Interesting Stereo Problem
Thread Starter
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Novice
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 21
Likes: 6
From: Fredericksburg, VA
Interesting Stereo Problem
I put a charger adapter in my cigarette lighter socket and ran the cord over near my phone holder. So here is the issue. When I actually plug in the charge cord into my phone, the radio loses signal, as if I were in the middle of nowhere without radio stations. Now, I'm a ham radio operator, so I understand wavelength and what not. What I DON'T get is how the cigarette socket has anything to do with the radio antenna. If they were connected, then the added length of my charge cord could easily throw off antenna wave length. I'm sure I am missing something but not sure what.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,231
Likes: 653
From: Atlantic Canada, eh
Also a ham operator.(and more)
It's likely RFI from the poorly constructed unshielded switching power supply you've just plugged in.
They are notorious broadband RFI generators.
It's likely RFI from the poorly constructed unshielded switching power supply you've just plugged in.
They are notorious broadband RFI generators.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,526
Likes: 646
From: Saint Charles, Missouri
If you are using the larger plug in charger that you would normally use in a car, that is your problem. Get a dual USB adapter that you plug into the lighter socket and charge your phone from that. The plug in charger is your problem child.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 469
Likes: 130
From: Portland, Oregon
I'd recommend the process of elimination. There appear to be two or three components in play here...the phone, the charger, and the cable (if it detaches from the charger). Do you have a different car charger for your phone that you could swap out, even temporarily, to see if that eliminates the problem? Depending on how that works out, try charging a different phone, or maybe some other type of device (kindle, blue tooth speaker, etc) using your existing charger.
Assuming it is the charger...was it one that came with the phone, or a cheap aftermarket version? If yes to either, then I'd say try buying a good quality name brand charger. Personally, I always buy Belkin.
As a last resort, and this is probably a bit over the top, but you could try rigging some shielding. Get a cable type lighter plug and hard wire that to the existing lighter power. That would allow you to wrap the plug and adapter in foil or a metal box and mount that inside your fairing. Like I said...a bit over the top.
One other thought that just occurred to me is to verify that your radio is properly grounded to the bike frame.
One final thought is...you could skip the radio and use a flash drive for music.
Good luck and let us know how it works out.
Assuming it is the charger...was it one that came with the phone, or a cheap aftermarket version? If yes to either, then I'd say try buying a good quality name brand charger. Personally, I always buy Belkin.
As a last resort, and this is probably a bit over the top, but you could try rigging some shielding. Get a cable type lighter plug and hard wire that to the existing lighter power. That would allow you to wrap the plug and adapter in foil or a metal box and mount that inside your fairing. Like I said...a bit over the top.
One other thought that just occurred to me is to verify that your radio is properly grounded to the bike frame.
One final thought is...you could skip the radio and use a flash drive for music.
Good luck and let us know how it works out.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 518
Likes: 593
From: Central Iowa
I seem to run into quite a few fellow amateur radio operators on completely unrelated forums. 
I'll echo VE9AA's comment, it's very likely RFI from the cheap switching power supply in the charger. There's a reason they can sell them for $2 out of a tub of 50 sitting on the counter at every convenience store in the country, they're built as cheap as absolutely possible with no regard for shielding the massive amounts of RFI they generate. Try some different chargers, lord knows there's TONS of different ones out there.
73 de KK0G
I'll echo VE9AA's comment, it's very likely RFI from the cheap switching power supply in the charger. There's a reason they can sell them for $2 out of a tub of 50 sitting on the counter at every convenience store in the country, they're built as cheap as absolutely possible with no regard for shielding the massive amounts of RFI they generate. Try some different chargers, lord knows there's TONS of different ones out there.
73 de KK0G
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 314
Likes: 189
From: Triad, North Carolina
I agree with rcn1963 about the flash drive. I have one with 1200 songs on it. It's full of music that I want to listen to, not some radio programmer in another city. and commercial free.
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Tourer
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 469
Likes: 130
From: Portland, Oregon
But that didn't really address the problem the op was having. I don't know much about HAM radios...but I have done a fair amount of RF networking and also had my electricians license years ago when I was designing and building process control systems. And while my money would be on the charger having either inadequate or defective shielding...I've also seen a lack of adequate grounding do some pretty weird stuff. I thought it was useful to offer some additional ideas in case swapping out the charger doesn't fix the problem.
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Thread Starter
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Novice
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 21
Likes: 6
From: Fredericksburg, VA
Ok, so I looked at a your tube video and ordered a charger that hopefully will help. That said, after reading the various posts, (and I haven't had time to experiment with other devices yet) I will ad that the charger is always plugged in and the cable plugged into the charger. It is only when the phone (IPhone 11) is added into the equation that the interferience happens. I did notice yesterday that if the FM signal was strong enough it came through just fine. I will have to try other devices and charge cables when I get the new adapter.
As for the radio properly grounded, I can't say, haven't taken the fairing off yet. Original stereo, so I would hope it was.
And as for a usb stick of music, again, original stereo on a 93. No BT, no usb slot. I love the idea, but I haven't found a stereo that will plug and play and still use the handle bar controls.
More info after I check some things out.
Rogue
(K7NAT)
As for the radio properly grounded, I can't say, haven't taken the fairing off yet. Original stereo, so I would hope it was.
And as for a usb stick of music, again, original stereo on a 93. No BT, no usb slot. I love the idea, but I haven't found a stereo that will plug and play and still use the handle bar controls.
More info after I check some things out.
Rogue
(K7NAT)
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,231
Likes: 653
From: Atlantic Canada, eh
Makes perfect sense to me Rogue. With no load, your power supply is merely "idling".
Put some load on it, the current draw goes up and all the gunk and wideband trash starts to be vigorously generated all across the frequency spectrum. I am sure you'd hear it on a closeby SSB or CW radio if you have the ability to put one out near your bike.
That's the price we modern consumers pay for getting rid of the super simple, but heavier, transformer-type power supplies which had a copper/steel transformer, a diode or two, a filter cap and a heavy and larger form factor, to a teeny tiny circuit board with surface mount components that can be cranked out by the millions in offshore factories.
.
Do a Google Search for "switching power supplies RFI". Sometimes you can improve the situation by adding ferrite chokes to external leads. (in this
case your charging cable), using a shielded cable in place of the (probably) unshielded cable or moving to another manufacturer of power supply (and really--just hoping for the best).
Good luck in whatever works for you.
73-Mike
Put some load on it, the current draw goes up and all the gunk and wideband trash starts to be vigorously generated all across the frequency spectrum. I am sure you'd hear it on a closeby SSB or CW radio if you have the ability to put one out near your bike.
That's the price we modern consumers pay for getting rid of the super simple, but heavier, transformer-type power supplies which had a copper/steel transformer, a diode or two, a filter cap and a heavy and larger form factor, to a teeny tiny circuit board with surface mount components that can be cranked out by the millions in offshore factories.
.
Do a Google Search for "switching power supplies RFI". Sometimes you can improve the situation by adding ferrite chokes to external leads. (in this
case your charging cable), using a shielded cable in place of the (probably) unshielded cable or moving to another manufacturer of power supply (and really--just hoping for the best).
Good luck in whatever works for you.
73-Mike