Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: phone interference
Message-ID: <1988Apr15.174831.1495@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <528@intvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15 Apr 88 17:48:31 GMT

> I have a neighbor that is a amateur radio operator and sometimes I can pick
> up his transmissions on our kitchen wall phone.  I know that the FCC has a
> law about radio and tv interference.  Does the same law apply to phone
> interference?  If yes, what recourse do I have to stop the interference?

There are two possibilities here.  The first, which isn't actually very
likely, is that there is something seriously wrong with the signal he is
putting out.  In this case it is his responsibility to fix it.  The second,
much more probable, is that he is putting out a legal signal on a legal
frequency.  In this case HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO DO THIS, and if your phone
picks it up, that is your phone's problem.  Many cheap consumer electronics
products are not adequately protected against this sort of thing.  The fix
will probably be to add some filtering to your phone wiring.

In any case, the first thing you should do is talk to him about it.  Most
amateur radio operators are decent folks who are quite concerned about the
bad press that can result from such situations.  Together, you can run some
tests and establish the exact nature of the problem.  Quite probably he can
at least make some suggestions about how to cure it, and perhaps help in
doing so.  Be polite; if his signals are legal, the problem is not his fault
and you can't demand that he fix it at his expense.  If his signals *aren't*
legal, quite probably he is unaware of this and will fix it immediately (he
can lose his licence if the FCC notices such signals).

If, and only if, you can't reach some sort of accommodation with him, then
it's time to talk to the FCC.  Remember that the FCC has to consider his
rights (to emit legal signals on legal frequencies) as well as your problem.
-- 
"Noalias must go.  This is           |  Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
non-negotiable."  --DMR              | {allegra,ihnp4,decvax,utai}!utzoo!henry