Cellphone interfering with Ms. Pac

Shavenyak

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I was playing my cocktail last night when the phone in my pocket started ringing. At the same time, I start getting noise / feedback from the game. As soon as I answered it and pulled slightly away from the machine it stopped. Anyone else have this happen to them? I get the same sound when I use my voicerecorder while I'm talking on the phone.

On a similar note, I found a FCC sign on the back of my DK that mentions something about the game should't be in a residential area due to interference.

Any thoughts?
 
The only thing I notice is the baby monitor reciever is affected by the games when I turn them on and it's on at the same time.

I have no idea if my neighbors are affected by me turning the games on, they never complained to me at all.
 
My cell phone would do this with one of my old compaq desktop PCs. Even weirder, my speakers would start making a little bit of a static sound just a second or two before the cell phone was gonna start ringing.
 
Yep. They will interfere with just about any speaker/amplifier that you set them close enough to. Some strong crap eminating to/from them.

Pretty sure we will all die because of the little bastards.

Pac seems more succeptable to the interference, maybe cause it runs on AC voltage?
 
The only thing I notice is the baby monitor reciever is affected by the games when I turn them on and it's on at the same time.

I have no idea if my neighbors are affected by me turning the games on, they never complained to me at all.

Yeah, me neither. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a problem, you may never know about it unless it were to come up in passing conversation. Who would think that your games would be the cause??

Tell more about the baby monitor thing. I'm thinking about getting a pair so the wife can get me without coming outside to the gameroom. Is there interference no matter where the baby monitor is?
 
Isn't the PS line filter in place to try and prevent most of this?
 
Isn't the PS line filter in place to try and prevent most of this?

No, that is only to keep voltage spikes (transients) from the outside world from hitting your semiconductors on your power supply input. The bridge rectifier and filter caps are tough but it will wear them down faster when the transients occur. Also this will shorten the life of the voltage regulator if some of the transients get far enough in the circuit of the power supply.
 
Tell more about the baby monitor thing. I'm thinking about getting a pair so the wife can get me without coming outside to the gameroom. Is there interference no matter where the baby monitor is?

There is interference based on proximity and entenna orientation. If I tilt the baby monitor so the antenna is pointed a different way that reduces the noise. If I locate the monitor behind something it sometimes reduces the noise as well. Luckily I can just turn it down and watch the LED level indicators to see when my little one is crying. Otherwise it would be annoying.

I haven't tried checking with a spectrum analyzer for the range of frequencies the games output. Probably a combination of brute current through the circuit and harmonic frequencies that make it seem like it affects everything wireless.
 
My Nextel interferes with everything. I don't even need the ringer to be on most times because if I am anywhere near a TV, a Computer, a radio, etc. I will hear noise in whatever I am close to several seconds before the phone rings.
 
Occasionally, my cellphone will interfere with it's own self.
Even with ringer/vibrate off, the speaker will hum when getting a call/text.
 
I've noticed this just a little with games, but I generally leave my phone by my workbench anyway. My PC monitor (CRT) will go nuts if I'm about to get a phone call or message though.
 
Occasionally, my cellphone will interfere with it's own self.
Even with ringer/vibrate off, the speaker will hum when getting a call/text.

That sounds wack. Does it affect your ability to hear the caller? I hate cell phones anyway so that would REALLY be annoying.
 
Its called GSM buzz. It can be eliminated by putting ferrite beads on the speaker wires. (Or so I am told.)

But it is kinda funny to be able to predict when I am getting a call. Seems like its the same pattern of static each time. For example, a text would sound like, "Daa da-da daa da-da daa da-da daa da-da *Text!* And a call would sound like Daa da-da daa da-da bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz *Ring!*

Yes, I am very observant. :p
 
Yeah thats normal. We were using a cell phone as a light the other day inside a dedicated jr pac and it went nutts.
I remember back when I had a cingular phone it would interfere with anything electrical. Actually the other way around...if the phone was too close to anything it would start making weird noises. My buddys cingular phone did the same thing.
 
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