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Question by Healthy Guy: Could a Ham Radio interfere with the reception of a Digital TV antenna?
There are four people living on my street with ham radio licenses. One lives right next door. The furthest person lives about half a mile away.
I lose my digital TV antenna reception quite often, and it seems like it is always around the same time. One minute my digital reception is fine and the next minute it is gone.
Could ham radio frequencies be interfering with my digital TV antenna reception?
If so, is there a government agency that can check this out?
Also, how far away would a ham radio still cause interference?
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Best answer:
Answer by Nunya Bisness
Ham radio can interfere with TV signals, and it sounds as though in your case it is. The FCC regulates the airwaves in the USA. But I probably have some bad news for you… if those ham radio operators are licensed and operating within FCC rules the FCC won’t do anything about it.
Information regarding complaints can be found here: http://www.fcc.gov/eb/AmaCmpl.html
Add your own answer in the comments!
Stephen got it alright, and Joe Friday was here before me again.
Stephen nailed it. Thanks for a sensible approach to solving this problem Stephen. I would just like to add that it may not even be a ham radio. One of the big clues to help you solve this is noting the time of day and duration you lose your TV.
Ham radio ops have nets and sometimes get on their radio during a particular time on a certain day. That may help narrow down if it a ham radio or not. You might also consider other means on interference. When I first hooked up my outside antenna, I used the antenna I already had. It was cut for VHF and UHF signals. After dark the propagation of the VHF signals overwhelmed the UHF signals and I would lose my digital signal. The solution was to just bend in the VHF part of the antenna to reduce reception on the VHF band. Also if it seems like it’s timed it might be a circuit on a timer like a sprinkler system. Get with your neighbor, odds are that he will be interested in helping out. Many ham ops track down rf interference as part of their hobby.
>Could a Ham Radio interfere with the reception of a Digital TV antenna?
Yes it can.
>Could ham radio frequencies be interfering with my digital TV antenna reception?
No. It’s not that simple. The problem is more likely with your equipment.
Repeat after me, the problem is more likely with your equipment.
Things like your power wiring acting like and antenna, or a cheap amplifier or tuner being overloaded by legal ham radio signals.
>If so, is there a government agency that can check this out?
In the US, the FCC regulates Ham Radio. You can contact them ( http://www.fcc.gov/eb/AmaCmpl.html ) but they are only concerned with compliance with FCC regulations.
To state the obvious, the people most likely to be able to help you are the ham radio operators themselves, and if you piss them off by doing things like calling the feds on them, they will not be inclined to help you.
Perhaps you should start by collecting some information, like keeping a log of when the problem occurs and what channels are effected. Are other neighbors having the same problem?
How about inviting them to a “Can you help me fix my DTV interference Barbeque”. Serve real good food.
>Also, how far away would a ham radio still cause interference?
-Closer is more likely.
-If you are using a directional antenna, transmitting antennas that are near by and located in the high gain directions of your TV antenna.
Absolutely. I used to line next door to ham radio operator with more antennas than US army. I had and he still interfered with my signal. Occasionally I heard his conversations. I had to get special shielded cables to limit, but not eliminate the interference.
Since you are running on antennae and not cable you must have it a lot worse. I do not believe that there is any legal way of getting around it. and even less of a practical one.
If you get cable it could get better, but with 4 in the area, well…
In terms of how far they have to be, that all depends on radio and its power and operational frequencies. There is not way to determine by guessing. I “guess” 1/2 mile should be OK for a TV.