[mdlug] OT - IR jamming

[Aaron Kulkis]

Dave Arbogast wrote:
> I was just in DC with my top of the line SLR digital camera. I was in 
> the right place at the right time to take photos of a motorcade entering 
> the big house. I was about 12 feet from them and 16 feet from the inter 
> gate as it opened. (I shot for several newspapers in the day, so you 
> could say I'm not am amateur.)
> 
> OK, shoot, shoot, shoot.  Daylight, immediate response pro camera. 
> What's the problem ?  This was a high raking official as the tailing 
> S.S. Tahoe had the back 3 windows open and 3 armored soldiers with 
> fingers on their machine guns. Yes, they gave me the evil eye for trying 
> to take their photo from 4 meters, but my camera refused to take their 
> photo.... it took many photos minutes before they arrived and many more 
> minutes after the iron gates closed behind them.
> 
> The only explanation is IR / RF  jamming of my system. I wish I had gone 
> to manual focus as I do often, but I have never held down the shutter 
> release with no result.  The guys following up the rear were too cool. 
> None of the other motorcades we saw that day had the heavy artillery 
> exposed in the trailing SUV ready to fire.

Very interesting.  It could be IR jamming the IR system.

Alternate theory: have you ever noticed how the definition of
a Class C consumer electronics device states, "this device
*MUST* accept interference causing unwanted operation."

I've seen this even on my top of the line HP calculators.