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Static in certain locale

M

MarkCFI

Well Known Member
I wasn’t really sure how to describe this. My comms are a Microair rem760 controlled through a GRT EFIS. Works great as far as I know.

However took a cross country yesterday and when I switched to the CTAF for the field there was constant static, with a hint of music, like a radio station, in the background. I also had the same issue in the same area switching to approach..

Constant static like squelch broken but if the controller or other aircraft would transmit I would receive that clearly… until they stopped.

As soon as we cleared the area all further comms were clear and without issue?

Has anyone ever heard of a non aircraft radio broadcast interfering with comms?
 
MarkCFI said:
I wasn’t really sure how to describe this. My comms are a Microair rem760 controlled through a GRT EFIS. Works great as far as I know.

However took a cross country yesterday and when I switched to the CTAF for the field there was constant static, with a hint of music, like a radio station, in the background. I also had the same issue in the same area switching to approach..

Constant static like squelch broken but if the controller or other aircraft would transmit I would receive that clearly… until they stopped.

As soon as we cleared the area all further comms were clear and without issue?

Has anyone ever heard of a non aircraft radio broadcast interfering with comms?
Click to expand...
MarkCFI said:
I wasn’t really sure how to describe this. My comms are a Microair rem760 controlled through a GRT EFIS. Works great as far as I know.

However took a cross country yesterday and when I switched to the CTAF for the field there was constant static, with a hint of music, like a radio station, in the background. I also had the same issue in the same area switching to approach..

Constant static like squelch broken but if the controller or other aircraft would transmit I would receive that clearly… until they stopped.

As soon as we cleared the area all further comms were clear and without issue?

Has anyone ever heard of a non aircraft radio broadcast interfering with comms?
Click to expand...
I have encountered it many times in a variety of aircraft.
 
Interesting…… I have a PAR100EX in my RV-10 that has the same problem. This is a combination audio panel / transceiver that uses a remotely mounted MicroAir 760. Loud static will overwhelms the squelch when I am low and makes the radio unusable. Sometimes you can hear the music. It took me a while to notice that it happens only when I am flying within a mile or two of an antenna. Fortunately I don’t spend much time down in the weeds, unfortunately when it does happen I am on approach to an airport and I really need that radio. I pulled the radio and sent it back to PS Engineering, no improvement or satisfaction. I’ve chalked it up as a learning experience….but if anyone has suggestions, I would like to hear them.
 
Ask the guys around Renton (KRNT). Its been a known problem around there for years. At Arlington (KAWO) there used to be a nearby poultry farm that had some kind of RF emitter that always broke squelch on the radio in my Sonerai on the turn from downwind to base for runway 34. Other pilots told me it was also a long time known problem. There's an Amazon fulfillment center there now, no more problem.
 
N804RV said:
Ask the guys around Renton (KRNT). Its been a known problem around there for years. At Arlington (KAWO) there used to be a nearby poultry farm that had some kind of RF emitter that always broke squelch on the radio in my Sonerai on the turn from downwind to base for runway 34. Other pilots told me it was also a long time known problem. There's an Amazon fulfillment center there now, no more problem.
Click to expand...
I had the same problem at Arlington in the same location (with the original Dynon SV-COM-425 transceiver), but didn't know it was from the poultry farm. All good now with the Amazon Abomination there.
 
Thanks for the commiseration. I took a long cross country to a new area and the CTAF at my destination was almost unusable. It increased the workload a bit as I wasn’t familiar with the field and had to deal with the noise. I have to head back there tomorrow so I’ll see if I have the same issue. Elsewhere I have no issues that I am aware of.

Thanks again,

Mark
 
Unplug the ELT antenna and go fly. RF energy from broadcast stations can excite the ELT transmitter and break squelch and induce static. They do make FM immune ELT antennas and filters.
 
wnplt said:
Unplug the ELT antenna and go fly. RF energy from broadcast stations can excite the ELT transmitter and break squelch and induce static. They do make FM immune ELT antennas and filters.
Click to expand...
Would. a ferrite help?
 
MarkCFI said:
Thanks for the commiseration. I took a long cross country to a new area and the CTAF at my destination was almost unusable. It increased the workload a bit as I wasn’t familiar with the field and had to deal with the noise. I have to head back there tomorrow so I’ll see if I have the same issue. Elsewhere I have no issues that I am aware of.

Thanks again,

Mark
Click to expand...
One thing to look out for is those USB power banks. Some of them are huge RF Noise generators. I had one that worked fine for months, then suddenly one day it would cause the squelch to break on my com radio at the worst possible time. I actually moved it around the cockpit and the noise would be intermittent. Unplugged it from my iPad, the noise went away and hasn't been back since.
 
I did test the role of the ELT by unplugging the antenna for a trip. No joy. And regarding the USB power supplies, I've seen that too in a different case, but this particular problem is linked to proximity to commercial FM broadcast antennas. Fly by an antenna, and you have to shut down the radio to eliminate the deafening static.
 
Well I just got back from the second trip to the same airport and I unplugged the ELT antennae as a test. Still had the static.

I think I’m just going to have to live with the static when I land there. I will double check all my grounds but I don’t have any other noises such as alternator whine, etc……
 
N804RV said:
I had one that worked fine for months, then suddenly one day it would cause the squelch to break on my com radio at the worst possible time.
Click to expand...
I also had one of these suddenly “go bad” on me, just as you describe. Weird.
 
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