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How to Build a Clear Computer Case
Mikey LeBeau writes "Geeknews has a story right now on how to build a clear computer case, and just looking at the pictures, I'm quite impressed. Anyone up for mass-marketing these suckers? "
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That yeong-yang case wholesales for $230, retail is closer to $300. When i asked them how it's worth even half that, they stopped talking.
- Eric
This is just like television, only you can see much further.
That all depends on what kind of a radio it is and what kind of licenses he does or doesn't have.
If he's using a stock CB radio - that is, 4 watts deadkey / 7 watts peak, the police can call it a domestic disturbance and tell him to knock it off.
This is just like television, only you can see much further.
I believe there are conductive transparent plastics or films that may work for shielding transparent cases, so please do some research.
(I hit a wrong key or something, this submitted once already before i was finished)
That all depends on what kind of a radio it is and what kind of licenses he does or doesn't have.
He is being pretty rude, and ought to buy a low-pass filter. Maybe you should buy one for him?
If he's using a stock CB radio - that is, 4 watts deadkey / 7 watts peak, the police can call it a domestic disturbance and tell him to knock it off. But they can't take away his radio.
If he is using an outlawed CB or 10 meter ham equipment mofidied to use the 11 meter range (the CB range), he is breaking the law. Unfortunately, the FCC is brutally underfunded, and in 1997 couldn't even get funding to write letters to manufacturers expressing concern over the illegal uses of things like 10 meter linear amplifiers that work just as well on 11 meter. Again, the police can treat this as a domestic disturbance. Unfortunately, only a federal marshall can legally take away his radio. (Tho the cops may do it anyway)
If he is a licensed ham using ham radio equipment that is broadcasting on bands his license doesn't allow, or is transmitting with greater power than his license allows, the FCC won't be happy about it. Your local FCC rep might come out and order him to turn over or destroy his transmitter.
If he is a licensed ham using ham radio equipment that is within the allowable ranges of his license, the police can treat it as a domestic disturbance, but other than annoying you he is breaking no laws.
Most people don't take the time to read the definition of a class B device. A "Class B" electronic device is required to accept any interference caused by other devices. To put that another way, if your neighbor is using legally licensed amateur bands and your TV is picking up his signal, it's *your* fault. He's being a bad neighbor, but it's your fault that your tv is picking up his perfectly legal transmission.
So, you've got a few options.
(1) Offer to buy him a "low pass filter" - anyone who works at a radio equipment store will know exactly what you mean if you ask them for one. it may cost as much as $20, more if he's running a heck of a lot of power out the back of his radio. he puts this in-line on his coax before it reaches the antenna. I would not recommend going to RadioShack for this. Try looking through the yellow pages for a business that sells or leases business radio or ham equipment. A low-pass filter tries to clean out the ranges of transmission that will interfere with A/V equipment. It shouldn't interfere with his fun.
(2) Call the police and have them treat it as a domestic disturbance. They'll come over and give him a talking to, maybe scare him a little. If he's got illegal radio equipment, the most they can legally do is tell the FCC. Some cops will take it away anyway on the chance that the person in question knows it's illegal and won't complain to the feds.
(3) Buy some high-pass filters to put on your tv and stereo to filter out his transmissions. This might not work, if, like you say, anything with a speaker repeats his voice.
(4) Stick a pin through his coax. This will make his radio's finals explode the next time he tries to transmit. This is, of course, destruction of personal property, 100% illegal, and I don't condone it. But some people can be real pricks, and the other three might not work.
Overall, don't assume that he's doing it maliciously. He might not know that he's causing you a problem. He may have some high-pass filters for you to install on your TV and stereo. Maybe he has a low-pass filter that's simply stopped working and he doesn't realize it.
Ham's are generally gregarious people who like to share their hobby with anyone who's interested, much like any other class of geek.
This is just like television, only you can see much further.
It looks neat, but isn't one of the points of metal cases to block radio interference? It strikes me that plexiglass (or is it transparent aluminum?) cases would not work properly.
IANAP, though, so I could be way off.
The other problem is that everyone would see how messy the inside of my case is. It get embarrassed when I have to go into it when people are around.
-awc
That's entirely true, but if someone in your neighborhood is doing something to antagonize you, that's a domestic disturbance. So, like i said, the police can come over and say "Knock it off" -- same as if you let your dog out at night to bark at the sky. But they can't do anything about the radio itself.
Of course, you would have to show that you'd exausted your other options and that the person in question didn't care that he was causing you problems.
This is just like television, only you can see much further.
Just don't over do it. Remember that convection cooling comes from air-FLOW -- think "wind chill factor". Creating a vacuum in your case reduces the amount of air available to transfer the excess heat to.
Just moving the air around inside your case doesn't do any good, you have to move air _through_ your case.
"Grab them by the pussy" -- President of the United States of America
If he's actually transmitting enough power to cause you to hear it with the amp turned off, he's most likely operating outside of FCC rules. Talk to your neighbor first, he may not realize it's happening.
If one wants to pay a lot of money for a black system, they can always call IBM.
--
Business. Numbers. Money. People. Computer World.
As a historical note, there were demo clear case Apple ][s and Macintoshes, and if you really look, there were probably 'clear case' IBM mainframes, washing machines, and automobiles going way back. Don't believe the hype.
--
Business. Numbers. Money. People. Computer World.
I tend to leave all my cases on nowdays. I didn't when I was running DOS/Windows though for some reason. Ever since I switched to GNU/Linux, I just stick the computer somewhere out of sight and forget about it.