I recently bought a house.  My house is located where a Naval Training
Center existed before it was closed down during the Clinton
administration. "In a proactive move to create a community benefit
from the inevitable closing of the Orlando Naval Training Center
(NTC), the City of Orlando elected to pursue a
redevelopment initiative that supports local goals for economic and
community development." (ha)
   Anyway, there is something not right. Our wireless home phones and our
cell phones have constant interference.  It is almost impossible to
make a phone call from our house.
   I frequently listen to Books on Tape or CD when I am in the house. 
In certain rooms, the tapes,particularly, make sounds of
interference--as if someone was making a phone call into the
house--but no phone call comes in.
   I don't know if this is significant, but there where accusations of
toxic waste dumping during Navy Base days. Supposedly, everything has
been cleaned up.
   I am concerning there are too many microwaves, radio waves,
unidentified waves or radioactivity surrounding my home.  Who can I
contact to come and test for such things?  I live in Orlando Florida.
Please don't give me the name of someone who will try to sell me some
environmental gadget.  I want a scientific opinion from someone who
has nothing to sell.
   Thank you so much.  $100 is a lot of money to me.  I am a single
Mom.I am willing to pay it to get a non-marketing answer.

---

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 22 Sep 2005 10:02 PDT

casfw-ga,

Sorry to hear about your problems with electronic interference.

I live in a neighborhood with similar problems, though not quite as
severe as what you're describing.  There are a host of microwave and
TC transmission towers nearby, and they seem to interfere with (oddly
enough) TV reception, as well as cell phones, keyless car systems,
garage door openers, and so on.


I suspect such types of interference are probably pretty common, and
not necessarily a sign of any secret Navy experiments or the like
(though one can't rule out that possibility, either).

A few questions, if I may:

--Where in Orlando are you? (don't post your actual address, but
naming nearby cross streets would help).

--Do your neighbors have similar experiences?

--Are you near broadcasting stations, large power lines, large
antennas, a power plant, or other sorts of facilities that can cause
interference?

--Is it both tapes and CD's that are interferred with?  Do you listen
to them both on one unit, or two different devices?

--Is any other electronic device having problems, such as the ones I
mentioned above?


Let us know as much as you can.  I'm not promising we can provide a
definitive answer, but at least we might be able to point you in the
direction of government or private services that can look into this
further.


pafalafa-ga

How close are your neighbors? Do any of them have similar problems? Do
any work from home using any short wave, satellite, surveillance
equipment?

Interference on electronic devices is most likely due to
electromagnetic waves passing through your home.  These waves are all
around us in the form of television, radio, or satellite transmissions
among other things.  It should not be due to toxic waste, unless
somehow the waste is causing an electrochemical reaction that creates
electromagnetic waves.  An electrochemical reaction you are probably
most familiar with would be a battery.  Still, the reaction would have
to create a current flow to create electromagnetic waves, and then
that flow would have to be intense enough to create electromagnetic
waves of sufficient strength to interfere with your communication
devices.  Not likely.

The most likely culprit is either a radio or communications tower near
your home, although a faulty high-tension electrical wire could also
be creating electromagnetic waves that cause interference.  I
recommend taking a look around your home for any nearby radio or
communications towers (including ham radio towers) or high tension
electrical transmission lines.  If you see any, you might contact the
owners and ask them for assistance in assessing whether their tower or
transmission lines are the problem in your home.  In the absence of
such help, contact local industrial hygiene consultant firms to
perform an assessment and try to locate the source.  These consultants
have the training to assess electromagnetic energy problems or direct
you to help locally.

If you know any ham radio operator neighbors, they'd probably be
willing to help you track down the specific RF interference source if
you ask nicely.  In fact, if one lives near you he's probably already
worked out what it is.