While communicating with some operators, I developed a sense that some of us might be
confused when we speak of "interference" and "interference"....
We might be using "interference" as 'a disturber or noise that degrades communication or data, or a system's operation'.
But we might also simply be referring to "a system going into 'interference' ".
System
RED (and BLUE will likely operate in a similar manner) will go into one of two types of "Interference Modes" from time to time. "
Burst" or "
Normal"
The System is
designed this way, generally,
1. Because nearby active cells produce so many signals, so rapidly, that they cannot normally be recognized separately... and matter of fact, one "paradigm" of the developers might be phrased as "detected signals <30km are generally useless to the network" with the current design, anyway.
So when you go interference because of nearby storms.... accept it, let 'er ride, and let the network do its net work.
2. Unless you have a perfect location, sporadic 'disturbers' such as an arcing power line, may produce conditional interference that swamps the controller similar to nearby cells, such are useless anyway. But they're sporadic, and when they cease, you'll come out of interference.
3. Repeating, identical, signals that might be caused by someone standing nearby with walkie-talkie, burst of repeating power line noise... weird stuff.
Now, while Interference Modes can be triggered by non-lightning signals, it is based on the "number of signals sent" within certain time frames.
Except for the limited 'repetition and recurring' algorithms for "Burst Mode",
it has no recognition of "types of signals" and doesn't care.Interference mode can be activated due to signals on all channels, or one single channel, or a combination if you're running 5 channels including both H and E field.
It also is one 'controller parameter' that is monitored over time and varied by the server/controller! In other words, the server/controller can lower or raise those limits depending on what it sees from your station!
You only have "indirect control' of this response: your operating mode, gains and thresholds, etc.
The 'basic' purpose is to avoid sending "too many signals" or "EM noise pulses" from your station.
These "interference parameters" operate no matter what mode you're in -Auto or Manual: If you look at your 'status' page when you access your controller web interface, down under "
other parameters', you see something like this:
Interference Mode•
Burst When >
80sig/s in
3s average. Disable when
50% below threshold
•
Normal When >
70sig/s in
60s average. Disable when
30% below threshold
...and if too many signals are actually sent under certain conditions,
that will 'back that down' to, for e.g.
30sig and
15sigs.... until
you can come out of interference, and the limits will rise again after some period of time.
So if over "some period of time" you've averaged over 70sigs/minute, you'll go into "Normal" interference, and stay there until it drops below 70sigs average.... which can be a long time... especially if the /controller has lowered the max limit temporarily for your controller to
15...! And if you are in Auto mode it could take even longer under certain conditions, as the controller may continuously cycle on and off and in and out of the mode.
For Burst mode... (short periods of repeating signals) it'll come out of interference much quicker.. a few seconds). It can be longer, again, if your limits have been temporarily lowered...
Remembering that you have only indirect control over 'Interference Mode" ... each channel's 'gain and threshold' settings.
If you're in "Automatic" mode, you have no access to your gains and threshold settings. Unless you desire to wait until the sources vanish on their own, you'll have to return to "Manual" mode, and
reapply gain/thresholds settings under each specific amp, (the actual gains /thresholds have been set by "Auto", and they are NOT visible under the AMP settings... that shows you
your settings so you must hit
apply to reset the "Auto" parameter.
It follows, then, that if H channel A is the one causing the interference, you could back down channel A to 'just under noise trigger level, it will now come out of interference, and channel B continues its merry way, and A now is of some use also.
You can take it from here.
(This is duplicated at http://sferics.us/bo1/index.php?topic=130.0 for cross searching )