Cellphone in lab

[tkamiya]

It is technically NOT a meteology question but related....

I usually do not take my cell phone into my lab as it is known to interfere with some of my measurements.  I understand this is a common practice.  Then I end up missing calls.  Does anyone know a device, scheme, method, whatever to solve this problem? 

I've tried cellphone/landline bridge (blue tooth device) but it had so much delay it was unusable.

[Dr. Frank]

Well, that's definitely a metrological question, especially if you are doing analogue, volt-nuts metrology (no time-nuttery).
All cell phones , also any BT and WLAN devices are definitely banned from the lab, so you have to accept that you are not available during precision metrology tasks.
No other solution available.
This improves the quality of your calibration, anyhow, as you'll stay focused.
Frank

[RoGeorge]

Here (we have GSM) I can forward all my incoming calls to any other number, if I want to.  The settings can be made from my mobile phone settings, no need for the service provider to do any changes.  Of course, I will pay for all the calls from my mobile phone automatically calling to the forwarded number, but since I have unlimited minutes and unlimited calls, that will add zero extra cost.

[tkamiya]

Unfortunately, I can't do "not available." method.  I have two family members that are quite fragile.  I need to be available 24/7.  Otherwise, that would be ideal! 

Wlan device is in opposite side of my house from lab.  My computer networks are pretty much all hardwired.  I just don't trust wireless anything when it comes to computer networks.

I can forward numbers, but I'm in and out of lab all day long.  So I'm looking for more of remote device.  On land line use, there are loud ringers, flashes, etc, mostly for impaired folks.  Something similar will be great.  Or a RELIABLE bridge between my cell phone and landline.

[KingSolomon]

What about keeping the ringer of your phone on with it connected to a speaker.  That way you could hear if you were receiving a call from inside of your lab.

[tkamiya]

That's a do'able idea....

[Andreas]

Hello,

you could also forward the mobile call to your computer (soft phone) e.g. by Skype.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/skype/forum/all/forward-incoming-calls-from-mobile-phone-to-skype/7f5b7bc0-3a5a-4bb6-9e86-6694a91ccabc

with best regards

Andreas

[IanJ]

I have an MS app on my PC (Win10) that allows me to remote control my phone (Samsung S9)........so if a call, text etc occurs on my phone it's repeated up on my PC. Whatever is on my phone screen appears on the PC.
I use the app mainly to pull photos off the phone to my desktop.

It's called "YOUR PHONE" and is available on the MS Store if it's not already on your PC.

Ian.

[chris_leyson]

If you are working on any sort of sensitive equipment then you have to make a judgement call on what you can and cannot use in the lab and sometimes it's beyond your control.
A long time ago I was working on a low noise ultrasound receiver at 4MHz and for some reason I decided to plug a short piece of wire into the input, only about 3 inch or so and all of a sudden I'm picking up Deutsche Welle on 3.995MHz with an annoying 5kHz side tone but you could clearly see the AM sidebands in the FFT spectrum.  After that any noise figure measurements were done with the DUT shielded by a biscuit tin.
At one time I was working a galvo control loop and a load of noise appeared from nowhere, it was caused by common mode mains interference from a cheap nasty switched mode bench supply that a colleauge had switched on at an adjacent bench.
Recently I've been testing equipment for immunity to fast transients at 7kV and you can easilly pick that up with a scope probe at 20m or more so I warn my colleagues if they happen to be making any scope measurements.

Does anyone know a device, scheme, method, whatever to solve this problem?

Stick the DUT in a biscuit tin or make the effort to build in some RF immunity.

[Andreas]

Hello IanJ,

I fear that the connection between Phone and PC is done by bluetooth and not by a wired connection.

with best regards

Andreas

[SilverSolder]

It is surprising how bad the interference can be.  Last night, I was chasing around looking for what was injecting several millivolts of noise (bursts of 13MHz pulses) into a ratio transformer I was using to verify the accuracy of an ancient spectrum analyzer.  Turned out to be the charger for the laptop I was taking notes with...   as soon as the charger was unplugged, the spectrum analyzer noise floor fell by about 10dB! 

[tkamiya]

YOUR PHONE only works with Android.  I have an iPhone....

[David Hess]

I might build an RF shielded mesh enclosure which includes an RF feed-through to an outside antenna.  Then the cell phone can be placed inside the enclosure shielding it from the lab but it can still connect.

So you can still hear that you have a phone call and see the screen but you have to open the enclosure to use the phone which is fair warning.