Author Topic: Hearing neiboors radio through my rig (Read 234 times)

slapbass · « **on:** March 17, 2005, 11:07:05 AM »

I was getting ready to tear the battle worn Epic apart but had to play one last time. Well I turned around to look out the window and then I heard voices. turned back again to see what was behind me. Nothing. Anyway after felling like I needed to go to UVA hospital and get admitted. I turned and heard Kool and the Gang being played. So when I face my neighbors house and they have the radio on I am picking it up through this bass some how. So I plugged in the old Series 1 and nothing happed I also tried the Stanly Clark. Has anybody had anything like this happen?

Thanks,
Dale

pace · « **Reply #1 on:** March 17, 2005, 11:43:45 AM »

Yep.... When I first got my Elan I was at a friends house and there is a radio tower about half a mile away. I was getting KC101 everytime I faced the guitar in that general direction... It was happening w/ his Telecasters too. I just pray Im never doing a gig (like at a state fair) where there's a DJ booth broadcasting live.

bassicinstincts · « **Reply #2 on:** March 19, 2005, 04:25:06 PM »

Basically, (I believe!) it is all to do with the pickups acting as capacitors for radio signals. About 100 miles from my home in Wycombe, similar things have been reported.
Around 200 yards from people's houses was a BBC World Service transmitter station, and people's TOASTERS started to produce Russian radio! What happens is when you have 2 metal plates and a wire, they act like a capacitor. I can understand how a pickup might be affected, but a toaster with built-in radio, now that's new!!

Ben

slapbass · « **Reply #3 on:** March 19, 2005, 10:24:56 PM »

Is there anyway to prevent this? None of my other basses do this.

David Houck · « **Reply #4 on:** March 20, 2005, 05:03:51 AM »

The first things I can think of to ask are:
Does the bass have the ferrite bead in the cavity?
Is the cavity properly shielded?

slapbass · « **Reply #5 on:** March 20, 2005, 10:09:52 AM »

There is a ferrite bead in the cavity. The back plate has a small peice broken off of it. Which gives it a hole to the cavity.

David Houck · « **Reply #6 on:** March 20, 2005, 10:32:07 AM »

The broken plate may be the problem.

slapbass · « **Reply #7 on:** March 20, 2005, 12:25:16 PM »

thanks. I just received a fresh piece of .150 brass plate to make all new cover plates for this bass. The rebirth has commenced.

slapbass · « **Reply #8 on:** March 20, 2005, 12:46:39 PM »

During disassembly I just found that the neck pickup was not looped through the ferrite bead. Only the bridge pickup was looped through.