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My Fender tube reverb unit is creating radio disturbance. Doesn't make
any difference if it is turned on or not...as soon as I plug it into
my amp, I'm on the Mexican radio.
Any advice on how to stop this bothersome disturbance?
Muchas gracias,
Gavin
--- In , "windanseabeachboy
<gavinehringer@m...>" <gavinehringer@m...> wrote:
> My Fender tube reverb unit is creating radio disturbance. Doesn't
make
> any difference if it is turned on or not...as soon as I plug it into
> my amp, I'm on the Mexican radio.
>
> Any advice on how to stop this bothersome disturbance?
>
> Muchas gracias,
>
> Gavin
I think it can be related to the lack of a ground in the place you
plug it in (old house). I've also heard it can happen if you have a
lot of cables crossing.
Mike/USK
I think that Mike is onto something here . . . many times, lack of a good
ground can allow the RF (radio frequency) interference to sneak into
electronics. I've got a crappy phone that does that - the handpiece cord
becomes a big antenna - feels like I'm on talk radio all the time, on that
phone!
You may want to try using one of those snap-on ferrite clamshell chokes you
can get at Radio Shack (or any electronics store - not an endorsement of RS
;) ) Try one connected to the cable going from your guitar to the tank (or
put it on the cable from the tank to the amp, if the former arrangement
doesn't work). Don't know if that will effect the input/output to the tank,
but it's worth a try . . . they're pretty inexpensive.
If that doesn't work, you can try making a "Faraday Cage" out of some metal
mesh screen (like the kind used for screen doors) - just make a little
"house" for the tank out of the screen, then run a wire from the cage to a
cold water pipe or other ground (but not one in your electrical service,
like in a socket!) That may look odd, but it may cure the problem.
Definitely the last resort . . . good luck!
-Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2002 9:09 PM
Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: Reverb radio frequency interference?
> --- In , "windanseabeachboy
> <gavinehringer@m...>" <gavinehringer@m...> wrote:
> > My Fender tube reverb unit is creating radio disturbance. Doesn't
> make
> > any difference if it is turned on or not...as soon as I plug it into
> > my amp, I'm on the Mexican radio.
> >
> > Any advice on how to stop this bothersome disturbance?
> >
> > Muchas gracias,
> >
> > Gavin
>
> I think it can be related to the lack of a ground in the place you
> plug it in (old house). I've also heard it can happen if you have a
> lot of cables crossing.
>
> Mike/USK
>
>
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windanseabeachboy wrote:
> My Fender tube reverb unit is creating
> radio disturbance. Doesn't make any
> difference if it is turned on or not...
> as soon as I plug it into
> my amp, I'm on the Mexican radio.
Usually means one of your cables is acting
like an antenna. It's almost always a guitar
or other signal carrying coaxial cable. A piece
of coax is like a capacitor. That capacitor, coupled
with the other components in the signal chain, can
form a simple tuned circuit and function like a
radio receiver. A reverb tank is particularly
succeptible because the springs function as
inductors. Pair that inductance (L) with a
cable that is high in capacitance (C) and
you have an LC circuit, a basic radio receiver.
To troubleshoot, I suggest, first eliminate all the
interconnecting cords. Unplug all the cables. Then
one by one, connect the devices with the cables.
Once you find the guilty cable, try replacing that
cable (in the same position).
Once the bad cable is identified, use that cable
to hang a plant or to lash your surfboard to
the roof. It is not repairable.
If that doesn't seem to resolve the interference,
see if you can find a local amateur radio operator (ham).
They deal with that kind of thing all the time.
'Course you could always play along with the mex music!
Hope that helps -
lumpy n0eq
--
My solo recordings are at -
The rest of Lumpy is at -
Thanks Windanseabeachboy. It started to happen very
recently that Id receive talkradio in my amp,
regardless if I turned on the compressor or the fuzz.
Like two days ago I really started to consider the
long cable. It occured to me that I used that cord at
least as long as since the first Looney Tunes album
was recorded in the summer of 1993. Probably a year
longer!
So its goodbye trusty, old, red cable!
Gotta get a new one asap.
Thanks again, it saves a lot of work of trying to find
the bad spot, I hate useless soldering!
KK
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