Electronics in proximity to other electronics

[RoJoHen]

Do weird things happen whenever one piece of technology is near another piece of technology? And do you have any idea why?

For some reason, if I send a text message (or if I'm about to receive a text message) and my cellphone is next to my alarm clock, my alarm clock will pick up the signal and weird noises will come out of the speakers. It makes the noise immediately after I send a text AND immediately before I receive one. It's kind of like an early warning system. If my clock makes the noise (it's almost like a really faint morse code), I know that a few seconds later I will be receiving a text message or that my phone will start ringing.

 

[the Dagman]

Your alarm clock is picking up your cel carrier frequency.

 

[RoJoHen]

Well, I figured as much, but it still weirded me out the first few times it happened. Now I just think it's neat.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

I think this happens with alot of electronics.

I can't get my cordless phone too close to my computer or I get interference while on the phone. It only needs about a foot of clearance...but get too close and I can't hear my callers.

 

[Holdfast]

For some reason, if I send a text message (or if I'm about to receive a text message) and my cellphone is next to my alarm clock, my alarm clock will pick up the signal and weird noises will come out of the speakers. It makes the noise immediately after I send a text AND immediately before I receive one. It's kind of like an early warning system. If my clock makes the noise (it's almost like a really faint morse code), I know that a few seconds later I will be receiving a text message or that my phone will start ringing.

Speakers always do this near a cellphone. They pick up the frequency of the phone transmission. It's the same annoying effect as when you're on a landline and get a cell call at the same time.

 

[RoJoHen]

I haven't existed in a place with a land line in about 6 years, so I can't speak to that.

 

[TheGodBen]

My old sub-woofer would occasionally pick up the signal from phone calls made by people walking past the house. I'd be on the PC minding my own business, then I'd hear somebody saying something for about two seconds. It only happened about a dozen times in five years, but I did once hear the phrase "elephant penis". It really makes you wonder what that conversation was about.

 

[FordSVT]

For some reason, if I send a text message (or if I'm about to receive a text message) and my cellphone is next to my alarm clock, my alarm clock will pick up the signal and weird noises will come out of the speakers. It makes the noise immediately after I send a text AND immediately before I receive one. It's kind of like an early warning system. If my clock makes the noise (it's almost like a really faint morse code), I know that a few seconds later I will be receiving a text message or that my phone will start ringing.

Speakers always do this near a cellphone. They pick up the frequency of the phone transmission. It's the same annoying effect as when you're on a landline and get a cell call at the same time.

When I read that I read "landmine", and all I could briefly think of is how understated the word "annoying" was to describe any problem one might have with said object.

 

[propita]

I worked in a test lab (a lot was electro-optical: visible and invisible light) and be surrounded by 12 machines on some tests.

A few items, mainly laser energy probes toyed with by the end users (putting foil around the connection cord--bad to do around lasers due to danger of reflections), would become very telephonic. They'd put out a voltage signal just due to noise. Snapping fingers near them would show a spike on the 'scope.

 

[Squiggy]

Blackberry interference with microphones is the worst. Every time we do I show I make the same announcement "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to NASA Headquarters. At this time we would like you to turn all cellphones, Blackberry, or other portable electronic device as they may cause a disturbance during the broadcast..."

We're not afraid of the cell phone ringing during a show, it's that God awful "dat dat dat" interference. If you watch a lot of press conferences, you're bound to hear the same thing.

 

[Omnius]

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to NASA Headquarters. At this time we would like you to turn all cellphones, Blackberry, or other portable electronic device as they may cause a disturbance during the broadcast..."

... even you Mr. President. Turn off your Blackberry.

I read on slashdot that Obama is quite fond of his Blackberry and isn't looking forward to give it up.

 

[backstept]

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to NASA Headquarters. At this time we would like you to turn all cellphones, Blackberry, or other portable electronic device as they may cause a disturbance during the broadcast..."

... even you Mr. President. Turn off your Blackberry.

I read on slashdot that Obama is quite fond of his Blackberry and isn't looking forward to give it up.

I don't think he should give it up . . . at lease not when he's 'out of the office'
when he's in meetings or other such work type environments maybe he shouldn't have it, but on his freetime he shouldn't be limited

if FBI and CIA people [edit- and senators ] use the devices then it should be secure enough for the president.

 

[Q2UnME]

^actually, the Secrete Service is going to make him give it up stating "a Blackberry IS NOT secure enough for Presidential use"... Heard it on the radio this morning.

Q2

 

[Plecostomus]

This can actually cause severe malfunctions in industrial situations, the stray signals can trigger remote control relays and devices.

Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant in New Jersey went through a scary malfunction once because of a signal generated by a portable two-way radio. This was back in the early 1990s if I remember correctly. If you search the NRC records online you should be able to find an incident writeup for it. My step-father used to work there, and he was there when this happened along with his friend who is a friend of our family.

There is an area of the plant where the control relays and cables and sensor inputs all converge and are fed into the plant control computer and from there to the control-room. The control-room operators sent a couple of techs into this area to trace a signal fault and when one of the NOOB techs found the fault he wipped out his two-way and called the control room.

The resulting burst of radio signal scrambled all the control signals and caused the computer to do what it does best: Shut down the reactor and put it in a safe-mode. Meanwhile the control-room operators are getting all these signals that they have never seen outside of simulations such as "control rod jam" and "pressure-vessel seal failure" and "recirculation pump motor-generator fire" and "waste system overflow." They are in an utter panic because they can't get a signal through, the techs are trying to reset everything and alot of people got quite scared.

Needless to say that NOOB tech got his butt enlarged by several orders of magintude because the sign at the entrance of the relay room declares you are not supposed to take RF signal sources into the room.

He still works there though. In a nice twist he's in charge of the RF exclusion and control programs, who better to teach the incoming workers than the one who actually saw what could happen if you ignore the rules.

 

[Garak]

Yeah, if I put my blackberry motionless on top of my ipod, it starts scrolling through songs. I thought it was possessed for a second there and almost called a priest.

 

[Holdfast]

My old sub-woofer would occasionally pick up the signal from phone calls made by people walking past the house. I'd be on the PC minding my own business, then I'd hear somebody saying something for about two seconds. It only happened about a dozen times in five years, but I did once hear the phrase "elephant penis". It really makes you wonder what that conversation was about.

I'd want those people further away from my house.

Speakers always do this near a cellphone. They pick up the frequency of the phone transmission. It's the same annoying effect as when you're on a landline and get a cell call at the same time.

When I read that I read "landmine", and all I could briefly think of is how understated the word "annoying" was to describe any problem one might have with said object.

I'm a master of understatement...

Yeah, if I put my blackberry motionless on top of my ipod, it starts scrolling through songs. I thought it was possessed for a second there and almost called a priest.

Is your taste in music that bad?

 

[Plecostomus]

Yeah, if I put my blackberry motionless on top of my ipod, it starts scrolling through songs. I thought it was possessed for a second there and almost called a priest.

ERROR 57013: YOUR MUSIC SUCKS. DOWNLOADING NEWER MORE HIP MUSIC.

 

[Lindley]

As I told my friend when taking her up for a ride in a Cessna 172: "Portable electronic devices will have no effect on this flight whatsoever."

The airlines overdo it. I could see cell signals maybe being a problem for precision approaches, but a minor one.

 

[Garak]

Yeah, if I put my blackberry motionless on top of my ipod, it starts scrolling through songs. I thought it was possessed for a second there and almost called a priest.

Is your taste in music that bad?

I'll always be a Barbie girl in a Barbie world, Holdfast.

Life in plastic, it's fantastic!

 

[Holdfast]

Yeah, if I put my blackberry motionless on top of my ipod, it starts scrolling through songs. I thought it was possessed for a second there and almost called a priest.

Is your taste in music that bad?

I'll always be a Barbie girl in a Barbie world, Holdfast.

Life in plastic, it's fantastic!

You swept my feet right off the ground, You're the love I found!