How can I shield my monitor from interference?

January 17, 2005 12:27 PM

EMFilter- I have my old classroom-style record player set up next to my computer monitor, which is causing mild screen jitters. Moving them farther apart is not an option, and I don't want to buy any prefab stuff. Are there any homebrew tinfoil-type solutions?
posted by The White Hat to Technology (4 answers total)

Well, not tin foil, but steel.

If you put a ferric (iron based) piece of metal between the offending device and the monitor, it should deflect/absorb/whatever enough of the magnetic fluctuation to stop the interference....
posted by fake at 12:32 PM on January 17, 2005

Find an old microwave or two in a junkyard and rip out the diffusion material (honeycomb or dotted shape). Solder together and wrap around inside the case.

Or try electrostatic discharge bags.
posted by omidius at 2:12 PM on January 17, 2005

Put the computer between the record player and monitor and see if that helps.

Otherwise, take the sides off the computer case and use them to extend the shielding a bit more. :-)

That's all the cheap ideas I had. I'm out of them now.
posted by shepd at 2:31 PM on January 17, 2005

If it is the magnetic field from the motor or transformer in the record player then the ferric shield between the two devices might work. A mere flat plate though may not suffice. See this discussion. The recommendation is to encase either the source or the affected device with the shield. This will also stop stray RF from affecting the monitor. If it were strictly an RF problem then any conductor would do for the shield. I suspect the problem is due to the magnet. Magnetic fields fall off sharply with distance, even a little more separation or maybe orienting the player with the motor and transformers further away from monitor may do it.
posted by caddis at 2:32 PM on January 17, 2005