In the past, it was not uncommon for ham radio to interfere with cellphones. Anybody with a cellphone from the 80s through to the early 2000s would have had a cellphone that operated on analog radio waves. Since ham radio also operates on analog, there could have been a bit of an overlap. Does this still happen? Let’s take a look.
In theory, a ham radio should never interfere with a modern cellphone. Modern cellphones operate on digital waves, and thus the analog radio waves coming from the ham radio shouldn’t really conflict with them. Now, we know that there are some people that will still notice a minor amount of interference, but it isn’t as common as you may think!
On this page, we want to go into a bit of detail on the type of interference that may occur, as well as give you a rough idea of how you can deal with that interference.
Can Ham Radio Interfere With Cell Phones?
As we said, ham radio and modern cell phones will be operating on completely different frequencies. There is absolutely no chance of them overlapping.
Now, if you have a cell phone that was manufactured before the early 2000s, then there is a chance that the ham radio and cell phone could conflict. However, most of these cell phones can’t connect to phone networks anymore now anyway. It shouldn’t be a problem.
If you had one of those analog cell phones a few years back, then somebody with a ham radio could have potentially listened into your conversation. That is now impossible. It was illegal back then too!
Nowadays, the only real interference you will be getting with a cell phone and a ham radio is the cellphone having a slightly lower signal. In other cases, there may be a small crackling on the line. It isn’t really anything to worry about. We promise you. People with a ham radio will not be able to listen to your conversations at all!
As a note, some people have suggested that if you left a cellphone next to a high-powered ham radio it would completely destroy the cellphone. However, to be honest with you, this is unlikely to happen. You certainly wouldn’t have a powerful enough ham radio in your home that could destroy a cellphone.
How Do You Deal With Ham Radio Interference On a Cell Phone?
For most people, the interference on a cell phone will only be temporary. It isn’t really a problem that needs to be fixed. However, if that cellphone interference is almost constant, there are a few ways that you can potentially deal with the problem.
Turn the ham radio off when you aren’t using it
If you aren’t using the ham radio, then switch it off. When that ham radio is turned off, it can’t interfere with your cellphone. You would think that something like this would be obvious, but you will be surprised at how few people think to turn their ham radio off.
Move away from the ham radio
If you are sitting right next to the ham radio when you are using your cellphone, then the chances of interference are going to be much higher than if you moved just a few feet away. So, if you want to make a phone call, then walk away from the ham radio for a short while. Chances are that there will be no interference.
Check your ham radio equipment
In some cases, the interference may be due to improperly shielded wires inside of the ham radio, or perhaps even damage to the ham radio.
If the cellphone interference seems to be almost constant, then it may be worth taking your ham radio to a repair specialist to see whether there are any problems with it. In many cases, it will be down to a wire inside of the radio being exposed. Once this is shielded again, the problems should stop.
Modern ham radio equipment has to meet strict FCC standards to prevent them from being able to interfere with cellphones and other equipment. However, this doesn’t mean they can’t ‘break’. That being said, this tends to be more of a problem with some of the older ham radios out there.
Check your cellphone
Is only one cellphone in your home dealing with the interference? Well, this could be a problem with your cellphone.
Some people have reported that cheaper cellphones, or even older cellphones, are much more likely to deal with interference from ham radios.
Obviously, the best solution here is to replace that cellphone.
If the ham radio is impacting other cellphones in your home, then you can skip this step. It is much more likely to be another problem.
Contact An Amateur Radio Club
If you live in a fairly populated area, then you will likely find an amateur radio club.
Many of these amateur radio clubs are willing to come and help you get to the bottom of the problem. These clubs absolutely love tracking down the source of interference (they call it fox hunting), and they may even be able to help you fix the problem.
Contact the FCC
This should be your absolute last resort, and it is only really going to apply if you are not the operator of the ham radio.
As you may well know, it is the FCC that issues licenses to ham radio operators. These operators have to live within very specific guidelines to ensure that their ham radio is not interfering with other equipment.
If you have serious interference, then you can contact the FCC. They may be able to come and inspect the radio. If they believe that the operator is not working within the licensing guidelines, then they will fix the problem. However, if the radio is causing interference and the user is using it legally, there isn’t much that the FCC can do.
Conclusion
Gone are the days where cellphone interference from a ham radio would be a regular occurrence. Nowadays, if interference occurs, it is often going to be nothing more than a signal loss or crackling on the phone. In the majority of cases, this will be due to faulty equipment. It could be the ham radio or the cellphone.
