24 Jun
1998
24 Jun
'98
10:18 a.m.
---------
From: Ward D. Griffiths III <gram(a)cnct.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Museums
Date: Thursday, March 25, 1999 1:14
(The FCC stepped in because of complaints
from the close neighbors of folks running TRS-80 Model Ones (or Apple IIs
or Commodore Pets or S-100 boxen) on the other side of an unshielded wall
from a television with rabbit ear antenna in apartment buildings).
Our Spectrum Management Agency (or whatever it's called this week) has a
less enduser friendly attitude towards dipsticks in fringe areas that think
they should be able to watch marginal signals on "rabbit ears" inside a
substantial building.
It amounts to "Get an outdoor antenna." No outdoor antenna, no valid
grounds for complaint. There are no specific regs regarding emf emission
from computers, they have put the onus on the RECEIVER
manufacturer to
ensure adequate filtering & shielding from unwanted signals.
The CB fad of
the 70's was a direct cause of this, after it was discovered that perfectly
functional CB's would drive certain televisions berserk because of stupid
choices of IF frequencies (Amongst other "They did WHAT!" type design, um,
features.)
If you have a properly installed external antenna (Yagi of some kind - cut
for the channels you are trying to receive) and proper coax feed into the
set, and you are STILL getting interference, only then will they look into
it.
This attitude has cured enormous numbers of problems.
Cheers
Geoff Roberts
Computer Systems Manager
Saint Marks College
Port Pirie, South Australia
geoffrob(a)stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au