Waaaay off topic

Bought a mini Tesla coil from Wish.

When I plug it in upstairs, the speakers downstairs have a LOUD buzz.

Can’t believe the field is that strong.

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Yes, it will.

Yes, the signal is quite strong and is probably interfering with neighbors too.

If you're using 5v and that's pulling an Amp, then that's 5 watts. Not all of that goes into RF energy, but let's ignore that for a moment...

" So according to our rule-of-thumb, 2 people around 6 feet tall using a 5 watt handheld two-way radio, used on flat ground with no obstacles, will have a maximum range of approximately 6 miles ."

I would imagine your coil has at least an 400 ft reach at the actual power it's transmitting. The Neon bulb needs far more RF energy to light than speakers need to buzz. :slight_smile:

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The instructions state a 2 amp 12 volt power supply is recommended so that is what was used. 24 watts :grimacing:

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I'm glad I don't live anywhere near you. I would be searching for the source of RF interference with my HF radios. Please take into consideration that there may be amateur radio operators nearby who can't communicate because of things like this. Electronic items should not cause interference according to the FCC part 15 rules.

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Better not crank that thing up around any modern electronics (which is everywhere). It will wreak havoc. Talk about spurious emissions, nastiness on all frequencies.

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In my (limited) experience THEY are the ones usually violating the Part 15 rules.... :wink:

I am mostly joking, but I have had 2 amateur radio operator neighbors whose equipment would cause all sorts of crazy interference at my house when they cranked everything to 11 after they "thought" everyone was in bed....

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@StephenH and @automation

I did not intend to do any more than this. It is back in a drawer. As someone who respects the airwaves, I am in total agreement with both of you. I have several HT that transmit, but since I do not have a ham license, transmit has been disabled.

@tom.guelker Thanks, that respect is well applauded.... Not only is it ugly over the airwaves, it can damage modern electronics if it gets close enough, it can fry them. It IS a neat device, especially for the time it was designed, but modern electronics contain extremely fragile components relatively speaking. I remember when I was a teenager, CB was very popular and the next door neighbor had some big (illegal) amplifiers. When he keyed up the mic, he would come though all of the speakers in our house like he was sitting in the room. Even if the speakers were unplugged he still bombed through loud and clear. No telling what health risks we were exposed to. He died of brain cancer 9 years later, who knows.....

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Just curious, if one was living out in the hinterlands where they were not bombing the neighbor's with interference, what does one do w/one of these? Party tricks, experiements, or ?

@JasonJoel I am an Amateur Radio Operator and have ALWAYS strictly followed the rules....If you have hams that arent operating under the rules, they SHOULD be reported. By the way Hams don't operate under part 15 rules they fall under part 97 a completely different set of FCC rules. Part 15 stipulates that the devices must not cause harmful interference to other radio services and must accept any interference caused by the legal operation of other radio services.

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I actually believe MOST users follow the rules - I really was just being sarcastic as I had a few personal experiences with ones that didn't. But I do think they were the outliers, not the rule. :slight_smile:

I didn't know the difference between the rules/guidance. All I knew was their equipment most certainly would NOT have met part 15 (if it had applied) as everything would go bonkers in my house every time they "cranked it up" after hours. In the end they admitted they were doing it and stopped (1 moved away to the country as he didn't like all these "rules neighbors were putting on him", the other just stopped 'cranking it to 11').

Thanks for pointing out the different FCC parts, though! I always like to learn something new!

LOL no harm meant.... I have been a ham for many years and I and most hams are sticklers for keeping the service conforming to the rules. Thats what makes it a viable radio service and not the "Wild West" like CB..... Believe me most hams loathe violators, more so than the general public IMHO

Sound on.

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OK, I get it! :smiley:

But...this will unfortunately have very low WAF, so let's keep this just to ourselves. :wink:

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I haven't been a licensed HAM for all that long, only getting my technician in August, 2020, then general in October and Extra in April 2021. I live in a a high electrical noise neighborhood. While the Tesla coils are quite fascinating, they are very disruptive. Plasma TVs are another source of electrical noise. There are many sources. The old days of CB are (thankfully) gone. I would have been objecting to CB radio blasting out of disconnected speakers and damaging electronics.

I agree that there are HAM operators that don't seem to care about the rules. Fortunately, there are means to help them get the message. Some have had to pay hefty fines, lost the license to operate, and had all that (expensive) equipment confiscated. I've been on nets when some joker has been playing "Super Mario" theme music, which is highly illegal. I have been on some where the interference from tuning is deliberate and meant to disrupt the net. It isn't always easy to track these jokers down, but eventually, one of them slips up and makes it possible to locate him/her.

Those of us who try to abide by the rules get hurt by those who disregard them, so we try to be self-policing with voluntary monitors. There have been times when I wished I had DF equipment to help locate some of the offenders so we could shut them down and make the hobby more enjoyable for the rest of us. However, it is a hobby and my funds are not unlimited. Thanks for putting the Tesla coil away. I did not mean any offense with my remarks.

Geez! I didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition

:sunglasses:

Seriously, not knowing much about these, I was amazed this little doohickey reached out that far. That explains why there is no FCC certification.

Based on the proliferation of tesla coils on amazon over the last year, I'm thinking HAM operators aren't going to be happy much longer

I wonder if his car started after this. Glad I don't live near HIM...

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None taken. I admit ignorance of what this tiny thing is possible of.