FM Reception Tips

Is your FM signal receiving interference? Does our FM signal interfere with your home electronics?
We’re very sorry to hear that. Not to be confused with our Internet stream, here are some troubleshooting tips for issues that can arise with our FM signal.

Radio and Stereo Interference
If you hear WESU when you play your stereo, most likely the interference is to the audio amplifier of the system. What may help alleviate this problem is a choke that can be found at Radio Shack. It’s called a “Snap-On Filter Choke.” The catalog number is 273-104. By wrapping the speaker wire or power cord around these chokes, you may reduce or eliminate the interference to your equipment. It may be necessary to resolve the problem by installing an external antenna and a rejection filter. Most equipment that is not equipped with a three wire cord should have it’s chassis and cabinet grounded with a separate ground connection. It is generally safest to connect all grounds to a good earth ground, such as a metallic water pipe or a driven 8 foot ground rod.For more information on radio interference with consumer electronics, take a look at the FCC’s webpage on Interference.

Telephone and Answering Machine Interference
There are a number of ways in which a radio signal can enter a telephone. Check the handset cord to see if it has been stretched too much. Try replacing it if it has. Most of the interference to telephones occurs to the internal mechanisms of the phone. Some manufacturers make telephones without adequate shielding from strong RF signals. Sometimes a filter can be used on a a phone line to reduce or eliminate interference. For answering machines, snap-on filter chokes have been successful at eliminating RF interference. Wrap the power cord around the choke as close as possible to the back of the unit.

Cable TV Problems
If you are experiencing reception problems with cable TV channel 6, try tightening the connections to your TV, VCR and cable converter box. In some cases, the cable connecting your TV or VCR may not be properly shielded and replacing this cable with a new RG-6 coax cable will solve your interference problems. These can be purchased at Radio Shack. Call your cable company for a service appointment if tightening the connections does not work or if you’re not sure of how to replace the cable yourself.

Another possible solution is a filtering device (also called a “choke” or a “trap”). There are several ways to do this, but the most effective device is a tuneable FM trap designed specifically to eliminate the 88.1 MHz frequency. This device connects to the back of the TV set where the cable connects. Screw the filter onto the set and then connect the cable to the filter. For more information on this device you can contact Microwave Filter Company.

VCR Interference
Sometimes the interference can occur only to your VCR and not your TV. To determine if your VCR is receiving the interference and not your television, turn your TV on, and your VCR off. If the interference continues, the unwanted signal may be entering through your TV set or antenna system. If the interference disappears, your VCR is picking up the signal. This could be entering through the VCR case, the connections and\or cables or through the power cord. Possible solutions include replacing wires with shielded cables (coaxial cables) and replacing push-on connectors with screw-on connectors. These wires can be purchased at your local hardware or audio video store.