What happens to receiver performance if adjacent channel signals are too strong?

When adjacent channel signals are too strong, the phenomenon that occurs is known as receiver desensitization. This happens because the strong signals from adjacent channels can overload the front-end components of the receiver. Instead of amplifying the desired signal effectively, the receiver may become less sensitive to the desired frequency due to the overwhelming presence of nearby signals.

In this scenario, the receiver's ability to distinguish between the strong, unwanted signals and the intended signal diminishes, leading to a decrease in overall performance. This reduced sensitivity compromises the receiver's ability to pick up weaker signals accurately. Consequently, desensitization can result in poor signal reception and increased difficulty in maintaining communication quality.

To further clarify, sensitivity refers to a receiver's capability to detect weak signals, while desensitization decreases this capability in the presence of adjacent strong signals. Therefore, the correct understanding of the situation is centered on how excessive adjacent channel signals negatively impact the receiver's performance through desensitization.