Arcade games interfering with TV signal?

keithsarcade

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I think this is a general topic, mods feel free to move if it relates more to repair....

I usually turn on all the games every Sunday night (downstairs). Sue is complaining that every time I do this, she loses one of the digital channels in the living room upstairs (were cheap bastards and using rabbit ears). If I turn them off, reception comes back. We have other TV's in the house, all on rabbit ears, but the living room seems to be the only one affected by this. The living room upstairs and the games downstairs are both on the south end of the house, so proximity makes sense (I guess).

Anyone ever hear of this? What might be causing this?
 
I have heard of this and most games have an FCC warning about interference.

I would wrap the games in tin foil. Be sure to take pictures. :)

Seriously, some game boards included a cage or cardboard with a foil lining as I recall. I have not experienced this issue before.
 
Lots of those games had RF cages, whether they were metal cages or else foil covered cardboard (Q*bert) and I've noticed on a few of mine that the RF cages are now missing. That could interfere with signals, especially if they are weak as I think you are far out there like myself. Also, I recall someone posting that they had electrical outlets ran in the basement about chest or shoulder height and it cause various interference when energized.
 
I just noticed the other day when I powered up my new Gallag that the radio reception on the stereo in the garage crapped out. It doesn't have a very good tuner in it and I guess that particular board put out enough RF in the FM band (or IF maybe) to hose up the stereo.

I'd try and narrow it down to the specific game causing the trouble (assuming it is just one game) and maybe put a shield on it, or replace the RF filter on the line.

cheers
/tim
 
Yes, games, especially given the various 'mods' they have had over time will cause interference across the VHF and UHF bands (as well as AM/FM radio bands).

Originally video games would have the following label on the rear of the game, inside the back door on near the front of the manual:

Code:
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Changes or modifications not approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the quipment. 
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules. 
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio commuications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

* Reorient the receiving antennae
* Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
* Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit differenent from that to which the receiver is connected.
 
Actually, my TV signal interferes with my games. Every time a football game is on, none of my games get worked on...
 
It doesn't happen that much but can definitely get some bleedover (is this a word?) or interference. It was coincidence but once I had a TV sitting next to my DK not hooked up to cable or an antenna. I had it on one of the lower channels (3, maybe) and it was picking up a very distorted image of the DK attract mode. It may have been RGB signal from the monitor being picked up by one of the intermediate amp stages of the TV's tuner. Hadn't seen anything like that before but it stands to reason that it can happen.
 
Video games were notorious for spraying RF. Try turning the games on one by one until your wife complains. Then turn them off in the same order (leaving the last one turned on for last). If you can narrow it down then try the time honored arcade operator fix, turn it 90 degrees and see if that fixes it. If not, you may have to get some expanded metal and create a cage for the board.

ken
 
The turning them on one at a time will isolate it to the specific game, you can track down even further which component in it is causing the problems by looking for whatever channel is having the issue here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_broadcast_television_frequencies

And getting something handheld that will receive on that frequency (handheld scanner, etc). Set it to the frequency and move it around in the cabinet till you hit the most noise. Only would really need to do that if you put an rf cage on the board and it's still causing an issue (i.e. it turns out not to be the board).
 
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