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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Mystery signal [from US embassy] blocking Ottawa door devices |
| 2005-11-05 |
| Many automatic garage doors in Ottawa have suddenly, and strangely, stopped working, due to a powerful radio signal that appears to be interfering with the remote controls that open them. The signal is transmitted on the 390-megahertz band, which is used by virtually all garage door openers on the continent. That's the same frequency used by the U.S. military's new state-of-the-art Land Mobile Radio System. Cleroux said operators have already been warned of this phenomenon by service updates from U.S. manufacturers, who started seeing the same problem around military bases last summer. The strong radio signals on the 390-megahertz band simply overpower the garage door openers. One technician likened it to a whisper competing with a yell. "From what we hear, it is the American Embassy that's operating on 390, and they're the only ones who can block it. But I'm not 100 per cent sure, because we're all kind of up in the air until we know exactly what's going on," said Cleroux. The U.S. Embassy denies any transmissions on that frequency. So does the Canadian military. Isn't this covered by some treaty somewhere? We will not interfere with your garage doors, if you don't interfere with ours. Ratified in 1812, I believe. |
| Posted by:Rafael |
| #8 Our local military base warned us about it. I think they had a work around. Glad they aren't sharing it with the GWN. Too bad it's not in Quebec. |
| Posted by: Cleang Glatle4464 2005-11-05 15:40 |
| #7 IIRC garage door remotes, along with cell phones, have been used in Iraq to trigger IEDs. Might be preventive suppression rather than comms going on ... |
| Posted by: lotp 2005-11-05 15:05 |
| #6 Check the batteries in the remotes. If they're made in France, they may be a fire hazard. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2005-11-05 10:48 |
| #5 What's the frequency, Kenneth? |
| Posted by: Dan Ratherhertz 2005-11-05 05:34 |
| #4 Is this thing on? |
| Posted by: Halliburton: Ingress / Egress Calibration Division 2005-11-05 02:23 |
| #3 thats Cindy Sheehan's bandwidth. |
| Posted by: Red Dog 2005-11-05 01:11 |
| #2 JM? Isn't that the frequency of the voices in your head? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-11-05 01:05 |
| #1 It doesn't matter all those devices like garrage door operners operate on a secondary and non interfering basis. If you get interfered with by the primary user too bad. If it's a government organ thats doing it to you too bad raised to the fifth power. SOP is to say "it's not us." |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-11-05 00:39 |