[RFI] Non-transmitting tower causes RFI/EMI?

[Rick and Theresa Low]

Many thanks to K8MR, K5QQ, N6KI, K3LR, K7HP and others. You backed up what I believe, that the tower is not the "real" cause of the false alarms.

- yes, it is an emotional issue for my neighbors. I've provided all the ARRL RFI/neighbor material and spoken with them in person, to no avail. Scientific logic is not their mainstream thought. In my opinion, solving the RFI is only a subset of their ultimate goal of making the tower go away.
- My neighbors have been reluctant to allow me to come into their house (my neighborhood is all 1/4 to 1/3 acre lots). However on the two occasions that I was afforded access I was able to install clamp-on ferrites to their stereo system. They also claim occasional picture dropouts and momentary gaps in audio from their TV (also when I'm not transmitting) and have refused to let me install a high-pass filter to see if it improves their situation.
- Yes, I have loaned my AC-powered, different manufacturer, CO detector with a request that they use it for a couple of weeks to see if they still get false alarms. It was returned after only three days with the statement that there were no false alarms, but what I had loaned them wasn't adequate (it didn't detect explosive gases, which they claim the Kidde company has told them it should).
- My best assessment is that the false alarms are in fact being caused by transient energy being coupled into the detectors via their AC supply, which is integral to the units. I am crafting a letter to the Kidde company to get them to respond in writing with suggestions, as well as back up their claims about their detector.

Again, thanks for the responses! 73 Rick N6CY