Unintentional radiator

An unintentional radiator is a device that emits radio frequency (RF) energy, but it is not designed to intentionally transmit information wirelessly, like a radio or a phone.

Imagine you have a toy car that makes a noise when you push a button. The noise it makes could be the same kind of energy as radio waves. If you turn the car on and it starts making the noise all by itself without anyone pushing the button, that's like an unintentional radiator.

Just like with the toy car, unintentional radiators can unintentionally emit RF energy which can interfere with other radio signals. This can cause problems for things like wireless networks or radios used by emergency services. That's why these devices are regulated to make sure they don't cause too much interference.

Examples of unintentional radiators include things like televisions, computers, and even some light bulbs. So, just like the toy car, there are lots of things around us that can emit radio waves without us even realizing it!