Interference from cell phone?

SWKDigger

Elite Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2013
Messages
848
Location
Western Kansas
Just updated my cell phone from a Moto Droid Razr to a Moto Droid Ulta and took it out detecting with me today. My detector was going crazy. No repeatable signals. Digging fantoms. Finally thought that maybe it was the new phone so I shut the phone off and it cured the problem. Anyone else ever experience this? This might just be my excuse to upgrade. :D Love the phone so far but no way I can let it interfere with my detecting.
 
My oldest son had a BH QD at one time and I had a White's - and it seemed we had to hunt about a block apart to not interfere with each other! Might be something in/about that machines inner workings. I know he said the power lines really monkeyed with his Bounty Hunter. I think they are very sensitive to outside interference? Good machine for coins though.
 
I put my phone in my back pocket and that pretty much cures the interference problem until I get a text or take it out to check the time. The F2 seems to give the most problems from my phone , doesn't bother the Ace 250 at all . I have the iPhone 5.
 
I've read on this forum about some folks having similar issues with their mobile phones and Fisher F2's, I've not experienced any issues with my machines and my iPhone.
 
I have an F2 and I seem to have inter. issues with it sometimes as well. Has anyone ever heard of anyone picking up a cell conversation over their headphones? I was really curious about that.
 
reply

This subject has come up before on threads. I got "shot down" once for saying, as you did, that there IS interference. Either audible (within obvious range), or subtle (below audible, yet still affecting depth). Some answers I got was that I was mistaken, and that cell-phones do not at all operate on the same frequencies, etc.... Not sure of the technical arguments of all that, but here's my experience:

One day I was using a blue-tooth device for my cellphone. The bluetooth was underneath my earphone cup. As I was detecting, I got a phone call. I stopped to answer it. And since the little piece is inside by ear, inside the cup, I thought I could be crafty and continue to detect, WHILE I was talking to my wife on the phone. But I noticed something odd, as the call was going on: All my signals were ratty. As I was talking, I got one particular deeper signal that I wanted to investigate more (thought it might be a deeper turf coin). As I hung up the call, and proceeded to criss-cross over said-signal more, it cleaned up and sounded better.

I am not sure whether it was a) the blue-tooth, or b) the cellphone in-the-middle of a call. When I posed the question, someone made the comment that it wouldn't matter whether there was an actual call in progress OR if the phone was merely in stand-by mode. The reason is: cell-phones are always searching for towers. They are always sending out signals, right? Even if not in an actual call, right? Or does it become different once a call is connected?

And be aware that if there is some sort of cross-talk, it need not necessarily be audible. There is a long-big area of sub-audible, where maybe it's not present-enough to be heard by you, yet can be affecting your depth a little bit. An example of this is when two buddies separate themselves far enough away that their machines no longer cross-talk. HOWEVER, *just* because you're out of the audible range, doesn't mean the problem is totally gone. You need to continue to separate yourselves for a certain distance further, to get out of the in-audible range. I have seen this happen, where a buddy and I had separated ourselves out of audible range. And as I got an iffy signal (possible deep turf silver) that I flagged for him to check, I noticed something interesting. When I made hand -motions for him to come over to my end of the park, he instinctively turned off his machine when he began to walk over. And I noticed that the instant he turned off his machine, my flagged signal sounded clearer and more concise. This was EVEN THOUGH we had been out of audible cross-talk range prior to that. So this leads me to believe that there is a continuing in-audible interference range. Thus the same may be at play with our cell-phones ?
 
I'm glad to hear that I"m not the only one that has experienced this. I'll figure out a way to live with it until I get a different detector or another phone, whichever comes first.

I guess I could put it in "airplane mode" but that kind of defeats the purpose of me carrying it. I like for my wife and kids to be able to get ahold of me if they need to. They don't ever call or text just to chat when I"m detecting so if they do call it is usually something that needs my attention.
 
Has anyone ever heard of anyone picking up voices or actual cell conversations in their headphones? Maybe wireless headphones? Would that even be possible? I know there could be lots of variables at play but, could it be believable that it could happen? :?: Thanks :grin:
 
Took my F2 out for the first time today and almost went crazy. I'm hoping this is the reason. I had my iPhone in the front pocket of my hoodie. I only ended up digging one signal and all I found was an old clay septic line that showed up as a dime. There is a house built in 1911 and an old general store/post office from the late 1800's on the property. Hopefully if I turn the phone off I'll have better luck next time.
 
I was having a software glitch in my phone so I did a factory reset and what do you know. no more interference at all from my phone. I'm glad it helped because I really like the Droid Ultra.
 
with my frist cell phone i had no problem with the f2 since i traded to a diffrent cell my f2 says it doesn't like it so i just leave it in the van.
 
Airplane mode will fix the problem. Just remember you cant get calls, texts or updates while in airplane mode.
 
Wonder if some of the difference, would be whether the blue tooth or wifi was enabled?:?:

Otherwise I wouldn't think your phone wouldn't be sending or transmitting a signal of any type.

Just a guess.
 
Wonder if some of the difference, would be whether the blue tooth or wifi was enabled?:?:

Otherwise I wouldn't think your phone wouldn't be sending or transmitting a signal of any type.

Just a guess.

I made sure that wifi, bluetooth and GPS were disabled. Glad I got it figured out now
 
Back
Top Bottom