Conference hydra::dejavu

1553.0. "mechanical problem, or have I become haunted ;-)" by DSSDEV::GRIFFIN (Throw the gnome at it) Thu Sep 26 1991 14:32

    For the past 3 days, I have been plagued by the following:
    
    (Monday night, my husband put my car radio on a country station)
    
    Tuesday morning, I turned on the car radio, heard the country music,
    and changed stations.  Got to work, turned off the radio, then turned
    off the car.  When I got out of work, I turned on the radio, it was on
    the country music station, and again changed it.  Since it only
    occurred once, and neither my husband nor any friends admitted to using
    the spare set of keys (which are at home) to change the station (it is
    digital and requires the car to be "on" to change) to pull a prank, I
    assumed that I dreamed the mornings activeties, and dismissed it.
     
    However, the next morning, the station was once again set to the
    country station.  Again, everyone denies having touched the dials.
    When I got to work, I turned off the radio and the car, then turned the
    car on again, and then the radio - still on the station I had selected.
    I didn't turn on the radio on my way home from work.  At home, I told
    my husband and a friend about the occurance (this is when they denied
    doing anything overnight), then started joking about using their minds
    to change the station (I've been talking about the topics in this
    notefile), and went so far as to place their forefingers on their
    temples, squinch up their eyes, and repeat the setting number for the
    radio station a few times, believing all the while that this would have
    no result.  Well, a half hour later, my husband and I went out to
    dinner (didn't turn on the radio on the way there, but did test it
    before shutting of the engine - still on the station I had set it to). 
    When we got out of the restaurant, we turned on the radio, only to find
    it was once again on the country station.  I know my husband didn't
    turn the dial to find the station, we tested all the buttons, but none
    are programmed for that station (thus ruling out accidentally hitting
    a button that automatically changed the station).  The only other
    person that was aware of the oddity occurring was at our house
    babysitting our son, and didn't know where to find the restaurant
    anyway (ruling out a continueing prank).
    
    Now, this didn't start happening until 1) my husband and the friend
    (who both like country) and I (who doesn't) started jokes about the
    quality of country music and any taste or lack thereof in liking or not
    liking it (and the fact that I think they are corrupting our son's
    taste in good music), and 2) my husband and the friend stumbled onto
    the station.
    
    For the life of me, I can't think of an electrical problem that would
    cause the radio to reset itself to a particular radio station (although
    I could imagine one exists that would cause the radio to change to
    random station numbers).
    
    Any ideas?
    
    Beth

    
    You have my heartfelt sympathy, Beth.  (;^)
    
    Cindy

    Beth,

    If you have electronic tuning (as do most modern car radios -- even
    some with knobs) then I could easily imagine faults that might result
    in this behavior.  You might check your battery, by the way, since one
    thing which might trigger the fault is low voltage in the standby
    circuit.

					Topher

    Topher,
    
    Since by your confidence I am assuming you know more about cars than I
    do, I'll take you word for it.
    
    Actually, I am aware of an electrical problem with my car (I am
    beginning to suspect a design flaw as I have had it in milder degrees
    since I owned the car) which affects ignition, firing, and the service
    engine soon light.  The best it has been described to me is that a
    particular wire is "loose, and touching the wrong parts", causing
    misfires and skipping.  Early in the life of the car, I think, it only
    manifested itself as a temporary lighting of the service engine soon
    light.
    
    I just thought it odd that it happens to reset to the country music
    station that was only just discovered by my husband.
    
    Given the seriousness of some of the topics lately, I had to throw this
    one in ;-)
    
    Thanks,
    Beth

    Beth,
    
    It is all in the electronic tuning. "NOTHING ELSE". It has happened to
    me before but to a different stations not to the same one. Electronic
    tuning changes depending on the strength of the radio waves.
    
    Rajee

         <<< Note 1553.0 by DSSDEV::GRIFFIN "Throw the gnome at it" >>>
             -< mechanical problem, or have I become haunted ;-) >-


Beth,

	Do you live in the Boston area?  If so, what is the frequency of 
the station?   I'd like to find a country station but have been unable to 
do so.

Ron

    Ron,
    
    The station is at 97.5.  I don't know where it is broadcast from, we're
    receiving it in Nashua, NH.
    
    Beth

    I'm with Toper on this one. Low voltage, bad ground returns and
    intermittent connections can give some really strange results. 

    I remember years ago when I worked for the Railways being called to a
    signal box by a frantic signalman. When I got there he was outside the
    box and refused to even enter it. He seemed to think that it was
    haunted. If any indicator or instrument in the box changed then every
    other one did as well, bell rang and lamps lit. I repaired the central
    ground connection which had corroded and the whole thing was fixed.

    I would get the car's electrical system thoroughly checked.

    Jamie.

    Okay, Okay - I only entered this for a little humor, not to start an
    avalanche.  Didn't I already admit I was aware of an electrical problem
    with the car, and that this is most likely another symptom of the
    cause?  Geez :-)
    
    Beth