BasicB-008-004-001
If a neighbour reports television interference on one or two channels only when you transmit on 15 metres, what is probably the cause of the interference?
D
Answer
Safety
Type
A
Parasitic oscillations from your transmitter
B
Splatter due to overmodulation
C
Television receiver front-end overload
D
Harmonic emissions from your transmitter
Answer Notes
When interference appears on only one or two specific television channels rather than across the whole spectrum, it is typically caused by a specific frequency mapping to those channels. The 15-meter amateur band (21 MHz) has harmonics (like the 3rd harmonic at 63 MHz) that fall directly into the lower VHF television channels (like Channel 3 at 60-66 MHz).
Receiver front-end overload would affect all or most channels simultaneously, not just one or two. Splatter or parasitic oscillations would also cause broader, more localized interference rather than landing cleanly on specific TV channels. Therefore, harmonic emissions are the primary suspect.
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Transmitter RF amplifiers can generate parasitic oscillations:
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What are harmonic emissions?