Ughh! Cell phone noise in sub - Please help!

[Str8Dwn]

I don't know how or why this is happening, but man it is freaking annoying. Here's the setup: new Kenwood Excelon X689 HU, Kenwood iPod connector, Hifonics Zeus 4ch amp, Solobaric 12".

Occasionally, there is a ticking noise (varies in loudness) that is heard through my sub. It gets worse when my cell phone is near my iPod, and is even worse when my wife's Nextel is in the car.

Is there a filter or anything I can do to get rid of it?

 

[novAKs47]

Does it only happen when the ipod is connected? I'm wondering if the ipod is picking up the cell phones' frequency some how. Try removing the ipod, and playing music, while your wifes Nextel is in there, and see if it still does it. If it does, then I have no idea. lol If the clicking goes away, then the ipod is the culprit. I still have no fix for it, but at least you will have found the problem area. And that's always a step in the right direction at least. Also, just for good measure, check all your ground points. Make sure they're all grounded properly, to bare metal(no paint or any debris). If there are any wires that have been spliced, make sure that they're properly insulated as well. Hope this helps at least a little bit.

 

[Poseur]

Grounding. all about grounding. I assume the Ipod is connected to the cig ligther or charging somehow while playing? I highly recommend re-grounding your cig lighter as wel as your HU using fairly heavy gague, and preferably somewhere pretty solid. try a couple diff points perhaps and see if thsi changes things. Might want to check the ground on your amp as well, bare metal-metal contact on ground...

about 90% of my car's electronics are all commongrounded under the armrest on my centerconsole.

 

[got wake?]

i didn't think grounding would reduce the interference from the cell phones. the noise is caused by the transmission between the cell phone and tower or whatever it is communicating with. that transmission causes interference within the internal components of the audio electronics. nextel causes the worst interference from what i've seen. cingular can cause a little if you hold the cell near your HU. i've seen them cause intereference with home speakers, especially computer speakers.

 

[RyanJayG]

there is nothing that can be done to stop it, outside of putting on a tin-foil hat

this happens every time the cell phone re-aquires the tower, recieves a call or sends/recieves a text message.

 

[Str8Dwn]

i didn't think grounding would reduce the interference from the cell phones. the noise is caused by the transmission between the cell phone and tower or whatever it is communicating with. that transmission causes interference within the internal components of the audio electronics. nextel causes the worst interference from what i've seen. cingular can cause a little if you hold the cell near your HU. i've seen them cause intereference with home speakers, especially computer speakers.

My grounds are pretty solid. I have the radio grounded right to the battery with 16ga cable and my amp grounded to the seatbelt buckle bolt after cleaning the paint off. Total length of the 4ga cable ground is less than 18". Could it be picked up through the RCA's? My phone is from Cingular. I am surprised no one else is complaining of the same issue. It does make my computer speakers at work make a little noise.

My iPod is directly connected to the deck through the Kenwood interface module, so there is no use of the cig lighter. That module is powered via the disc changer cable. No more FM Modulators for me. I will try it today without the iPod connected and see if there's any noise.

 

[meGrimlock]

if there is data being sent through the cell phone the emitted radio waves seem to funkify the speakers or headunit, a low-pitched electronic crackling/ticking sound comes from the speakers for a few seconds. if you've ever answered your cell phone near a monitor, you can sometimes see the screen get wavey. its part of the game of having a cell phone, some are better than others.

 

[Moeed]

Turn off the cell phone?