I just finished reading the Vertex magneto article in the new Rodders Journal. Ive always read that magnetos, as well as high-output distributors(maybe Spaulding Flamethrower as well?) will interfere with a car radio. Are they referring to the A.M./F.M. signal, or the actual sound system itself(tape deck, CD, iPod, satellite, etc.)?
I can ***ure you that they will affect any and all electronics that are not shielded. Hell with a good mag you can screw up someone's TV when you cruise by.
This brings to mind an interesting thought. Will a mag or solid-core plug wires interfere with someones cel phone or GPS if you are driving beside/behind them? I'm betting the answer is yes.
It will screw with their computer. And the guy with the bumpin base is just going to be in love with you. They get this really loud static that screams when you rev it. I had this neighbor that was running power on his CB base station in the '70s. His amp was so big that it would bleed across my stereo. The Joe Hunt on my hawg would really screw with him, so much that he asked me to coast in. I didn't of course. Richard yes you can shield the radio, but I don't know how you would shield the antenna. Maybe look at nascar stuff. You can shield any electronic part that you happen to be running. On the modern funnys they run shielded computers. I don't remember how to do it properly, but give me a day or two to remember what is involved. Actually if you are running a late model it would be a good idea to shield the computer anyway, that way they cannot use the zapper to make your car shut off.
Back in the early 60 solid core wires would mess with the AM radios. Packard 440 wires was the first hop up part that you bought for your hotrod which probably was your daily driver. I always got a grin when the old lady at the stoplight would reach down to adjust the knob for better reception as you reved your engine up and down just to annoy her. I don't believe that the noise affects FM as much as AM. It's more a function of the wires than the type of distributor. I never have had a mag. That is the reason for all the stainless shrouding on the Corvettes ignition system. The fibergl*** body wouldn't shield the noise like a steel bodied car. I bought a roll of Packard 440 wire just because it was the hot lick when I started. If you were running a mag back then you certainly would not buy radio suppression wires for it. You wanted all the juice that it would put out.
I think Radio Shack used to sell an RF filter that was supposed to clean up the signal. I can't remember if it went inline in the antenna or if it wired into the radio somehow. Radio Shack has changed a lot over the years, but may still sell that item. They have a rack full of drawers with RF stuff in them. Might be worth a shot...or you could just wear an aluminum foil pirate hat...
I got a tin foil hat to keep them from reading my thoughts with the spy satillite. but I guess it really doesn't matter because they can read my thoughts on the HAMB.
Yes you can get filters to take care of the RF noise. Airplanes!!!!!. there's filters on the mags and the radio itself.... No more noise. But there's more of course...You'll need shielded plugs, shielded plug wires. The only thing I know that can get thru is ultra-sonic magnet radiation in the upper wave lengths. HellRaiser
Guys today you can buy radio suppression carbon type wire even for Magnetos. Most all the Sprint cars ( with Mags) run a supresion cable today , the guy down the street from me has it available by the foot and ships it with every Mag they do.
The Jalopy Journal
