Does Your Cell Phone Radiate A Signal When Powered Off?

Mine definitely does. It took only a simple experiment to prove it. Not sure of the specific frequency, but I was playing around with AM radio reception the other day and happened to have my phone right next to the alarm clock radio. Upon tuning to the appropriate band, the speaker began pumping out a crackling repeating mathematical-sounding waveform. Something you may have already heard before. But I took it one step farther: I powered off my phone and held it up to the radio. The audible signal emitted was significantly different, but it was still there nonetheless. When I took my battery out, the sound went away.

Try this experiment out. I’m curious to hear other people’s results. I’m using a Samsung phone, cheapo model, from Cricket.

What would be the reason, technologically, that an electronic device would still be emitting radiation even when in the “off” power position?


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8 Comments

  1. Ted
    Posted February 17, 2010 at 9:18 pm | Permalink

    So what’s that password protected post all about?

  2. Julia
    Posted February 17, 2010 at 11:47 pm | Permalink

    Yeah, what Ted said.

  3. Ted
    Posted February 18, 2010 at 2:17 pm | Permalink

    I guess if we were invited we’d know. We must not have made the cut.

  4. Posted February 18, 2010 at 8:27 pm | Permalink

    I’m not sure you’re ready for it…

  5. Ted
    Posted February 18, 2010 at 9:15 pm | Permalink

    I am not allowed in the secret club house?

  6. Posted February 19, 2010 at 9:38 pm | Permalink

    If you say so!

  7. Ted
    Posted February 19, 2010 at 11:35 pm | Permalink

    Well what is it then?

  8. Julia
    Posted February 20, 2010 at 2:02 pm | Permalink

    Like Groucho Marx said..’I wouldn’t want to be a member of a club that would have someone like me as a member’. :)

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