SECTION I. INTERFERENCE
LEARNING EVENT 1: GENERAL
External interference consists of all external natural and manmade disturbances which interrupt or interfere with
the electrical or electronic properties of operation, maintenance, or testing, and which cause either improper
operation or indication, or diminished equipment performance.
LEARNING EVENT 2: ATMOSPHERIC
1. Atmospheric interference is caused by the many thunderstorms that occur over the surface of the Earth. In
ordinary communications equipment, this interference appears as noise, a constant background rumble with
loud crashes occurring at irregular intervals. The noise may not be heard at all times, but it is always present in
receivers and may be a source of an unidentifiable interference problem.
2. Lightning produces electromagnetic waves which are scattered in all directions. These waves are received
locally as overriding volume crashes. In addition, the waves can be transmitted to distant antennas because
these waves can be reflected and refracted from the ionosphere at such an angle as to be directed to the distant
receiving antennas.
LEARNING EVENT 3: CELESTIAL
1. Cosmic noise is a continuous noise received from other galaxies. This noise is probably caused by magnetic
storms resulting from the thermonuclear reactions continuously occurring on the suns of these distant galaxies.
This noise is not particularly directional because the transmitting galaxies completely surround our own galaxy.
2. The noises received from within our own galaxy are called galactic noise and are normally directional
because they originate from definite traceable sources. Again, this is a type of noise that is comparatively
constant.
3. Noise received from the stars within our own galaxy is highly directional and normally possesses a greater
amplitude than cosmic interfering signals.
4. The noise received as a result of the thermonuclear reactions occurring on the sun is the greatest source of
noise existing outside the sphere of our own planet. During periods of sunspot activity, this highly directional
source will vary as the Earth rotates and maximum interference will result when the receiving antenna is
directed toward the sun. This solar noise has the greatest effect in the Arctic Zone and the least effect in the
Torrid Zone.
SS0031
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