming out over the speaker...

 

[Voyager]

PRO-93s also make a clicking noise when they're around cell phones. It was never very severe though, I could still hear all of the radio traffic that was coming out over the speaker...

I should add that a NOT-IN-USE Cellphone made a clicking noise on a broadcast quality wireless mic I used last year. So, it's not just the scanners. I don't know if that was RF interference or strong signal interaction, but again, the phone was not in use - just turned on. It caused a clicking noise. We thought it was a low battery, but the battery was new.

Joe M.

 

[K5MAR]

Slightly more on topic, I used to be able to disconnect a friend's cordless phone with my trusty BC-100XLT. If I got within 2-3 feet of the phone with the scanner when it was on, the phone would disconnect.

Mark S.

 

[richster]

My 245xlt does the exact same thing. On the older models of cell phones it would actually cause them to disconnect. Doesn't seem to do this with those new digital ones that take pics and do text.

Regards,
Richster.