Having a problem and can't seem to find an answer anywhere - let's hope here! I hooked up my new computer (Windows XP) and it runs fine. However, I have an AM/FM radio (batteries or AC) and whenever the computer is on and the radio is on the AM band, I get terrible interference and it is unlistenable. This occurrs whether it is plugged in or running on the batteries - anywhere on my property! This means I cannot even go outside away from the house to listen. I realize the short answer is to turn the computer off when I want to listen to AM but my wife likes to use it during the day when my favorite am programs are on. I checked with Radio Shack and they were no help whatsoever. Thank you in advance for any/all information/advice!
Try grounding the case of the computer.. run a wire from one of the case screws on the back to a nice metal pipe that vanishes in the ground somewhere nearby. If that helps then you could try a serious bit of earthing.. get creative with something like this buried outside with some nice heavy cable run to it. http://www.aceelectricals.com/earthing_brief/Copper Bonded Earth Plate.htm It may not kill all of it, as there will still be a fair bit of spray from monitor cables and network wires etc.. but it may just make the situation bearable. The trouble is.. the modern PC has well and truly entered the RF broadcast frequency bands and the RF spray is very wideband with beats and harmonics at all sorts of odd frequencies. It may even be getting into your house mains wiring through a poor psu, and one other serious possibility is if you are using a phoneline internet connection.. the wires to your house if they are overhead will be little more than a long wire aerial, and there may be odd extensions scattered throughout the house all adding to the general noise. Usually slipping a couple of small ring ferrites over suspect cables will make a significant improvement... Investigate one thing at a time... grounding first, then wiring.. It may not be curable as it might also be coming from outside (next door maybe).. It might be time to consider the end of am radio.. it's being phased out here and it's ongoing.. there is very little left.
