Recommendation Needed for a Spectrum Analyzer

[UrbanFarmEngineer]

No, the tinfoil lined hat is 100% guaranteed to prevent RF mind control by the Government.

What material is the roof of your house made from?

All the signals you are observing are very low-power, so are not a threat.

That is so wrong! The tin foil hats aren't grounded so the mind control is still happening... they just WANT you to think that the tin foil hats work. Be careful out there.

Roof is made from standard material wooden frame and shingles. There are a lot of wires that run up in the attic and at least one major wiring errors.

I know that low-power seems like a non-threat but frequency and pulsation rate are key factors in biological interference. Think of the opera singer and the glass that is the most overused analogy... she can sing really loud but it's only when she hits a certain note that the glass breaks. Some frequencies can be disruptive at surprisingly low power. It just depends on the fragility of the resonant body.

Enough about all that Krazy talk tho.

I just need a good solid technical primer on how to use filters and ferrites for residential alternating current applications.

 

[UrbanFarmEngineer]

Honestly, I am puzzled.

100 MHz is the middle of the FM band. What could be generating noise there?
Presumably, your problem is in receiving FM. That's pretty robust against noise. There are limits of course, and nothing is perfect, but this doesn't sound like a trouble spot.
But if the problem was receiving FM. why a spectrum analyzer? You already knew the frequency.
100 MHz is 3 m. Chicken wire seems like overkill. Maybe it's what you had around, but it shouldn't need something on that scale.

I just used chicken wire to test how much is coming from outside. I didint leave it up. Also I didn't know the frequency at that time.

@Averagesupernova Help me understand: I am getting FM frequency and so much of it goes away when I shield ... so is this just a radio station?

I think that I have to figure out how to set the miniSA to higher frequencies. Nextdoor just upgraded their wifi router and that;s when a lot of the RF pollution started...

OK I will be back. I am going to have to learn how to use the SA properly before I report more results.

 

[berkeman]

Nextdoor just upgraded their wifi router and that;s when a lot of the RF pollution started...

That's in the 2-5GHz range, which pretty much only interferes with other WiFi routers.

I know that low-power seems like a non-threat but frequency and pulsation rate are key factors in biological interference.

Wait, you are worried about biological effects from this RFI that you think exists in your home? I may have missed it, but have you said yet exactly what this RFI is doing that you noticed and want to fix?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Also I didn't know the frequency at that time.

So what is the problem? What is the symptom?

If it was interference with your FM radio, you would know the frequency - it's the same as the station being interfered with. But you don't, so you didn't..

What is the symptom?

 

[Averagesupernova]

As far as I can tell you don't even have a baseline to go by. Do you know how strong the signal in various places away from your house? Until you do, you don't really know anything.

 

[Baluncore]

I know that low-power seems like a non-threat but frequency and pulsation rate are key factors in biological interference. .... Some frequencies can be disruptive at surprisingly low power. It just depends on the fragility of the resonant body.

Researchers have been looking for that type of disruptive biological effect for many years, but it has never been reported as being found and verified. You have Earth shattering news of the greatest importance. Please give us a reference or an example so we can progress research into this new and exciting field of biology.

 

[UrbanFarmEngineer]

Researchers have been looking for that type of disruptive biological effect for many years, but it has never been reported as being found and verified. You have Earth shattering news of the greatest importance. Please give us a reference or an example so we can progress research into this new and exciting field of biology.

I have no earth-shattering news other than the thing I already mentioned about tinfoil hats and aliens. I just want to learn how to use and optimize filters and ferrites.

Somebody help me! lol

Just point me in the direction of a book or a manual that includes the principles of how it works and the math.

 

[UrbanFarmEngineer]

That's in the 2-5GHz range, which pretty much only interferes with other WiFi routers.


Wait, you are worried about biological effects from this RFI that you think exists in your home? I may have missed it, but have you said yet exactly what this RFI is doing that you noticed and want to fix?

No. I just want a good comprehensive primer on the subject of filters and ferrites. I am trying to learn. That is all.

 

[Baluncore]

Just point me in the direction of a book or a manual that includes the principles of how it works and the math.

Title: "RF Circuit Design" by: Bowick, C. Second edition is now available.
Here is the first edition.
https://archive.org/details/BOWICKC.1997.RFCircuitDesign

The Art of Electronics. Horowitz.
https://www.bookfinder.com/search/?...min_year=&max_year=&mode=advanced&st=sr&ac=qr

 

[UrbanFarmEngineer]

UPDATE:
1) After trying out a few SA's I found one that I like and that is suited to my basic needs. Thank you @Baluncore for recommending an SDR.

2) Learning to use it: as mentioned before I am not an EE by training but I am passionate about certain aspects EE. I am pretty sure that the frequency that I reported before of 100MHz was incorrect. Gonna take some time to learn the model I got inside out before reporting any further data.

3) Last, Still looking for a good recommendation for a comprehensive primer on the use of filters and ferrites. I need something that includes the physics and the math please. Also any primers on the physics of RF, ...again with the math please and thank you!

Last:
If anyone has a lead on where I can get The Art of Electronics 3rd Edition by Horowitz and Hill for less than $100 CAD (and thank you to @Averagesupernova for recommending that spectacular book) please let me know. I have a .pdf copy but I love my hard copies on top of my desk for reference. I am happy to buy a used edition but even the used ones are very expensive.

 

[russ_watters]

The first line of the OP is:

I have a big RFI problem in my house...

Please tell us exactly what that problem is. Otherwise, we can't give you the help you actually need.

 

[Tom.G]

Last:
If anyone has a lead on where I can get The Art of Electronics 3rd Edition by Horowitz and Hill for less than $100 CAD (and thank you to @Averagesupernova for recommending that spectacular book) please let me know. I have a .pdf copy but I love my hard copies on top of my desk for reference. I am happy to buy a used edition but even the used ones are very expensive.

Google found a few:
(https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=art+of+electronics+third+edition+by+horowitz+and+hill)

HOWEVER: The 3rd hit, https://artofelectronics.net/, says there a many counterfeit copies around with errors & typos

https://www.booksgoat.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=409253&search=9780521809269

And the publisher has an edition 5 years newer, 1/2 the page count and 2/3 the price:
https://www.cambridge.org/us/univer...onics-x-chapters?format=HB&isbn=9781108499941

There is always the option of printing the PDF and putting it in a 3-ring binder. Around here (Southern California), there are some office supply (and other) stores that will print from a USB thumb drive. Another possibility is a print shop, they may be rather pricey though.

I'm not recommending any of the above, just supplying what a quick search and a little experience shows.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[UrbanFarmEngineer]

Awesome thanks! THis is A LOT of good info.
I WISH that BooksGoat shipped to Canada. That is the best price.
Thanks for taking the time to post all of the leads.

 

[UrbanFarmEngineer]

Title: "RF Circuit Design" by: Bowick, C. Second edition is now available.
Here is the first edition.
https://archive.org/details/BOWICKC.1997.RFCircuitDesign

The Art of Electronics. Horowitz.
https://www.bookfinder.com/search/?...min_year=&max_year=&mode=advanced&st=sr&ac=qr

Awesome thank you for this.
Perfect: "Rf Circuit Design" is exactly what I am looking for!

 

[UrbanFarmEngineer]

Took a walk around the block today and found a neighbor on the street behind mine who has something that looks like this:

It looks new and well-maintained. Hoping it's a HAM. Gonna head over tomorrow with some sort of freshly baked sweet thingy and try to make friends hoping that he will be excited to teach as I am to learn about how to optimize using the spectrum analyzer and how to de-RF my house.

It's gonna be a cold knock.
Who wants to give me advice on how to make fast friends with a HAM?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Who wants to give me advice on how to make fast friends with a HAM?

Why should we? You have repeatedly ignored our advice (most recently from @russ_watters ) to describe the symptoms, and are now ignoring our advice to locate the source before blaming anyone.

 

[russ_watters]

Yikes, this went further into real life than I was expecting. It's all fun and games chasing imaginary problems in your own home, but now you're talking about accosting an innocent neighbor over these imaginary problems. PLEASE DON'T DO IT!. This thread is locked. Sorry I didn't do so earlier.