Webinar: Interference Hunting: A Practical Introduction

Interference hunting moves RF troubleshooting out of the lab and into the field, where unwanted signals have to be identified, characterized, and physically located. Join Elektor and Paul Denisowski on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 16:00 CEST (14:00 UTC / 10:00 EDT) for a practical introduction to the methods, instruments, and experience involved in finding RF interference.

A €50 webinar, brought to you free by eeNews Europe.
 

Interference Hunting in the Field

Unlike conventional measurements performed at a fixed lab bench, locating an interferer often means taking equipment into the field and progressively narrowing down the source of a signal. The process can involve spectrum analysis, signal identification, measurements from several positions, directional antennas, and direction-finding systems. Rohde & Schwarz describes the basic process as verifying that interference is present, identifying or characterizing the unwanted signal, and then locating its source. Elektor readers who want some background on the measurement side can also revisit our introduction to practical real-time spectrum analysis, including the use of RF spectrum measurements to identify interference and investigate system behavior.

From Spectrum Analysis to Direction Finding

Paul Denisowski of Rohde & Schwarz North America will walk through the typical stages of an interference hunt and explain how engineers recognize and characterize interferers before trying to determine where they are coming from. The webinar will cover the basics of radiolocation and direction finding, common challenges encountered during DF work, the tools used in the field, and practical techniques for getting useful results. Direction finding is rarely as simple as pointing an antenna at the strongest signal. Reflections, buildings, obstructions, and multipath propagation can make the apparent direction of a transmitter differ from its actual location. Different approaches, including signal-strength measurements, manual homing, bearings from direction finders, and combinations of measurements taken at several positions, can therefore play a role depending on the situation.
 

Practical Interference Hunting Experience

Denisowski is a Product Management Engineer at Rohde & Schwarz North America, where he supports a wide range of test and measurement solutions. He is also the author of the company’s Test and Measurement Fundamentals video series, which now contains more than 350 videos. He has more than 30 years of experience in test and measurement and has previously worked in field and R&D roles with HP/Agilent, Fujitsu, and Alcatel. His work has included interference hunting and direction finding for commercial, military, and government customers in the United States and internationally, and he holds patents relating to radiolocation technologies. Denisowski earned a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University and a Master’s degree in Germanic Languages from the University of North Carolina. He was also a researcher at the Tokyo Institute of Technology under a joint grant from the US National Science Foundation and the Japanese Ministry of Education. Away from the test equipment, he is an active amateur radio operator, KO4LZ, on both HF and VHF/UHF bands.