[Hidden-tech] Weird interference with TV reception

[Robert Heller]

At Sun, 19 Jan 2014 12:06:01 -0500 Linda Taylor <lintaylor at verizon.net> wrote:

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> Can anyone explain why when we turn on the lights in our kitchen we lose
> reception for NBC sports in the living room? It's broadcast TV. Turn off the
> lights and it comes back. Only that station. Only the reception, not the
> power to the TV.

What kind of lights do you have in the kitchen?  What *else* is on along with 
the lights (eg exhaust fan or some such)?

With DTV, reception is all or nothing, unlike the old (far more robust) ATV.
With Analog TV (ATV), 'RF Noise' caused 'snow' -- that is a *degraded* signal
and the TV set is trying its best. With Digital TV (DTV), 'RF Noyce' causes
signal lock to be lost, resulting in a black screen -- when DTV works you get
a wonderful HD display and a black screen ('No Signal') otherwise. This is of
course *great* if you are in close range of the transmitter and/or have a
really good antenna and/or a really good signal booster. And totally sucks if
you are out in the boonies with hills, trees, snow, rain, other sources of VHF
radiation (RF 'noise'), etc. between you and the TV station's transmitting
antenna. Of course, satellite TV has much the same issues, esp. as you get
further from the equator.

Something about the lights in the kitchen are causing 'RF Noise' at about the 
same frequency as the NBC sports station is using.  Or the NBC sports station 
is right on the edge of signal strength and the 'RF Noise' caused caused by 
the kitchen lights is enough to go over the top WRT Signal-to-noise and the 
signal is lost.

My *guess* is that you have some sort of Compact Fluorescent lighting that is 
generating RF noise, either the lights are defective or just 'cheaply' made. 
Or else it is a marginal situation.  It also could be a ground fault issue 
with either the kitchen lights *OR* with your antenna feed.

What kind of antenna do you have?

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> Linda Taylor
> Taylor Graphics
> 413-628-3959
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-- 
Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933 / heller at deepsoft.com
Deepwoods Software        -- http://www.deepsoft.com/
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