On 28/09/07 10:24 -0400, Jay Gagnon wrote: > I have a digital cable box and a cable modem, both on my TV stand, both > plugged into the same cable source via a splitter. The cable comes into the > room on the wrong side so it runs under the rug before it gets to the > splitter. I recently purchased an RC Helicopter that operates at > 72.somethingsomething MHz (I can get the specifics if they are actually > important), and yesterday I decided to fly it in the living room while the > TV was tuned in to a football game. When I turned on the helicopter, > nothing of interest happened, but the instant I turned on the transmitter, > the cable signal cut. I turned the transmitter off and the signal came > back. I turned the transmitter back on for a little while and eventually > the modem started blinking its "where did the cable go" light pattern and a > message appeared on the TV asking me to check the cable connection. As a
>From my armchair... An RC helicopter I imagine is a good use case for a high-powered remote control. You probally have very good range on that transmitter? Remember the old Linksys AP boost trick? Linksys APs used to be 50mw. When people hacked them to transmit at 100mw, the noise in the signal got amplified, too, causing in some cases EM mayhem. Since the signal wasn't clear before the booster, everything just got worse. http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/8637/dsc00637t50mwfv2.jpg (50mw) http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/1319/dsc00641t250mwum3.jpg (250mw) (stolen from: http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/list_messages/1031382/29) Your coax cable running across the floor can easily act as a big antenna. Its possible that the metal braided shield isn't grounded, so doing that may help (or do nothing at all). 72mhz (sure thats not 172mhz?) is a far cry from 1ghz, but all it has to do is confuse the signal a little before the digital tuner can't differiante the 1s from the 0s anymore... Now as to the top-half-of-the-room... Does the 'copter have any transmissions sent back to the remote? An "out of signal range" light or any other feedback? It may not be active unless the remote is powered on. The proximity of the helicopters transmitter to the cable you're running along the floor... -porkchop _______________________________________________ Mid-Hudson Valley Linux Users Group http://mhvlug.org http://mhvlug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mhvlug Upcoming Meetings (6pm - 8pm) MHVLS Auditorium Oct 3 - Security and Privacy Nov 7 - Django Python Application Framework
