TORCHIERE TORTURE!

[Bry Carling]

Thanks Stu - yeah I think this one needs the "acetylene torch
treatment" that you mentioned! Hi hi... 

It's a great pity that the manufacturers unleash these things on 
an unsuspecting public and then the FCC gives their stamp of
approval, while disclaiming any responsibility for the results.
It only serves to make radio amateurs the bad guys again. 

> I use balanced antennas and a rather extensive ground system in the 
> second-floor shack per the K9STH design guide, but I had the same symptoms
> here with a nice new touch-control table lamp the XYL brought home.  I
> took 
> it apart and tried ferrites on the leads, then bigger ferrites with a
> couple 
> of turns on each lead..... no effect.  I gave up, and we sold the lamp at
> the next garage sale.
> 
> Then there was my old "tablet" computer with the little pen.  The pen is
> powered, and probably is a tiny transmitter, although I'm not sure of
> that. 
> I do know that the thing sure went bonkers when I tried to use it in the
> shack as a PSK controller.  I sold the computer at the next hamfest and
> got 
> an old ThinkPad for PSK31.
> 
> When I remodeled our walk-in closet a few years ago, I got the bright idea
> to use a motion sensor to control the ceiling fixture in there.  Very 
> slick...walk into the closet and the light comes on, goes out after about
> 15 
> seconds of no further motion.  XYL loves it... I'm a hero, right?  Well,
> the 
> motion detector circuitry turns out to be a great 40M receiver as well, so
> when I transmit at virtually any power level on 40M, the closet light
> comes 
> on and the "Off" timing extends to about 5 minutes.  "How quaint", says
> the 
> XYL, or sometimes something more colorful, especially late in the evening
> when she's trying to get to sleep. Then she just grumbles, gets up, and 
> closes the closet door.  So I haven't tried to fix it...or sell it...or
> her.
> 
> Anyway, good luck, Bry. I think your torchiere lamp is destined for an new
> home at least a block away from any source of RF.... or, maybe the "torch
> (acetylene or similar) the torchiere" treatment is in order...a sure-fire
> fix.
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy SK Night.
> 
> 73 de Stu, W7FE

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