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Kokua Line

By June Watanabe


Pearl Harbor ships
interrupt remote controls


Question: We live in a single-family home in the Newtown Estates subdivision -- about 2 1/2 miles up from Pearl Harbor where the USS Carl Vinson carrier was earlier this year. After the carrier entered Pearl Harbor, the remote control fans and lights in our house stopped working. We have been living in our house for four years now, and we notice that each time a military shipcarrier enters Pearl Harbor, we have trouble with our remotes (fans, lights, and garage door). Others in the area -- Newtown, Royal Summit, and Pearl Harbor Estates -- are also experiencing this problem. Can you please confirm that the signals of most military ships interfere with remote control signals? What can be done?

Answer: The Navy has confirmed that military ships are probably the cause of the interference.

Other than yours, no other complaints had been received during the aircraft carrier's last port visit, said Agnes Tauyan, spokeswoman for Navy Region Hawaii.

However, she said officials do share your concerns over radio frequency interference.

She pointed out, however, that the military is licensed to use the 225-400 MHz frequencies, some of which are used by garage door opener systems (and apparently your other remote controls).

Those other systems, however, are "nonlicensed devices susceptible to interference from any licensed electronic system," Tauyan said.

"While the specific source of (the) interference has not been isolated, we have taken a number of steps to ensure U.S. Navy emitters do not interfere with any authorized users," she said.

Tauyan says anyone else experiencing radio frequency interference from Pearl Harbor should call Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs at 473-2888.

By working together, the possible sources of interference can be narrowed down, she said.

Q: Who constructed the pipe structure over the railing at Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park on Diamond Head Road near the Amelia Earhart plaque and what is it for? It appears to be a stair built on top of the bridge over a ravine, allowing someone to get down to the ravine and ultimately down to the beach. It looks strange all boarded up and plastered with "no trespassing" signs.

A: The structure was put up by the city Department of Design and Construction and has since been removed.

It allowed access to work to install anchors and rebuild footings at the bridge on Diamond Head Road, explained William Balfour, director of the city Department of Parks and Recreation.

The "no trespassing" signs were "for obvious safety reasons," he said.

Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park is located at 3451 Diamond Head Road.

Auwe

To all those slowpoke drivers clogging up our freeways. You are a traffic hazard and should stay in the extreme right lane, along with those drivers who purposely slow down then speed up so the car behind them gets stuck at the red light. -- No Name


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Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
E-mail to kokualine@starbulletin.com




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