Mobile causing interference on my radio?

[gomezz]

Overnight I have my Lumia 820 next to my bedside radio. Over the past few days the radio has intermittently been picking up interference from the phone (sounding a bit like an old dial-up modem connecting). Move the phone away from the radio and the interference stops. It only happened every now and again for several seconds at a time. My theory was that there was some background task on the phone which just happened to be causing the phone electronics to generate EMF in the frequency range of the radio (either in its RF or IF stages). Note that it is a UK DAB radio.

Working back through what I have changed on the phone recently the first thing I tried was turning off scheduling on the recently installed Quiet Hours app which relies on the 30 minute checking of the OS. And lo and behold the interference stopped. So I turned scheduling back on. And still no inteference. And several hours later still no interference. It could be some kind of incredible coincidence of course but I am doubting that unless someone on here can convince me different? Or has a deeper explanation of what was happening?

 

[neo158]

Overnight I have my Lumia 820 next to my bedside radio. Over the past few days the radio has intermittently been picking up interference from the phone (sounding a bit like an old dial-up modem connecting). Move the phone away from the radio and the interference stops. It only happened every now and again for several seconds at a time. My theory was that there was some background task on the phone which just happened to be causing the phone electronics to generate EMF in the frequency range of the radio (either in its RF or IF stages). Note that it is a UK DAB radio.

Working back through what I have changed on the phone recently the first thing I tried was turning off scheduling on the recently installed Quiet Hours app which relies on the 30 minute checking of the OS. And lo and behold the interference stopped. So I turned scheduling back on. And still no inteference. And several hours later still no interference. It could be some kind of incredible coincidence of course but I am doubting that unless someone on here can convince me different? Or has a deeper explanation of what was happening?

How was the phone connected to the network, HSPA or GPRS?

I know that when my phone is on the slower GPRS connection I get interference on speakers.

 

[gomezz]

I didn't check. Usually downstairs it fluctuates between G/H and upstairs in the bedroom between H/H+. If it happens again I will check that.

 

[ratsttam]

It's actually very common to hear the buzzing/pulsing from a GSM device. It doesn't even have to be data, it could just be reaching out to the towers, incoming text message, push notifications, pretty much anything that would trigger data transmission, will cause that pulsing in a speaker set near the phone.

 

[gomezz]

Understood. But not experienced this for ten months with this phone (or previously over many years with other phones) until it happened this week for a couple of days then stopped again.

 

[neo158]

It's actually very common to hear the buzzing/pulsing from a GSM device. It doesn't even have to be data, it could just be reaching out to the towers, incoming text message, push notifications, pretty much anything that would trigger data transmission, will cause that pulsing in a speaker set near the phone.

It only happens when the phone has a GPRS data connection, on HSPA it doesn't happen.

 

[hprvez]

Your electronic devices are not shielded properly against electromagnetic interferences... How old are they?

 

[gomezz]

A radio is not meant to pick up radio signals? Sorry, I don't buy that. It is up to electronic devices to not propogate electromagnetic inteference which apart from anything else is illegal (at least it is in this part of the world).

 

[foxbat121]

Not just radio. Anything with a speaker in it will suffer from this GSM interference (also depending on the bands your phone is on). Back in the dark ages (before 3G is main stream), it is quite common. 3G and 4G radio made it go away. The old GPRS will certain have it. Nothing to alarm.

 

[neo158]

A radio is not meant to pick up radio signals? Sorry, I don't buy that. It is up to electronic devices to not propogate electromagnetic inteference which apart from anything else is illegal (at least it is in this part of the world).

How do you think your phone picks up a signal?

If you shielded a phone against EM interference then you wouldn't pick up a signal. It's the devices that are susceptible to interference like radios and speakers that need to be shielded.

 

[gomezz]

I think you have got your ideas about transmission and reception mixed up.

 

[Laura Knotek]

GSM Interference

Why do speakers make a hideous sound when you put GSM phones near them? – The Blogs at HowStuffWorks

 

[metalchick719]

My old flip phone used to have this issue with my work phone back in 2007/2008. I would place my cell on my desk near the phone and I would constantly hear this buzzing noise as a result.

 

[Laura Knotek]

My old flip phone used to have this issue with my work phone back in 2007/2006. I would place my cell on my desk near the phone and I would constantly hear this buzzing noise as a result.

I had a similar issue. The flip phone made my computer speakers buzz. I always was GSM, since I've only had AT&T and Cingular before that. I never used Verizon or Sprint.

 

[gomezz]

GSM Interference

Why do speakers make a hideous sound when you put GSM phones near them? – The Blogs at HowStuffWorks

This is not the sound I was getting. And what I was getting happened for a few days only, not before and not since.

 

[Laura Knotek]

This is not the sound I was getting. And what I was getting happened for a few days only, not before and not since.

The sound won't always be exactly like that. However, it is GSM interference, which is normal.

 

[Citizen X]

Back in the dark ages (before 3G is main stream), it is quite common.

I remember that. You could always tell a few seconds before you got an incoming text or phone call. The radio or computer speaker would go all weird and then a second or two later your phone would ring. I like how you can tell the age of the OP based on the fact he was surprised by this. Where as I'm surprised it hardly ever happens!

 

[gomezz]

The sound won't always be exactly like that. However, it is GSM interference, which is normal.

Ok. I will be more blunt. It sounded *nothing* like that.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Weird annoying speaker noise - BlackBerry Forums at CrackBerry.com