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RFI "Medical" Marijuana...HELP

G

Greatvalue1

Active Member
Aug 20, 2012
113
12
28
Phoenix, Arizona
Just noticed That one of my neighbors must have found a new way to make money during this new period of "Economic Growth" that I keep hearing about, because my radio now has around 4 S-units of noise for at least (as far as I can tell) well over 12 hours a day. My typical is usually less than 1. My ears hurt.

Does anyone know what regulations I could look into. i.e building, business, construction or any other that might help? If I had to guess, I'd say they were growing "Medical Marijuana" here (in Arizona) were it is now "Legal". MmmHmm.

I looked into the FCC and their site says that they do not investigate such matters. Which leads to another question as to why we give them any tax dollars to begin with?
 

If you have an amateur radio license then the FCC can be enlisted if you have exausted all other avenues to resolve the noise problem with the neighbor. The power company also has a legal obligation to serarh out sources of interference to ham ops if you believe it's coming from a pole or transformer. If you are running a CB then you pretty much have to accept whatever interference falls on your radio.

Have you tried talking to the neighnor yet? How do you know it's the nrighnor and not coming from your property? You should eliminate all your own potential sources first by shutting off you mains and running the radio from a 12v battery. If all is clear you can start flipping switches untl you hear the noise. If not....and the neighbor is difficult you may have to live with it.
 
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Well I'm only a CBer, but the FCC website did not not differentiate between Amateur or CB, and neither did the "Agent I spoke with.

I canvased my street and found the signal peaking into the red zone in front of 1 of two houses, about 3 houses down from mine.

I'm not even about to confront them. I've been going on to their forums and what I've read will shock you, or not, but nevertheless I'm not going to provoke a drug dealer until I have all my ducks in a row.

This should concern everyone because in the recent legalization here in Arizona, we now have well over 16000 growers and increasing everyday. using large quantities of RF emitting fluorescent grow lights. Whether or not I'm a Hamm operator isn't going to matter, because they will be coming to you in the near future.

What I would like to know is what other regulations I can take since the FCC is useless.
 
Pretty harsh to accuse them of being drug dealers/growers based on RFI. Lots of things today can cause horrendous RFI including security systems, washers and dryers ( ask me how I know this :angry:) flat screen TV's and MUCH more. My washer/dryer both have switching power supplies for the control boards and stepper motors which throw off a fair bit of RFI. Plasma screen TV's can in some cases be heard halfway down a street. I suggest doing as suggested above and start flipping breakers in your own house looking to see any change and then look at the neighbors or even power lines. A bad pole insulator can radiate RFI for a very long distance. A farmer about 3/4 mile up the road had a bad connection on his electric fence that I was able to pick up on my shortwave receiver. Lots of causes of RFI and truthfully whether you are a ham or not you do NOT have to put up with unlawful sources of RFI. That little part 15 sticker that says you must accept all forms of interference including that which may cause undesirable operation also states that it may not cause harmful interference. That same sticker is likely on whatever is causing the interference unless it is a pole insulator and then the power company is required by law to solve the issue.


BTW are you saying that since Arizona legalized growing med MJ that ANYONE can do it uncontrolled? Is there not a permit required? This would of course mean that they must comply with all aspects of the law including inspections and openness. I know up here there are very few legal med MJ growers and it is HIGHLY controlled and must be secure.
 
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I've had RFI problems in the past in my own home and have taken care of them. I drove up and down my street and noticed a tremendous spike in RFI in front of 2 houses across from each other. Which one I don't know.

And yes, IF they are growing Marijuana, they are drug dealers. This is not an accusatorial statement, it would be a fact. Legal or not.

Have you read any of these medical marijuana growers forums. They speak for themselves.

Now, if the RFI is something other than this, I'm still not going to stick my nose were it don't belong until I know what the regulations are, and I am having trouble researching what the Arizona laws are that covers the certain building or operating codes that may fall into a more esoteric matter, like RFI.
 
Greatvalue1 said:
I've had RFI problems in the past in my own home and have taken care of them. I drove up and down my street and noticed a tremendous spike in RFI in front of 2 houses across from each other. Which one I don't know.

And yes, IF they are growing Marijuana, they are drug dealers. This is not an accusatorial statement, it would be a fact. Legal or not.
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Have you read any of these medical marijuana growers forums. They speak for themselves.
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Nope. I have no interest in such forums or activities.

Now, if the RFI is something other than this, I'm still not going to stick my nose were it don't belong until I know what the regulations are, and I am having trouble researching what the Arizona laws are that covers the certain building or operating codes that may fall into a more esoteric matter, like RFI.
Click to expand...


Stop searching. You won't find anything. In short it is a federal matter. The communications act and RFI issues fall under FCC jurisdiction and thus are federal. Local, state, or even federal building codes have NOTHING to do with RFI generation or other such issues regarding RF.

Hey.....do you have a favorite AM broadcast station you like to listen too? If so then isn't the RFI strong enough to wipe it out at times? (Hint hint) You are getting interference that I am sure the station would like to know about since they are illegally being deprived of listeners. (another hint wink wink) Get the idea? Complaints of that nature carry FAAAR more weight with the FCC than Joe CBer or Herbie Ham.


Trust me on that last statement. I spent 22 years as a station engineer in the broadcast industry. ;)
 
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Greatvalue1 said:
Well I'm only a CBer, but the FCC website did not not differentiate between Amateur or CB, and neither did the "Agent I spoke with.
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Well..you didn't speak to a knowledgable agent or read part 15 very well. CB radio is not a licensed service and is not protected from receiving interference. It is not part of the amateur radio service.

15.3 (m) Harmful interference. Any emission, radiation or induction that endangers the functioning of a radio navigation service or of other safety services or seriously degrades, obstructs or repeatedly interrupts a radiocommunications service operating in accordance with this Chapter. The rules for nearly every licensed radio service prohibit harmful interference and that includes the Amateur Radio Service.

If you don't have any sucess talking to the neighbor once you verify the source of the interference is actually coming from them...and you are sure they are growing a nice crop of weed...just place a call to the DEA. Growing dope is still a federal crime regardless what the individual states do to legalize it.
 
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Fluorescent Lighting/HID lighting or for that matter any type of lighting does not mean RFI....and "GROW" lighting is no different....Grow lighting is Nothing different than ANY other fluorescent lighting....
(MY house and SHACK are full of fluorescent lighting!)
The "grow" has more to do with color (Degs. Kelvin) than a difference in construction...
Otherwise when I operate from work...I could hear nothing...
By the way where I work, we have roughly 1+Mega Watts of lighting and I can operate just fine coast to coast from the parking lot outside....
So with that said...
Let's look at other sources
CK is right...How about someone's new 60" PLASMA TV
AT&T U-VERSE comes to your area....MAJOR PROBLEMS RFI....
Wireless Routers for WIFI... New CATV install or many other issues...
So jumping to Conclusions it's a "DRUG DEALER"(ELI LILLY?:D) may be a little over the top this early in time...
The "agent" you chatted with at the FCC, if you had a conversation and identified yourself with your license information....you may have misunderstood....as they ARE responsible for RFI investigation to Amateur equipment, when properly filed and detailed....
So settle down and be rational before you jump to conclusions....
GL
All the Best
BJ
 
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khayman669 said:
if you have wifi rename it to "DEA enforcement van 005". That might shake them up a bit.
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I like this best. Funny Funny.

What has been leading me to the drug conclusion is the regularity of the interference. As far as I can tell it starts and stops about the same time every day, from at least 7a in the morning to around 12a at night.
 
Captain Kilowatt said:
(Hint hint) You are getting interference that I am sure the station would like to know about since they are illegally being deprived of listeners. (another hint wink wink) Get the idea? Complaints of that nature carry FAAAR more weight with the FCC than Joe CBer or Herbie Ham.


Trust me on that last statement. I spent 22 years as a station engineer in the broadcast industry. ;)
Click to expand...

C.K. To cut through the red tape, what person typically handles these types of problems at a radio station?
 

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