Page 27
CCRadio2E
Radio Noise Troubleshooting
AM RADIO NOISE PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
If you hear an annoying buzz when listening to AM radio, it's most likely
radio noise. Here are some of the usual culprits:
• Dimmer switch (even in an adjacent room).
• Lights: Fluorescent light, “touch lamp” type fixtures, automatic night
lights, motion-activated outdoor lights, dying bulbs, blinking bulbs.
• Nearby televisions, computers, cell phones, tablets, wireless chargers
or C-Pap machines.
• Electronic bug and pest controllers.
• Faulty electrical switch.
• Radio scanners.
• Dirty insulators on a nearby power pole.
• Electric blanket.
• Smoke detectors that run from an AC current (battery operated units
are OK).
Now what can you do about it?
• Turn off the circuit breakers to see if the noise stops, and if the source
comes from inside your house. Turn off one circuit at a time to isolate
the source of the noise.
• Using a battery-operated radio, check if the interference comes from
the AC 120V line, through the air, or both. To locate the direction of the
noise, turn the radio until you hear the loudest noise. The front and the
back of the radio will point to the noise origin.
• If the noise comes from outside, carry the radio around the
neighborhood to check for the origin of the noise. Ask your neighbors if
they hear the same noise.
• If you suspect a power pole, call the utility company. Dirty power pole
insulators are sometimes a cause of hard-to-find radio interference.
• Sometimes grounding can greatly reduce the hum from AC line noise.
Unfortunately, most radios do not have a ground connection. Finding a
good earth ground may also be difficult.
For more detailed information, please visit
www.ccrane.com/radionoise
.
