Solved re: a problem with a wireless keyboard

[reble]

re: a problem with a wireless keyboard

This is a HP Presario C700 laptop, OS Win7 Home 32bit. I got the wireless keyboard/mouse because of problems the cursor doing random jumps while I type and random numbers and letters been placed were they don't belong. like a ghost had control of the laptop. Tonight I was typing a new post on the wireless keyboard. Part of the sentence was "when the swr/power meter". When l looked up I had "when the swr/poweeeeeeeeeeeeeermeter" When I tried to use the backspace key to clean up the mess. The backspace button came up but the backspace was still erasing everything that I typed. I had to restart the post again. What gives?

Steve

 

[rubyrubyroo]

Greetings reble!

Hello, Steve, and welcome for SevenForums.com! We would love to help you!

Just to clarify a few points for me and others if you don't mind:

1. How long has this problem been going on, and when did it start? Does this coincide with any other software you have installed? Updates? Anything else? And was the system working fine previously?
2. The wireless keyboard (USB I assume) is acting pretty much exactly the same way the built-in on-board keyboard is, am I right?
3. By "like a ghost had control of the laptop", you mean exclusively when you're using it, not when you're away, correct?
4. Are certain letters acting this way more often than others, like the "e" in your example?
5. Might "Sticky Keys" be active? Are you aware of what I'm talking about?
6. Have you tried to type in command prompt by pressing the (Start) button and typing "cmd.exe" without the quotes, and then try typing for a little while in the command prompt environment? Does the problem persist under this window in the same way?
7. You might want to try the onscreen keyboard to rule out a few possibilities. To try this press the (start) button and type "osk.exe" without the quotes.
8. What type of anti-malware protection do you use?

There IS an integrated circuit (IC) that translates/controls/decodes the keyboard's serial output which can affect the keyboard(s) if it is faulty. It might behoove you to try another keyboard on the off chance it's a coincidence, however unlikely. Especially if your keyboard is new and returnable/exchangeable!

Have you tried cleaning the keyboards? A bottle of canned air can work miracles many times, especially if you notice certain keys doing it more often than others.

Also if keys like control or alt are problematic it can cause weird jumps and other seemingly strange actions when you're typing.

Try using a different program if you usually use a particular program to type things up. And I'm assuming you've tried restarting the computer!

Let us know what you can.

Thanks for your post!
Mike

 

[reble]

re: a problem with a wireless keyboard

1. I got the wireless keyboard/mouse on Oct 1st. 1. because of were the sound in/out jacks are placed. Right under were my left hand rests when using the left hand CTRL and ALT keys and so on are. 2. that corner of the laptop was heating up. It was getting rather uncomfortable. The heat problem was making the laptop do (there is that sticky key bit again fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffnny, and sometimes I have to bang on a key to make it register) funny things. I solved the heat problem with 2 things. A small exhaust fan attached on the laptops air exhaust port and a cooling pad with fans under the laptop 3. certain game key cmd's weren't working on the built in keyboard because of the number pad that is inbeded in the built in keyboard.

2. At 1st the wireless keyboard was fine. No problems. Then it started doing the samething as the internal keyboard.

3. About the ghost hand bit. Mostly when I am using the keyboard. It will do it sometimes when I bump the table just right.

4. Yes certain letters act this way more often than others.

5. I haven't checked the "Sticky Keys" control. I know of it but I haven't messed with it in a while and I don't remember were it is.

6. No I haven't seen the problem in the command prompt environment. Sometimes I have to use the command prompt to change control settings in the SDR radio dongles that I have.

7. No problems with the on screen keyboard.

8. No anti-malware protection installed. I do have Zone Alarm anti virus/firewall installed

Hello, Steve, and welcome for SevenForums.com! We would love to help you!

Just to clarify a few points for me and others if you don't mind:

1. How long has this problem been going on, and when did it start? Does this coincide with any other software you have installed? Updates? Anything else? And was the system working fine previously?
2. The wireless keyboard (USB I assume) is acting pretty much exactly the same way the built-in on-board keyboard is, am I right?
3. By "like a ghost had control of the laptop", you mean exclusively when you're using it, not when you're away, correct?
4. Are certain letters acting this way more often than others, like the "e" in your example?
5. Might "Sticky Keys" be active? Are you aware of what I'm talking about?
6. Have you tried to type in command prompt by pressing the (Start) button and typing "cmd.exe" without the quotes, and then try typing for a little while in the command prompt environment? Does the problem persist under this window in the same way?
7. You might want to try the onscreen keyboard to rule out a few possibilities. To try this press the (start) button and type "osk.exe" without the quotes.
8. What type of anti-malware protection do you use?

There IS an integrated circuit (IC) that translates/controls/decodes the keyboard's serial output which can affect the keyboard(s) if it is faulty. It might behoove you to try another keyboard on the off chance it's a coincidence, however unlikely. Especially if your keyboard is new and returnable/exchangeable!

Have you tried cleaning the keyboards? A bottle of canned air can work miracles many times, especially if you notice certain keys doing it more often than others.

Also if keys like control or alt are problematic it can cause weird jumps and other seemingly strange actions when you're typing.

Try using a different program if you usually use a particular program to type things up. And I'm assuming you've tried restarting the computer!

Let us know what you can.

Thanks for your post!
Mike

 

[rubyrubyroo]

Thank you very much for your detailed responses, reble!!

If you have access to another keyboard (friend's or whatever) I would try to rule out the possibility of a coincidence. It's unlikely, but the alternative is not “kwite*” as simple and carries no guarantees!

Also might prove beneficial to test the new wireless on another computer and see if the problem is reproducible there - if so, this would definitely prove that the problem is at least IN PART due to that keyboard.

I would also recommend trying to check the keys for debris or any damage to the key/pad itself.

These seem like they would be unlikely solutions given the results you provided though. But again much easier than your other options.

You also might want to see if the problem completely goes away if you try booting from another OS like Ubuntu, where you DON'T actually need to install the OS (it's a linex-based OS), but rather boot the OS directly from the CD/DVD. If there is absolutely no problems there then you could rule out any hardware for the most part!

Beyond that, assuming the system is not still under warranty, you may need to replace the keyboard...and cross your finders it's not the MOBO. The external keyboard COULD actually have the same issue because of either the keyboard or the integrated circuit chip that interprets the serial communication from the keyboard's encoded data output.

Have you had any spills on the keyboard? I actually spilled some wine on my wireless keyboard the night after I replied to you and now I can't type the letter to the left of "w" (*) and a few keys stick occasionally too now. If this happened and it hasn't been too long, it's possible to clean the contacts, but it you just bought the wireless keyboard, return it or exchange it if possible!

Let me know, I'm glad to help you through any part of what I've described above or answer any further kw-uestions you might have!

Mike

 

[reble]

re: a problem with a wireless keyboard

Today I exchanged the wireless keyboard/mouse at Biglots for a new one. So far there hasn't been a lick of trouble other then my own bone head typing errors like hitting 2 keys at 1 time. I guess only time will tell whether or not the problem is cured.

Thank you very much for your detailed responses, reble!!

If you have access to another keyboard (friend's or whatever) I would try to rule out the possibility of a coincidence. It's unlikely, but the alternative is not “kwite*” as simple and carries no guarantees!

Also might prove beneficial to test the new wireless on another computer and see if the problem is reproducible there - if so, this would definitely prove that the problem is at least IN PART due to that keyboard.

I would also recommend trying to check the keys for debris or any damage to the key/pad itself.

These seem like they would be unlikely solutions given the results you provided though. But again much easier than your other options.

You also might want to see if the problem completely goes away if you try booting from another OS like Ubuntu, where you DON'T actually need to install the OS (it's a linex-based OS), but rather boot the OS directly from the CD/DVD. If there is absolutely no problems there then you could rule out any hardware for the most part!

Beyond that, assuming the system is not still under warranty, you may need to replace the keyboard...and cross your finders it's not the MOBO. The external keyboard COULD actually have the same issue because of either the keyboard or the integrated circuit chip that interprets the serial communication from the keyboard's encoded data output.

Have you had any spills on the keyboard? I actually spilled some wine on my wireless keyboard the night after I replied to you and now I can't type the letter to the left of "w" (*) and a few keys stick occasionally too now. If this happened and it hasn't been too long, it's possible to clean the contacts, but it you just bought the wireless keyboard, return it or exchange it if possible!

Let me know, I'm glad to help you through any part of what I've described above or answer any further kw-uestions you might have!

Mike

 

[cyclops]

reble, always keep in mind when buying from Biglots that most of the stuff they sell is straight out of a train wreck or truck crash.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

reble,
Glad to hear the replacement keyboard is responding better. I'm a huge fan of Logitech wireless keyboards and mice. A premium keyboard will greatly enhance speed, accuracy and overall pleasure. I'm using wireless illuminated Logitech model K800's (3) and then I have a solar powered non illuminated and a crazy great usb wired illuminated board. All are quiet and the back light is worth hundreds when typing in the dark as I'm doing at the moment.

 

[reble]

Yes Cyclops I know. But I only had $23. and change to get one. With all my monthly bills and having to get a good used tranny for my minivan now. I couldn't justify a higher priced one at let's say Best Buy. I am just thanking God that the tranny blew out only a few blocks from home. Only a week before the trip that we had table reservations for at the Amateur Radio swap meet in Spokane, Wa. About a 3 hour drive 1 way. I still have a garage full of all kinds of radio gear and parts to be sold. I was making the rounds of the local yard sales. You never know what kinds of treasures that one might find.

 

[reble]

re: a problem with a wireless keyboard

This is a IHome wireless keyboard/mouse. I 2 like Logitech better. But I have to make do with what I can afford right now.

reble,
Glad to hear the replacement keyboard is responding better. I'm a huge fan of Logitech wireless keyboards and mice. A premium keyboard will greatly enhance speed, accuracy and overall pleasure. I'm using wireless illuminated Logitech model K800's (3) and then I have a solar powered non illuminated and a crazy great usb wired illuminated board. All are quiet and the back light is worth hundreds when typing in the dark as I'm doing at the moment.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Totally understand !

 

[reble]

Though having the wireless keyboard and mouse solve 1 problem I had with the MSDOS game Bio Menace. With it's cheats. Part of the code requires to hold down M+J+I+spacebar to turn the debug mode on. With the inbeded number pad built into the internal keyboard. The code just won't work. And it won't work on any laptop with a built in number pad.

 

[reble]

1 question that still puzzles me about this IHome wireless mouse/keyboard set. When the mouse has sat, not having been moved for about 5 minutes or more. When I come back the mouse pointer will not move unless I ether pick up the wireless mouse and bang it on the desk or hit the right mouse button. Then the mouse is back to normal. I found this to be the same on the other keyboard/mouse that I returned to the store today. It is not even an annoyance. I was just wondering why it does it. I have never ran across this in ether a wireless or a wired mouse before. In the past the mouse ether worked or didn't work period.

 

[rubyrubyroo]

Wonderful!

Today I exchanged the wireless keyboard/mouse at Biglots for a new one. So far there hasn't been a lick of trouble other then my own bone head typing errors like hitting 2 keys at 1 time. I guess only time will tell whether or not the problem is cured.

Great to hear the news, reble! It can happen anytime, even with top-of-the-line brand-name hardware. I actually bought two identical wireless Logitech keyboard/mouse combos about a month ago, from Best Buy, and they were far from being worthy of the store's name to say the least! Both came with serious problems (one came with Duracell alkaline batteries that had leaked all over the keyboard and the other had poor reception & the number-pad didn't have working keys, with the odd exception of the [num-lock] key!)

reble,Glad to hear the replacement keyboard is responding better. I'm a huge fan of Logitech wireless keyboards and mice. A premium keyboard will greatly enhance speed, accuracy and overall pleasure. I'm using wireless illuminated Logitech model K800's (3) and then I have a solar powered non illuminated and a crazy great usb wired illuminated board. All are quiet and the back light is worth hundreds when typing in the dark as I'm doing at the moment.

I just invest in light bulbs! >:tip::tip:< Problem solved! :sarc:

But I do agree that Logitech is the way to go. Never buy Microsoft wireless anythings! I can't even think of one good thing to say about their related products! HP has some decent quality (and inexpensive) combos that work well. But for the price, quality and overall rugged longevity, Logitech is where I turn. For an extra $10-$15 you can upgrade to get a mini-sized keyboard or one with the much more pleasant tactile responsive keys (they are the really short looking keys.) They'll spoil you though, and you'll never be able to use a normal keyboard again!

Yes Cyclops I know. But I only had $23. and change to get one. With all my monthly bills and having to get a good used tranny for my minivan now. I couldn't justify a higher priced one at let's say Best Buy. I am just thanking God that the tranny blew out only a few blocks from home. Only a week before the trip that we had table reservations for at the Amateur Radio swap meet in Spokane, Wa. About a 3 hour drive 1 way. I still have a garage full of all kinds of radio gear and parts to be sold. I was making the rounds of the local yard sales. You never know what kinds of treasures that one might find.

$23 might be ALMOST be enough to buy an excellent, albeit basic, Logitech wireless key/mouse combo at Best Buy, ESPECIALLY if you happen across a sale. The low end in that market is usually about $29.99 - but it varies by region of course.

BTW: reble, what's "Amateur Radio"? Vacuum tube-type circuits/amplifiers? Just curious because I have a lot of collectible old tubes and transformers and such, and I'm looking to trade some of the decent stuff for some practical knowledge, i.e. two-way communication/assistance on building a decent guitar and/or bass amp. Don't know what you do, but if that is along the lines of something you can do, lemme know.

This is a IHome wireless keyboard/mouse. I 2 like Logitech better. But I have to make do with what I can afford right now.

That's totally understandable!

Totally understand !

Hey now, linnemeyerhere! Are you mocking me? j/k!

Though having the wireless keyboard and mouse solve 1 problem I had with the MSDOS game Bio Menace. With it's cheats. Part of the code requires to hold down M+J+I+spacebar to turn the debug mode on. With the inbeded number pad built into the internal keyboard. The code just won't work. And it won't work on any laptop with a built in number pad.

Just to be clear, that sounds like a totally unrelated issue. Nothing is necessarily "wrong" per se, assuming I'm understanding you correctly at least. Maybe explain this a bit more clearly for me. Your have to hold down four keys, but where does the whole number-pad part come into play? Explain it a little more to me like I'm not actually there with you and I’m not able to access your conscious thought processes, if you would! Does (num-lock) have anything to do with it possibly? I know it's going to be hard to get four keys in a "internal circuit" row to work simultaneously in most scenarios. But I don't think that the four you mentioned should be ALL in the same row (or column actually describes it better.) Just try to explain what you're asking as if I'm not very swift, don't haze over any of the details if possible.

1 question that still puzzles me about this IHome wireless mouse/keyboard set. When the mouse has sat, not having been moved for about 5 minutes or more. When I come back the mouse pointer will not move unless I ether pick up the wireless mouse and bang it on the desk or hit the right mouse button. Then the mouse is back to normal. I found this to be the same on the other keyboard/mouse that I returned to the store today. It is not even an annoyance. I was just wondering why it does it. I have never ran across this in ether a wireless or a wired mouse before. In the past the mouse ether worked or didn't work period.

Yeah, some of them will act like that (Logitech wouldn't do that to ya' :sarc! Some/most mice will go to "sleep" to save battery, so you don have to replace them every week! But the wake mechanism could be a soft (but full) connection between the contacts in the mouse button(s) OR some very low-power light emitter/collector pair under the mouse (possibly even a passive light sensor) There's not much you can do about that part other than just to get into the habit of just left-clicking ONCE every time you first sit down?! Unfortionately, it's the simpe fact that you've purchased a model/design that you don't like, so we're back to: you get what you pay for, usually less! Maybe save up for a $30-$35 combo in the future sometime and in the mean time at least you have a much better working piece of H/W then you did before you started at least!

Thanks for your responses!

Mike


(Don't forget to mark the problem "solved" when it's solved!)

 

[reble]

re: a problem with a wireless keyboard

This wireless keyboard is having issues also now. Sometimes when I press on the letter (N) it doesn't register on the screen. I have to hit it again. The same thing with the (F7) key. I guess I will just have to live with with it until I can afford a higher priced one like a Logitech one. Logitech brand stuff has served me well over the years. Even used Logitech stuff from the thrift store. Granted sometimes I have to take the item apart at home and clean the contacts because something got spilled on it. A bit of ether rubbing alcohol or electronic contact cleaner and cotton swab's do wounder's. I have found many a nice flat screen plasma tv sitting by the dumpster because something got dumped on ether the tv or the remote or both. I bring it home, clean it up and resell it. In the whole Tri-cities area there is only 1 tv, dvd, vcr and computer monitor repair shop. And that guy is barely hanging on by his eye teeth. People just don't get things fixed anymore.

Today I exchanged the wireless keyboard/mouse at Biglots for a new one. So far there hasn't been a lick of trouble other then my own bone head typing errors like hitting 2 keys at 1 time. I guess only time will tell whether or not the problem is cured.

Great to hear the news, reble! It can happen anytime, even with top-of-the-line brand-name hardware. I actually bought two identical wireless Logitech keyboard/mouse combos about a month ago, from Best Buy, and they were far from being worthy of the store's name to say the least! Both came with serious problems (one came with Duracell alkaline batteries that had leaked all over the keyboard and the other had poor reception & the number-pad didn't have working keys, with the odd exception of the [num-lock] key!)




(Don't forget to mark the problem "solved" when it's solved!)

 

[rubyrubyroo]

This wireless keyboard is having issues also now. Sometimes when I press on the letter (N) it doesn't register on the screen. I have to hit it again. The same thing with the (F7) key. I guess I will just have to live with with it until I can afford a higher priced one like a Logitech one.

I’m sorry to hear that, reble! ​

Now it's starting to sound like it's a real "lemon" model of keyboard/mouse combo (even more so then I thought before), or maybe the keys are getting too much abuse from the game-play for that "weak" brand of product maybe?

This is your only computer? You could test it on a desktop or someone else’s laptop and see if it has a REPEATABLE PROBLEM. That is the key to figuring out what is going on really. You need to be able to find something that is constant, ideally " key NEVER works" then we can easily diagnose. Even like you say two or three keys are almost always the culprits... If you can try the keyboard and mouse long enough on another computer and the same results occur then we can say with a relative high-degree of certainty that it's the physical hardware that's malfunctioning. And I would return it if that was the case and try again or demand some form of repayment since their products seems like they have been pulled out of the ocean or something!

If it is fine n another system (try really hard for the same version of windows on the other system, i.e. Windows 7) then it's something in your laptop, be it software or hardware.

Can you do that? Any friend's or school's computer will do to test it. Give it sufficient time and usage that caused the problems on your laptop though. Wha'da'ya think?

Mike

 

[reble]

re: a problem with a wireless keyboard

I already tried this wireless keyboard/mouse on my roomates laptop (my old GateWay laptop os Win7 home 32bit). The same problems with the (N) and (F7) keys and the mouse are still there. I will just have to live with it until I can afford to buy a better one at Best Buy. The problems with this wireless keyboard are minor and I can work around it. It saves beating up the head phone jack on the laptop with the palm of my left hand when using the CTRL and ALT keys on the internal keyboard because of the location of the jack on the front left corner of the laptop. This laptop is a very poor design. The sound jacks should be in the middle front or on ether side. And the 2 right side USB ports should be behind the optical drive so the cords don't get in the way of the optical drive door. And I also had to put extra external Cooling devices on this laptop to keep it from over heating. When I replace the laptop I intend to look more closely at the layout and not so much at how cheap it is. By the way for info wise. The over heating I think is coming from the 500gig hard drive I put in it. It had a 250gig hard drive in it. I salvaged the 500gig hd from a broken laptop that I found. But I am not 100% sure.

This wireless keyboard is having issues also now. Sometimes when I press on the letter (N) it doesn't register on the screen. I have to hit it again. The same thing with the (F7) key. I guess I will just have to live with with it until I can afford a higher priced one like a Logitech one.

I’m sorry to hear that, reble! ​

Now it's starting to sound like it's a real "lemon" model of keyboard/mouse combo (even more so then I thought before), or maybe the keys are getting too much abuse from the game-play for that "weak" brand of product maybe?

This is your only computer? You could test it on a desktop or someone else’s laptop and see if it has a REPEATABLE PROBLEM. That is the key to figuring out what is going on really. You need to be able to find something that is constant, ideally " key NEVER works" then we can easily diagnose. Even like you say two or three keys are almost always the culprits... If you can try the keyboard and mouse long enough on another computer and the same results occur then we can say with a relative high-degree of certainty that it's the physical hardware that's malfunctioning. And I would return it if that was the case and try again or demand some form of repayment since their products seems like they have been pulled out of the ocean or something!

If it is fine n another system (try really hard for the same version of windows on the other system, i.e. Windows 7) then it's something in your laptop, be it software or hardware.

Can you do that? Any friend's or school's computer will do to test it. Give it sufficient time and usage that caused the problems on your laptop though. Wha'da'ya think?

Mike

 

[rubyrubyroo]

Hello again, reble!

More than likely the overheating is due to graphics processor, since you're clearly playing a lot of games. Probably not the HDD, but I can't rule it out completely. Also a HUGE issue with laptops is that they get clogged with dust and hair and whatnot. They really need to be at minimum flushed out REALLY good with a whole bottle of canned air once every other month maybe if you use it a moderate amount. Air flow is very tight in a skinny laptop compared to a desktop chassis! If your good with computers, you should actually open it up and blow it out a few times a year too and make sure all the fans running smoothly.

Unfortunately, most laptops don't have the ability to upgrade the graphics card like a desktop does, hence brands like Alien-ware that make powerful graphics processors and some can even be upgraded! But new, that's big bucks!

I guess you can't exchange this combo for another chance at spinning the wheel of abandoned hardware junk!?

But yea, it definitely sounds like the keyboard is the problem. You for replying with the feedback to your problem. Don’t forget to check solved if you have gotten all that you can in the way of answers! And , let us know about any other problems you have. You can always offer others help here if you know your way around a computer a litle bit too!

Thanks and I wish you well!
Mike

 

[reble]

What I did to solve the over heating problem is I got the 2 following things from Ebay USB LED Light 2 Fan 9" 17" Laptop Notebook Cooling Pad Adjustable Stand Cooler | eBay and Mini Adjustable USB Cooler Air Cooling Pad Fan for PC Laptop Notebook MacBook | eBay . The 2nd item, the little fan attaches to the laptops air exhaust port and pulls the hot air out. When I put my hand over the fan I feel a lot of hot air coming out. The 1st item is a laptop stand with a fan blowing air in from the underside. It is doing the job very well. The laptop was acting funkey after it warmed up. This is a cure for ppl that don't have the skills to open up the laptop and blow it out. This one was blowen out and still over heats. So I had to get the fans so the laptop doesn't cook it self. If I had the room I wouldn't be using a laptop for my primary computer. I would have a custom built tower. As it stands I can't run the game Trainz simulator in this laptop. The game doesn't like the built in video card. And as you know the video card on a laptop can't be changed.

 

[reble]

To rubyrubyroo . I missed the following line that you type until just now "Quote BTW: reble, what's "Amateur Radio"? Vacuum tube-type circuits/amplifiers? Just curious because I have a lot of collectible old tubes and transformers and such, and I'm looking to trade some of the decent stuff for some practical knowledge, i.e. two-way communication/assistance on building a decent guitar and/or bass amp. Don't know what you do, but if that is along the lines of something you can do, lemme know." Rubyrubyroo Read this about Amateur Radio What is Amateur Radio? It does a better job then I could at telling the story. As far as building a guitar amp I can do it. I have an AA degree in 2 way radio, tv and vcr repair. I can take apart computers and replace parts, blow out dust, replace boards and I am fairly good at fixing windows problems. But my computer knowledge isn't up to date. I officially retired in 1998 from fixing things because I couldn't hold the soldering iron still anymore. micro tremors in my hands. I was messing up to many printed circuit boards with to much heat and solder bridges. Some days I can't even sign my name and make it readable. As far as building a guitar amp. Buy the time you got done paying out money for a good person that can properly design an amp. You could have gotten a good new high end price amp. There is a lot that goes into designing a good guitar amp. like grounding ac hum, no ground loop hums and getting the highest possible gain without going over the top of the linear slope of the tube or transistor. If you go over the top of the slope the tube or transistor starts flat topping and make all kinds of noise and burns out. Thats what happens to cb operators when they crank up the transmit bios voltage to get a few more watts of transmit power. Anyways if you want to send the tubes and parts my way I can still make use of them to fix old radios. Have a young friend (in his 20s) that I an teach him to fix radios. He is going to school for electronics and gets practical hands on experience in my work shop at home.

 

[cyclops]

Hey reble, do you have radios and amps turned on near your computer rig? I am wondering if RF might be messing with the wireless keyboard and receiver. I used to run a 750 watt linear with a SSB/CB and it would bleed into my house phones, stereo, television and baby monitor. Long ago if I keyed up the mic at a red light I'd get the light to change. RF can do some crazy stuff to other devices.

By the way, what is an antique analog swr meter and an old Cobra 29 worth?