Anyone ever successfully reduce tube interference from cell phones?

jrlouie
jrlouie Posts: 462
edited January 2007 in Electronics
I have noticed that my tube pre-amp can pick up interference from my cell phone quite easily. I assume that's what it is. To test, if I send myself a text message and when it is transmitting, moving the cell phone directly around the tubes reproduces the interference. Moving the phone nearer to any of the other components and/or cables does not.
Anyone know of a way to reduce this other than keeping your phones far away? Do tube dampers help in this regard?

Thanks
Post edited by jrlouie on
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited December 2006
    Have you tried plugs/caps on unused inputs?
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  • jrlouie
    jrlouie Posts: 462
    edited December 2006
    No I haven't. But, a new CDP should be arriving this afternoon (exciting). Once I get it, it'll use up the remaining unused inputs. I can see if that makes a diff.
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  • zombie boy 2000
    zombie boy 2000 Posts: 6,641
    edited December 2006
    My Dared does it as well... quite a bit at that. I don't even attempt to use a cell phone near my rig.
    I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited December 2006
    jrlouie wrote:
    No I haven't. But, a new CDP should be arriving this afternoon (exciting). Once I get it, it'll use up the remaining unused inputs. I can see if that makes a diff.
    COOL! What CDP are you getting?

    I've got in the habit of using Cardas caps on any unused RCA inputs. This house is awash in cell phone signals (two teenagers) and I've never had any interference.
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  • jrlouie
    jrlouie Posts: 462
    edited December 2006
    Yeah, I live in a loft so it's one big room. If I happen to leave my phone on the dining table, not using it, it occasionally sends some sort of signal out that is picked up by the Dared.
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  • zombie boy 2000
    zombie boy 2000 Posts: 6,641
    edited December 2006
    Let us know how it pans out once you put all the inputs to use... if there's any difference, I'll probably just invest in some Cardas caps.
    I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore
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  • jrlouie
    jrlouie Posts: 462
    edited December 2006
    BlueMDPicker wrote:
    COOL! What CDP are you getting?
    I was fortunate enough to snag the Jolida from doro.
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  • jrlouie
    jrlouie Posts: 462
    edited December 2006
    zombie boy 2000 wrote:
    Let us know how it pans out once you put all the inputs to use... if there's any difference, I'll probably just invest in some Cardas caps.
    Will do.
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited December 2006
    jrlouie wrote:
    I was fortunate enough to snag the Jolida from doro.

    Nice player! Enjoy!
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  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,341
    edited December 2006
    Has anyone tried an appropriately sized lead caps for this task? The Cardas caps seem awful expensive. Any other ideas for shielding inputs?
    Carl

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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited December 2006
    If you've got some throwaway ICs or loose male RCAs, you can make shorting plugs for the unused inputs. Lead should do the trick as well.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,813
    edited December 2006
    Funny, I just had a conversation with Victor about this earlier tonight. I think it may depend on the type of cell phone one has. Certain carriers (Sprint) use one technology (used in Europe) while others (Verizon) use another. The Verizon phones don't seem to cause any interference with tubed audio gear.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • I-SIG
    I-SIG Posts: 2,243
    edited December 2006
    MY Nextel phone will cause some audible interference in audio stuff, even a CB radio speaker.

    Wes
    Link: http://polkarmy.com/forums

    Sony 75" Bravia 4K | Polk Audio SDA-SRS's (w/RDO's & Vampire Posts) + SVS PC+ 25-31 | AudioQuest Granite (mids) + BWA Silver (highs) | Cary Audio CAD-200 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Rotel Michi P5 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Cambridge Audio azur 840C--Wadia 170i + iPod jammed w/ lossless audio--Oppo 970 | Pure|AV PF31d
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  • seo
    seo Posts: 305
    edited December 2006
    My cingular phone will cause intereference on anything with a speaker!
    Signature goes here
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited December 2006
    F1nut wrote:
    Funny, I just had a conversation with Victor about this earlier tonight. I think it may depend on the type of cell phone one has. Certain carriers (Sprint) use one technology (used in Europe) while others (Verizon) use another. The Verizon phones don't seem to cause any interference with tubed audio gear.

    North America is predominately CDMA while Europe is GSM. The interference is simply bandwidth related not so much one technology over another.

    EDIT: GSM phones can cause temporary uplink/downlink interference, even on AM/FM bands in your home or car. I remember when Sprint WAS GSM based, mid-late 90's and every time a phone call was coming in, the radio in my truck would go haywire for a couple seconds while the phone was powering up to receive the datastream. I knew the call was coming before it even rang.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • disneyjoe7
    disneyjoe7 Posts: 11,435
    edited December 2006
    You're placing a cell phone which is a receiver / transmitter of 300mw next to a TUBE which is working on milli volts gate wise anyway. A tube having plates which make a super sweet radio receiver antenna, what are you trying to do?

    BTW there's a FCC rule about this #67 comes to mind.

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  • jrlouie
    jrlouie Posts: 462
    edited January 2007
    zombie boy 2000 wrote:
    Let us know how it pans out once you put all the inputs to use... if there's any difference, I'll probably just invest in some Cardas caps.
    Eh, with all the inputs used up it still does it. No change what so ever. I don't think it is inputs picking it up. I think it's the tubes.
    disneyjoe7 wrote:
    You're placing a cell phone which is a receiver / transmitter of 300mw next to a TUBE which is working on milli volts gate wise anyway. A tube having plates which make a super sweet radio receiver antenna, what are you trying to do?
    Not trying to do anything. Just sometimes someone in the household sets their phone down on the dining room table when they come home and being in the vicinity of (not next to) my tube-pre, it picks up the interference. I was only putting my phone directly next to the tubes for testing. Just thought I'd see if there was some known remedy I wasn't aware of (other than keeping phones away). Doesn't sound like it which is fine. I was just curious.

    Thanks for the info.

    On a side note, the new CDP is sweeeeet!
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