Skytrack System Causing Interference In Fm Radio

[matsgone]

Anybody has ever had interference problem in a FM radio caused by the Skytrack system?? I put the battery on, turn on the FM and TCHSSS TSCHH she goes, I pull the skytrack breaker and peace comes back. It also does the exact same thing on a handheld radio even a few meters from the aircraft.

 

Any ideas???

[R0T0R]

How close are the antenna from each other?

[Superwrench]

We had a similar problem with a latitude tracker. Really messed the FM up when using a repeater. FM antenna was on the boom and tracker antenna on the roof. We had an avionics teck troubleshoot with not a lot of luck. When we disabled the tracker the FM worked properly. Latitude send us some filters I think they are called, those round magnets that wire goes through. We put them around the power wires, and it helped a lot. Didn't totally solve the problem, but make a big difference.

[ThreePer]

Some of our latitude handsets had interference issues with the intercom and some radios. Lots of different solutions were tried but nothing that really solved them all for good.

[matsgone]

Thanks a lot for the answers. It does sounds like grounding/ shielding issues. I will fire an email to Latitude and see. It is not an antenna proximity problem since it is also affecting a handheld even at 2mtrs from the machine.

 

This AM I had a little Motorolla hanheld radio, I put it on the "pedestal" close to the com box and it went tschhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh non stop. It would do that if held close to the pedestal or dash. When the skytrack ckt breaker was pulled, the problem went away.

 

Superwrench, you are saying that putting shields on the PWR cables helped the problem?? So its the actual power cables the problem? I guess they create electromagnetic interference that creates all kind of radio issues....

 

Thanks a lot for the help so far. If I find a solution I'll post it.

 

Cheers!!

[Superwrench]

I don't think it is the power cables. We had tried connecting the unit straight to the ships batt with different wires and the problem was still there. The filter/shields helped, but I can not explain or understand why they did. If you have a latitude unit they can check your box/data from there computers and possibly see if something that s up. Our trackers don't have any interfaces or connect to any systems, just power and ground to the unit.

[blake99ca]

What airframe is on? Tell us about the antenna installation? Which FM freq are you using? Is it on all freq? What is the model of FM you are using and antenna p/n? Are you using the gps/iridium combo antenna for the skytrac?

[matsgone]

Its on a BH12.

 

It turned out to be tied in satphone handset causing interference......god knows how...but once disconnected, problem disapeared..........Amazonian black magic!!!!

[ThreePer]

Yup those handset's had issues in all most of our machines. Complete black magic and it depended on where you placed it or which way the cord was coiled.

 

The rack mounted head units don't seem to have the same issues.