179-weird TV interaction with LED/Fan
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4846
Printed Date: 09 Jun 2025 at 10:54am
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Topic: 179-weird TV interaction with LED/Fan
Posted By: Budward
Subject: 179-weird TV interaction with LED/Fan
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2014 at 7:16pm
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So we were camped for a week in a mountainous RF challenged area- noticed that on one DTV station when we turned on the bathroom light the picture went to crap! Best guess is the LED package in the light is putting out RF interfering with the TV. The LED is right under the antenna on our 179. This gets even weirder- we found that one other station that was a little pixelated improved to near perfect when we turned on the Fantastic fan in the bathroom. We did this repeatedly in amazement. Signal conditions were a little variable as a front had just moved through- Later the phenomenon disappeared. That one really has me head scratching as the fan blades etc are plastic......so no reflection going on. Unfortunately I retired as a wireless communications engineer a week ago and I no longer have access to a lot of fancy RF test equipment  Anyone else experience these quirks? ------------- 2014 179 Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
Replies:
Posted By: Markus5
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2014 at 10:27pm
| You didn't burn all your bridges before retiring, did you? I bet a buddy could help out. Bring some beer. :-) |
Posted By: Budward
Date Posted: 16 Jun 2014 at 5:22am
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Hah hah! Unfortunately the company I worked for (27 years) has very restrictive policies and some very anal management and coworkers. They act like the test equipment costs $100,000. Oh wait- some of it did! I may remove the bathroom LED light and shield the back of it. The fan thing still has me puzzled though! ------------- 2014 179 Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 16 Jun 2014 at 9:17am
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I wonder if the rotating metal in the hub reflected the signal differently than when it was still. Or while running it changed the capacitance of the wiring, affecting the signal reflection. Grasping at straws. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: Budward
Date Posted: 16 Jun 2014 at 1:16pm
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I'm kind of leaning toward some effect on the wiring, maybe in the ground. I noticed one other time a marginal DTV pic could be changed by swinging the TV around on its mount. That isn't right since it is fed with shielded coax. Of course with the outside antenna so close to the roof, and the roof being RF transparent (not metal) it is hard to tell. I even went outside and looked to see if maybe the fan was blowing moisture laden leaves away from the antenna....it wasn't. ------------- 2014 179 Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 16 Jun 2014 at 2:56pm
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There is metal in the roof. It is framed with AL, and of course the a/c has some metal also. ------------- |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2014 at 8:44am
I took one course in wave propogation theory when I was in the Canadian Air Force and I left with the firm belief that wave propogation has more to do with vodoo than science ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition 
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2014 at 9:30am
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Wait until we master quantum physics and figure out how to mass-produce "entangled atoms". Those can be used to create a no-interference, no-eavesdrop point-to-point data connection. Then it really will be voodoo. Traditional radio equipment will become obsolete except for toys and hobbyists. Wired data connections, too.
You'll end up with a quantum "radio" in your "cell" phone that literally can connect with no delay from anywhere in the universe (with no actual cellular radio system anymore), with an extremely high speed data connection. Embed the matching entangled atom in a centralized data center and it will connect you with other people (texting or phone call or conference call), or computers (internet), or audio/video streams ("radio" stations). Communications between planets would have no delay or bandwidth restrictions.
Wild stuff to consider, but not fiction.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: David and Danette
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2014 at 10:38am
I'm not even sure if Thomas Edison would understand it!  But sure he would invent a way to improve it and patent it.  ------------- 2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018- 2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019) 2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014) Middle Tn 2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2014 at 12:08pm
Only with Tesla's help!  ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Budward
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2014 at 12:23pm
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RF is very interesting- I first became interested as a young boy when I begged my parents for and eventually got a Hallicrafters short wave receiver. Had a neighbor a block over that worked for Collins and I would spend hours hanging out in his garage which contained literally whole walls with racks full of radio equipment. Now there are two companies that no one but old timers would recognize- Collins and Hallicrafters! I eventually turned my love of RF into a career, it was interesting to see over the years all the very bright people that were digital wizards but could never quite "get" RF! After 50 years of working with RF I still don't "get it" sometimes either  ------------- 2014 179 Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2014 at 1:06pm
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Some year I will eventually get my ham license, I've been saying it for about 25 years. Almost did it last year but ran out of time before summer came... ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Budward
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2014 at 2:21pm
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Yep- had mine for almost 40 years, although I have not been very active in quite awhile. Now that I'm retired that may change with more time on my hands, still have the 90ft tower in the backyard I put up 30 years ago. The county tried to make me take it down years ago but backed off when they realized I had put it up before zoning was in place. When we were camped in CO a few years back we did a lot of 4x4 trails...I was sure glad to have my handheld ham radio along in case of emergency...we sometimes went all day miles from any help without seeing another person and of course there was no cell coverage high in the rockies away from towns. Even with ham radio if I lived there I'd have one of those satellite emergency communicators...they are surprisingly affordable now. ------------- 2014 179 Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2014 at 4:35pm
I've owned three Hallicrafters (S-20R, HT-37, SX-100) and four Collins (R-390A, 75S1, KWM2A, 62S1). I also worked for Collins. I guess that makes me an old timer. Now licensed 60 years and still active. 73, ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: TriumphRider
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2014 at 5:41pm
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Budward,
That phenomenom with the bathroom fan is hilarious! I can just see us on our next trip trying all the combinations of fans, lights and stove (joking!) to see if we can get better reception!
 techntrek, I had wanted to get my Ham license for many years and finally did it a few years ago. The morse code requirement was one of the factors that kept me away. The funny thing is that now that it is no longer a requirement, I really want to get into keying!
 TriumphRider
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