LG MS4296OWS Microwave Causing Bluetooth Interference

I recently bought a new LG Neochef 42L microwave (LG Neochef Smart Inverter Microwave Oven MS4296OWS) to replace my 11 year old Breville microwave which was on its way out.

I work from home full-time and am often on a call when in the kitchen making lunch. Ever since the new microwave went in, the interference to Bluetooth radio frequencies is so bad it can kill the Bluetooth connection between my phone (in my hand) and the headset (on my head)… The old microwave never impacted the Bluetooth connection at all.

Whilst I realise the power levels of the Bluetooth connection are really small (<100mw??) and therefore non-ironising radiation which should be harmless… (only enough noise needs to be present to raise the noise floor above andefined SNR for my Bluetooth devices), this still really irks me that a 10 year newer device would be noticeably worse in terms of radio frequency radiation/leakage to the point that the Bluetooth connection actually drops.

Am I being overly critical? Anything to worry about health wise?

Comments

  • +2

    lol.. doesn't this microwave also kill wifi?

    • yup, my telstra tv would cutout in the livingroom when the microwave was on. Ended up doing a powerline kit connection to get that contant signal feeling.

  • +1

    Microwaves use low frequency electromagnetic radiation – the same kind used in lightbulbs and radios. When you put food inside a microwave, it absorbs these microwaves, which makes water molecules in the food vibrate, causing friction that heats up the food.

    They aren't high freq enough that they can cause health risks. It's only when you get up to higher frequencies — like way past visible light and into the Ultraviolet category that you start to see risks.

    https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/images/Electromagnetic_Sp…

    Most microwaves ovens actually operate in the 2.45 ghz range — roughly the same frequency band as common Wi-Fi networks. Source: Physics Girl YT video

  • +1

    Microwaves will kill anything on 2.4ghz such as wifi or bluetooth

    • +2

      Most definitely not all microwaves do. Only some and LG Neochef is notorious for it.

      • +1

        Not a problem if you've got 5ghz wi-fi though

  • +4

    dont make lunch and be on a call at the same time.

    • +1

      Or just get a wired headset

    • +2

      Get outta here with yo logic

  • It doesn't necessarily leak more than your old microwave, but perhaps it operates on a slightly higher/lower frequency that is closer to your bluetooth/WiFi.

    When we talk about bluetooth/WiFi using 2.4Ghz it doesn't use exactly that frequency, it actually has multiple different bands within a range around 2.4Ghz. On WiFi AP you can actually change this to try and fix situations like this. WiFi AP will usually call this a "channel" and have options from 1 through 14 (or thereabouts). Bluetooth on the other hand I believe tries to do this automatically but I'm not 100% sure how it works.

    It's possible that the new microwave just happens to overlap more with the frequency than your older one, even though they are both emitting similar amounts of radio waves.

    Anything to worry about health wise?

    You know you're not supposed to put your head inside the microwave, right?

  • Mine does the same but I mean I don't leave my microwave on for hours at a time 😂😂

  • My expensive Breville microwave also kills wifi in the lounge and kitchen when it is in use. Very leaky

  • +1

    Am I being overly critical?

    You use your microwave for what, 4 minutes of a ~9 hour business day? I say yes.

  • Time to get onto ACMA!! There is a reason they are not on mygov! They are a lazy ass do nothing authority!

  • Definitely no need to worry about radiation from microwaves. There is probably more radiation on the microwaved food you are ingesting.

    As for the bluetooth headset issue and receiving calls you can mitigate with using speakerphone, wired headsets, call forwarding to landline.

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