[thunderbrick]

Been home sick for a few days and been listening a LOT.  It's quiet tonight, and I'm spinning MFSL Andre Previn and Pals "West Side Story" when a buddy calls, so I lift the stylus.

While on the phone I hear some very subtle sounds coming from the big Maggies.  I press my ear to the speakers I hear damned COUNTRY MUSIC!!   BLASPHEMY!!!  What the hell is going on?
 

The tuner is turned off, the cable box is down low in the rack, and while I live out in the sticks, I'm not near any radio towers.

Rogue 66 Magnum Pre, Jolida phono pre, SOTA Saphire with ET-2, Dynavector MC cart, Moscode and Forte amps.  One concern is the speaker wires run in PVC conduit in the concrete slab, with LOTS of rebar.

Are my interconnects acting as a radio antenna?  Other suggestions?  I may have to conduct an exorcism to clear the system of "singers" whining about their dog driving off with the pickup AND the girl!   

[simoon]

Are my interconnects acting as a radio antenna?  Other suggestions?  I may have to conduct an exorcism to clear the system of "singers" whining about their dog driving off with the pickup AND the girl!   

Wrap them in foil.

If that doesn't work, wrap your head in foil.

[Letitroll98]

Yes they are possessed, possessing of RFI.  Try rearranging the interconnects, sometimes just moving them a bit helps.  Are any of them unshielded?

[thunderbrick]

Nope all are shielded, but I'll move them around.  If I were hearing an NPR station I wouldn't mind so much.  The signal seems to be gone now.

Thanks!

Bob

[PMAT]

Your Rogue went Rogue on ya!

[catastrofe]

I've had this happen every once in a while.  Either your cables, or your equipment are picking up RFI.  Atmospheric conditions can affect this, so it's not a consistent issue.  JMHO.

[Ericus Rex]

When you hear it again, start unplugging cables.  I'd start with the last interconnect in the chain (pre to amp).  If radio is still there then it's your speaker cable.  If it's gone, then replace that IC and remove the next one in the system.  You should be able to isolate the 'rogue' cable (or - GULP!- component) this way.  Too bad.  Country music is only tolerable as music videos with highly-madeup babes in every frame.

[Sonny]

it could be the phono stage as well, that is picking RF.

i get that now and then...and remember, just because your tuner is off, there are still multiple forms of RF floating around..that's how a tuner is able to pick it up!

[cheap-Jack]

Hi.

...  I press my ear to the speakers I hear damned COUNTRY MUSIC!! 

. One concern is the speaker wires run in PVC conduit in the concrete slab, with LOTS of rebar.

Take it easy. This thing can come & go.

Yes, yr phono cartridge/ICs etc can take up RFI emitted from the reabs in the concrete wall close to yr rig.

One time I tested RFI off the wall outlets in my homes, my friends' homes & a retail store (which I know well) using a wideband powerline &  EMI noise analyzer with build-in loudspeaker for audio monitoring.

Besides reading RFI noise level, I did hear some AM boardcasts from ALL the locations I tested.

So don't get heart attacks for something you may never encounter before.

One easy way to kill or reduce such EMI effects on yr audio rig  which I have done years back, is to clip
on RFI ring suppressors to the ICs & power cords of the components. Such ring suppressors are available dirt cheap from any parts shops.

I've gone even further by clipping on such RFI suppressor rings to ALL power cords of the electrical appliances, eg. fridge, microwave, linen washer & dryers, which are digitally controlled. Most of the SMPS of cellphones, PCs already come with such RFI rings. So you can save it.

c-J

 

[soundbitten1]

It's better than repossessed.   

[Mark Korda]

Hi Thunderbrick,when I rebuilt a Dyna ST-35 tube amp and thought I was done I plugged er in.I had nothing hooked up either,nothing, but it was connected to my speakers.I heard Pat Boone singing April Love coming out of my speakers.I thought the same thing you did.So,I sent it to Audio by VanAlStine.I don't know who worked on it,Frank,or one of his employees,but here is what I did wrong.First,I bought it off E-bay and assumed the power tubes were the right ones because the seller had made a map of where the tubes were to be plugged in as he removed them for shipping,they weren't.Next,I put in new gold plated RCA jacks but forgot to ground them,Dyna's cheap jacks were grounded to the chassis with no plastic bushings for isolation.Third ,as VanAlStine said there were some cold solder joints,even though I thought I did my best soldering.It could be the third answer and here is why:Remember when the skipper and Gilligan collided and when Gilligan opened his mouth a radio station started playing?You might have to get the skipper from beyond the grave to punch your amp like he did jostling Gilligans cavity out of the AM frequency band for the cure.A loose cable might not be grounded,maybe undone by a dog or cat wrestling around,or a cold solder joint could be making a wire act like an antenna inside.Good luck Thunderbrick.......Mark Korda