If long-length transmission lines are improperly shielded, what may occur?

Improper shielding of long-length transmission lines can lead to communications receiver interference. This occurs because inadequate shielding fails to prevent external electromagnetic interference (EMI) from affecting the signals being transmitted along the line. When external noise or signals couple into the transmission line, they can distort or corrupt the original information, leading to a degradation in the quality of the received signals. This interference can manifest as noise, distortion, or complete loss of communication, making effective shielding crucial in maintaining signal integrity, especially over long distances.

Other options are less relevant in this context: damage to silicon crystals is typically related to issues like electrostatic discharge or overheating, overmodulation refers to audio or video signals being too strong and distorting, and minimal RF loss is not significant in this case since long transmission lines inherently face more substantial losses if not properly shielded.