32 Radio on my modem? 8 Open J.MCGEE2 ************ Topic 32 Wed Aug 29, 1990 J.MCGEE2 (Forwarded) Sub: Radio on my modem? Why do I pick up a certain AM station better on my modem than on my radio? 8 new messages. ************ ------------ Category 8, Topic 32 Message 1 Wed Aug 29, 1990 J.MCGEE2 (Forwarded) My modem seems to be picking up a nearby AM radio station better than my radio. Im using a C-128 with a Cardinal 2400 External modem. The last two modems I had did not have this problem. I've tried grounding the metal case on the modem, and on the advice of an engineer friend, a .001 uf capacitor across the line, both to no avail. The station comes in just fine as long as I have at least 20 ft. of phone wire hooked to the modem, regardless of whether its hooked to the phone company or not. So calling the phone co. out will just cost me $37. Guess my next step would be to use shielded wire to the phone co. interface, but seems like I'd still have probs with the wire going out to the pole. Anybody have any experience with this problem and/or any solution?. Related, you might find my conversations with Cardinal and Lyco on this subject illuminating. I contend the modem is very susceptible to RF interference, much more so than the Avatex and Easy Data modems I last used. Cardinal told me to buy "something to clean up the line". They had no idea of what or where to buy it, and did not recognize the problem as a design flaw, albeit one that probably will only affect a few. I wrote off any help from Cardinal. Next stop Lyco, from whom I purchased this fine product. They offered absolutely no help, did not recognize that maybe the Cardinal modem, though not defective as such, MAYBE had a design flaw, and said even if it did, they were not responsible. I asked if it was possible to return the Cardinal modem, in exchange for another brand, and that I would pay all shipping and whatever cost difference. Legally, I know they're not required to do that, but in my mind the difference between doing just what you have to do, and going one step further in rare circumstances to keep a customer happy, is the difference between a company I won't buy from again, and one I will. Draw your own conclusions. ------------ Category 8, Topic 32 Message 2 Thu Aug 30, 1990 ED.BELL (Forwarded) So what did LYCO say about exchanging it for you? I ordered a Supra from Bulldog in Atlanta Georgia, and it has worked flawlessly ever since. It was $119 the last time I looked. I don't know if Lyco offers that modem any more though. ------------ Category 8, Topic 32 Message 3 Thu Aug 30, 1990 WC.COLEMAN [*Sysop*] (Forwarded) Cleaning up the phone line won't help, the cord itself it acting like an antenna. If you can make it shorter that would probably help. Also go down to Radio Shack and pick up a few ferrite beads (make sure the hole in the middle is big enough to get the connector through) and wind a loop of cord through each one. Space them out alone the cord. That should take care of the problem. -WC ------------ Category 8, Topic 32 Message 4 Fri Aug 31, 1990 J.MCGEE2 (Forwarded) LYCO was not interested in an exchange. I'm mos UNimpressed with their after sale support. And thanks for the info on the ferrite beads. I hadn't thought of that. ------------ Category 8, Topic 32 Message 5 Fri Aug 31, 1990 ED.BELL (Forwarded) Yes, Bill, that WAS a gem. That one should be in the Starboard Journal somewhere, and in some kind of special help cat too! ------------ Category 8, Topic 32 Message 6 Fri Aug 31, 1990 J.MCGEE2 (Forwarded) Radio Shack had some Snap on chokes, square arrangements that do the same thing as ferrite beads, I suppose. For $7.95 no less. But they didn't help at all. So I guess my next step is to call the phone co. out and hope I dont get stuck for $37. ------------ Category 8, Topic 32 Message 7 Sat Sep 01, 1990 C128-BILL (Forwarded) J.M. try using a shielded cable in place of the phone line. Ground just one end to a real good ground. This worked for me, but the RJ11 plugs were a bit difficult to deal with. ------------ Category 8, Topic 32 Message 8 Sat Sep 01, 1990 BRAD-HARRIS (Forwarded) You might try some of the slip-on metal braid for spark plug wires they sell in auto parts stores. Just slide the phone cord in and ground one end of the braid :) ------------ 1
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