Here is a good one!

[Greg T]

Anyone ever hear their voice (talk back) coming from their DC power cord?? I DID!! Moved my stuff around tonight and re-routed some cabling. Fired everything up for a test run and I hear this distorted, buzzing, talk back........kinda. Searched and searched, tore my hair out, threw tools, kicked stools, and then started touching and squeezing wires while modulating. Low and behold, when I squeezed the power cables going to the amp the buzzing changed. The harder I squeezed the quieter it got. Put some split beads on the wires and it got worse!! Finally changed the wire to #8 fine stranded silicone covered wire and the noise is gone. I can safely say that this is the first time in all my years I've ever heard myself talking out of a damned wire!

 

[tecnicoloco]

Wait till you hear your kitchen toaster vibrating

 

[Greg T]

Wait till you hear your kitchen toaster vibrating

A couple of years ago I used to spook my wife out. I had three touch lamps in the house, and when I would transmit on SSB they would turn on and off. She wasn't amused. But this time I was ready to contact the "spirits".

 

[Tallman]

HA! Wait till you get a QSL from your Ice maker.

 

[Handy Andy]

Be sure to call 1-800-Miss-Dig before you go out looking for headstones.​

 

[BJ radionut]

Greg: Here's the item to think about. Yes, you solved the issue there, but I am guessing when you made the wiring change the "length" of the wire also changed. (even only by a few inches +/-) That made the difference most likely not the wire gauge sizing.
Then keep this in mind, that anything, or anyone nearby having a "device" with that original length or multiple lengths thereof, will be experiencing the same RFI issue. Thus yes, the work all toasters, stereos, etc. may be happening anywhere in close proximity to your station. Thus fixing the issue locally in the shack, may not have necessarily "fixed" the issue elsewhere. Food for thought.
Hope what you did by changing the wiring "did" solve the issue, but over time I have come to realize when dealing with RFI, the issue can still exist on other local "devices."
That said, one must "look" for the root of the true RFI issue, and not what "fixed" it in the shack.
Grounding equipment wiring lengths, adding coax, new power cables after new installs, or adding new equipment and, or just changing the location of said equipment can be a constant irritant. Thus having two cables in close proximity to each other, that was not that way before can create an issue. How many times I have heard op's say "I added a new radio to the bench or added a new meter etc. and it ALL goes to hell!

Then they "fix" the issue in the shack, only to hear from a neighbor or family member, that their remote phone, TV, etc. are now experiencing issue(s) never before encountered. (I was trashing my XYL's curling iron! While she was getting ready for work)
I hope not, as nothing is more frustrating, for all parties involved.

An additional case in point: I added a new wattmeter recently to one of my other stations when I did this it required a new power cable. I unknowingly crossed a coax and when I transmitted the wattmeter went 'flipping" crazy. I ended up adding a ground to the meter, rerouting the power cable to another source. (got rid of the DAMN wall wart!) The issue went away.
GL
All the Best
Gary

 

[Justme]

The wonderfull world of electronics...
Depending on how much curent runs through the cables they develop and magnetic field enough to get that weird efect.
Same i saw once near a very powerfull transmitter and gras leaves touching the wires of an long metallic fence from a farmer when the leaves hit the metalic fence wire you could hear the distorted music and speech the tarnsmitter was putting out...
After some time the gras leaves turned brown and fell off til the next leave grew big enough to touch the wire, that transmitter antenna was only a few 100 yards away pumping out a few 100 KW...

 

[579Pete]

A couple of years ago I used to spook my wife out. I had three touch lamps in the house, and when I would transmit on SSB they would turn on and off. She wasn't amused. But this time I was ready to contact the "spirits".

“Scotch or Gin, sir”.


.

 

[579Pete]

HA! Wait till you get a QSL from your Ice maker.

Is this how to FU Alexa for good?

(You made my day with that one).

 

[secret squirrel]

You know your having a bad day when Siri has a headache.

 

[Greg T]

Greg: Here's the item to think about. Yes, you solved the issue there, but I am guessing when you made the wiring change the "length" of the wire also changed. (even only by a few inches +/-) That made the difference most likely not the wire gauge sizing.
Then keep this in mind, that anything, or anyone nearby having a "device" with that original length or multiple lengths thereof, will be experiencing the same RFI issue. Thus yes, the work all toasters, stereos, etc. may be happening anywhere in close proximity to your station. Thus fixing the issue locally in the shack, may not have necessarily "fixed" the issue elsewhere. Food for thought.
Hope what you did by changing the wiring "did" solve the issue, but over time I have come to realize when dealing with RFI, the issue can still exist on other local "devices."
That said, one must "look" for the root of the true RFI issue, and not what "fixed" it in the shack.
Grounding equipment wiring lengths, adding coax, new power cables after new installs, or adding new equipment and, or just changing the location of said equipment can be a constant irritant. Thus having two cables in close proximity to each other, that was not that way before can create an issue. How many times I have heard op's say "I added a new radio to the bench or added a new meter etc. and it ALL goes to hell!

Then they "fix" the issue in the shack, only to hear from a neighbor or family member, that their remote phone, TV, etc. are now experiencing issue(s) never before encountered. (I was trashing my XYL's curling iron! While she was getting ready for work)
I hope not, as nothing is more frustrating, for all parties involved.

An additional case in point: I added a new wattmeter recently to one of my other stations when I did this it required a new power cable. I unknowingly crossed a coax and when I transmitted the wattmeter went 'flipping" crazy. I ended up adding a ground to the meter, rerouting the power cable to another source. (got rid of the DAMN wall wart!) The issue went away.
GL
All the Best
Gary

Had everything working great until I added the amp and stacked two power supplies. I've been running some shoddy grounding with small gauge wire and alligator clips to the water pipes. I'm going to upgrade that all next year and drive a good grounding rod or two and run some heavy braid outside. So far haven't noticed any conflicts with in-home electronics so hopefully the neighbors are all okay. I've been doing too much as of late for my physical condition and I'm paying heavily for it now. So, the new antenna and grounding system just have to wait. It's going to be a rare occasion that I use the amp anyway. Only when the conditions are right and everything is clean. I have no desire to break thru all the yack and chatter when 50 or more people are all yelling at once. And,, I'll only use it on SSB cuz my radio is much too hot to key the amp on AM.

 

[9C1Driver]

A couple of years ago I used to spook my wife out. I had three touch lamps in the house, and when I would transmit on SSB they would turn on and off. She wasn't amused. But this time I was ready to contact the "spirits".

A strong AM dead key works even better on those. If the lamp has low med hi and off settings each time you key it will jump to the next stage lol. You can have fun with those in the mobile.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Touch lamps have never been nor ever will be in my house. They are susceptible to RFI, and they can generate RFI as well. The BIG thing was MANY years ago shortly after they were becoming big. I touched one to turn it on in a store and got a shock. I was pissed and damn near threw it across the store. I did unplug it and told a staff member but in typical store staff fashion it was treated as if I had no idea what I was talking about and placed back on the shelf. Maybe it was just due to the myriad of extension cords in their lamp display but I was not going to try it again.

 

[Rwb]

Anyone ever hear their voice (talk back) coming from their DC power cord?? I DID!! Moved my stuff around tonight and re-routed some cabling. Fired everything up for a test run and I hear this distorted, buzzing, talk back........kinda. Searched and searched, tore my hair out, threw tools, kicked stools, and then started touching and squeezing wires while modulating. Low and behold, when I squeezed the power cables going to the amp the buzzing changed. The harder I squeezed the quieter it got. Put some split beads on the wires and it got worse!! Finally changed the wire to #8 fine stranded silicone covered wire and the noise is gone. I can safely say that this is the first time in all my years I've ever heard myself talking out of a damned wire!

must been glen campbell singin wichata lineman,i can hear you singin in the wire hahahahHAHAHAHAHA