Buzzkill
December 12th, 2008Fricking Technology
I have found yet another reason to fantasize about visiting AT&T headquarters with a flamethrower.
The other day I bitched about my clock radio making irritating noises which rendered it unusable. A reader explained that the sound I was hearing was “GSM buzz,” which is caused by RF interference generated by cell phones as they synchronize with their towers.
Bear in mind, I have no idea what GSM or synchronization is.
Here’s a video that features the noise:
I found that video while trying to Google up a recording of GSM buzz, but in the process, I came across an ad for the solution to the problem. The video advertises little bags that kill the buzz. They’re anti-static bags. Stick your phone in there, and you don’t get the buzz. Does that mean it blocks the phone’s signal? Damned if I know.
The unfortunate thing about the product in the ad is that you can get it for nothing, all over the place. Good to have the information, however.
There are other solutions, which I am sure people more industrious than I will mention in comments.
Today I had to call AT&T and make them lock my phone’s Internet access. Why? Because the phone rang twice today and told me it was getting me THE LATEST NEWS FROM CNN!!! Which I did not want and did not intend to pay for.
I have referred to the phone as my Korean wife. I think we may need Dr. Phil.
December 12th, 2008 at 3:59 PM
Just get a blackberry. Problem solved.
December 12th, 2008 at 4:17 PM
Huh. My computer speakers never make that noise and I have my cell phone on and next to my keyboard. (The speakers are at the back of the desk, about seven inches away.) I have a cheap LG phone that I bought at Walmart. It has no extra doodads like a camera, and I don’t think I can “sync” it with anything. Or if I can I haven’t bothered doing so. Maybe the solution is to buy cheap phones that don’t do anything special except make and receive phone calls.
December 12th, 2008 at 4:30 PM
The answer is in a very old solution. Ferrites aka Magnets!
Slap a ferrite on your speaker wires and you will sleep peacefully! Seen here: http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/02/killing-your-phones-gsm-buzz-with-ferrite-beads/
For more info on why this happens at all, go here: http://www.smartdevicecentral.com/article/that+crazy+gsm+buzz/199379_1.aspx
December 12th, 2008 at 5:38 PM
Several of us told you about the phone buzz. If you put it in an antistatic bag, and that actually stops the buzz, it’s most likely because it cut the phone off from the tower.
Andrea, that’s not always going to cut it.
December 12th, 2008 at 5:42 PM
Clark, from the articles Rubber City Rebel cites, switching to a Blackberry won’t help, unless Steve switches to Verizon as well.
December 12th, 2008 at 5:44 PM
“Several of us told you about the phone buzz.”
.
Didn’t I point that out? Or are you taking issue because I only credited the first reader who mentioned it?
.
If so, you are definitely an engineer.
December 12th, 2008 at 8:09 PM
“Andrea, that’s not always going to cut it.”
Well, I was the last of all the people I used to know to get an answering machine, back when those were the gadget of the hour.
December 12th, 2008 at 9:14 PM
Phlogiston. Well, that and the aether.
Take care. That stuff is worse then you would think at first.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:02 PM
Just take away your phone’s green card. that should do it, no need for Dr. Phil.
December 13th, 2008 at 8:08 AM
Never had any problem with buzzing radios. But I only really listen to radio in the car. I had a few of those solicitations early on but simply sent back the one ‘do not send more’ message and they stoppped. I bought the phone for the data service – in part for the internet access, so I wouldn’t want it blocked.
December 13th, 2008 at 8:27 AM
The synchronization happens when your phone connects to the network to find out if you have any messages, to reset the phone’s idea of what time it is, and so on. It typically does this a few times per hour. So the phone is emitting a “connect” signal at these times as it tries to initiate communication with the Mother Ship.
There might be a way to change the check-in interval somewhere in the phone’s software. If there is, I can’t find it on my phone. But there are hacker’s guides all over the Internet. The worst you can do is turn your phone into a paperweight by playing with these.
There are two different networks for cell phones in the US – GSM and CDMA. GSM makes buzzing noises in nearby speakers. CDMA doesn’t. I have no idea why, but you can get rid of your buzzing by switching to a provider that uses a CDMA network. Unfortunately, it’s a carrier based decision; CDMA phones won’t work on a GSM network, and vice-versa.
To be a bit more precise: it isn’t actually the speakers that are picking up the GSM signal; it’s the amplifier and other circuitry, which then boosts the signal and feeds it to the speakers. Sometimes you can reduce the noise by reorienting the phone or the noisemaker, but generally you’re just screwed and there’s nothing you can do. It seems to be much less of a problem when the offending radio or whatever is turned on – I don’t know if the phase-locking circuitry in the tuner eliminates the GSM noise or what, but it seems to help. Sometimes.
Here’s an article on who uses what: http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phone-buying-guide/
December 13th, 2008 at 8:59 AM
The claim I’ve seen is that CDMA doesn’t pulse it’s transmitter like GSM does, which would explain it if true. The transmitters on GSM phones are really power-hungry, and if you switch that on and off you get a lot of field changes in the area around the phone. If you have good coverage you might be able to reduce the power of the phone’s “call home” signals but I’m guessing that’s not easy. Distance from the offending phone should help.
Just did a test, and putting my phone in a static bag killed the signal dead. But I only get 2 bars in my house, because we live in a black hole.
December 13th, 2008 at 11:32 AM
That “CNN” email may be these spammers:
http://blog.trendmicro.com/more-fake-news-more-malicious-cnn-spam/
December 13th, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Oh, forgot to mention: putting the phone in the bag will make the phone increase its transmitting power to look for a cell tower, which will kill the battery faster. So you’re better off shutting the phone off to get the same effect, which is probably not a solution.
Ferrites on the cord might help, and you could experiment with some grounded shielding if you really wanted to get rid of it.
December 15th, 2008 at 10:12 PM
Well, you learn something new every day! That annoying buzzing sound occurs quite often while I’m listening to my iPod at work with the cell phone nearby. I’ve also heard it in my car and at home on my TV or computer speakers. (I prefer to turn off my cell phone at home, so at least the noise reminds me to do that.) I’m pretty sure I have one of those anti-static bags somewhere around the house. Thanks for posting this…I will at least be using the bag at work, which is where the noise causes the most annoyance.
December 17th, 2008 at 5:17 PM
The solution to this problem is to simply get an anti static bag and place your phone on top of the bag. It will not kill the signal but will definately kill the buzzing. The website http”//www.stopthebuzzin.com explains this. If you put the phone in the bag the signal will degrade a little but not as much as you think. But the real solution is to put it on top. No problems with signal but buzzing sound is disipated just like static charges are disipated while in the bag.