Lights, Radio interference

[TommyD]

Found it...thanks!

I called my electrician and told him...he, in turn, went to his supply house. They said "son of a gun" and called the distributer (or maybe it was the mfg, I dunno) and was told that the place (supply house) has to STATE THE BALLAST TYPE they want...or they just send commercial.

I returned my light to Home Cheapo without a problem. Went to check for a ballast and ALMOST grabbed the proper ballast from the eye level display. Knowing what I know now I whipped out my reading glasses and there, in small letters, it read COMMERCIAL USE. Looking down to the last shelf there was ONE ballast left that was for the same application, still having my reading peepers on I looked and it said "RESIDENTIAL". Got it home, hooked it up into my old light, turned on the radio, switched on the light.....and complete static free music.

 

[mc1984ss]

As soon as I saw this post I knew exactly what everyone was talking about. I bought my light fixtures from an electrical supply house/ lighting store, not a big box store. My lights have always interferred with the radio. I went back to the supply house where a friend of mine works and he told me exactly what you stated in the previous post. It is the ballast, most fixtures are shipped with a commercial ballast a residential ballast will solve the problem. This was a couple of years ago apparently they have been switching to residential ballasts as the norm.

 

[byoungblood]

An isolation transformer on the lighting circuits will probably do the trick for those of you who don't want to replace every ballast in your garage. FM is usually pretty resistant to most forms of RFI, so it is likely coming in over the power lines and the noise is being picked up (and amplified) by the AF circuits in the radio. That's why a battery powered radio wouldn't be susceptible to the interference until it is placed rather close to the source of the noise.

 

[TommyD]

My car radio and boombox all started getting RFI noise within 10 feet of my gay-raj, all I listen to is FM...AM is a little better but not much.

My electrician is working with his supplier to rectify my situation.

 

[toolmanmark]

wow, a 3 1/2 year old thread still going strong. My old garage has a combination of T-12 and incandescent lights. No FM radio buzzing. About 3 years ago replaced some t-12's with T-8 four footers from Home Depot. Still no radio buzzing, but had to replace all five of them that quit working before the two year warranty was up. Was not happy about replacing the lights.
So today went to my local electrical supply store to buy a quality T-8 light that would last. Bought a Cooper Metalux tandem four footer industrial. Radio buzzes like crazy. I think Tomorrow I will go shopping for a ballast.
Will consumer, residential ballast start in cold weather as good as industrial. The new T-8 I just got the ballast said it would cold start to 20 below.

Thanks Mark

 

[Strawboss]

Hello All,

I wanted to let everyone know I fixed my radio problem using my existing commercial ballast lights. I did some more researching and found recommendations to get the radio antenna as far away from the lights as possible. Well I have TV antenna COAX in my garage/shop run from my TV antenna on the house which is about 100 feet away. I hooked up my radio antenna input to the COAX using a Winegard CA-8800 FM Band Separator to separate the TV and radio signals and my radio works good now and my TV still works great. Sometimes the radio is not 100% and you can ever so slightly hear some interference on a couple of channels, but I would say it is 95%.

Might not work for everyone, but thought I would give my experience. Good luck!

Ryan

Hello All,

I have the same problem. Flip my new T8 lights on and radio gets all fuzzy. I can get some stations, but definitely less than before with my old T12's.

New T8's are from Menards. I have (8) American Fluorescent 4 bulb 8 footers ST240-8RSE8 for about $40 each. Ballasts are Keystone KTEB-432LBF-1-TP-PIC. Keystone has specs for these ballasts on their website. Website says "Meets FCC Part 18 (Class A) Non-Consumer Limits". I found some other ballasts on their website that says Class B residential, but they use 1.51 amps instead of the 0.93 amps of the ones I have.

It would be nice to stick with the lower power consumption, but I would really like to be able to get all the radio stations again. I am going to call American Fluorescent and Keystone on Monday to talk to them. American Fluorescent's website says to correct the condition with a "radio interferance filters". I have been looking on the web, but there is nothing really straight forward that I have found.

My radio is an old Kenwood receiver which in its time was pretty high end. Prolly an 80's unit I would guess. It has 75 and 300 ohm FM antenna inputs and separate AM antenna input. I messed around with the antenna a light bit with no luck. I was just using some old speaker wire for my current antenna.

If anyone has a good fix for this besides getting residential ballasts, a post would be much appreciated.


Thanks!

 

[onewaydave]

I know everybody wants to jump on the China bandwagon, but I have had issues with fluorescent lights since the beginning of time. I remember having radio interference with them back when Gingus was thinking about invading China.

I can't answer the question as to why some units give off RFI more than others, but I have been prejudiced against fluorescent lighting since, well as long as I can remember. Even before Nixon went to China.

Dave.

 

[robortiz59]

Ughhh. I wish I had read this thread before I installed 2 new flourescent fixtures this past weekend. I put up two 48 inch, double tube, T8 fixtures. The brand is Simkar. They very clearly say "Industrial Light" on the box. I bought them from a local electrical outlet. I thought I would get good quality and the right solution, as opposed to being cheap **** from HD or Lowes. I also thought I would get knowledgeable support. When I listed all the features I needed to the guy behind the counter (e.g., flush mount, cold start, white reflector, wire guard, less than 7" profile), I didn't think to mention no radio interference. I did mention these were for a garage. Do you think he should have known not to sell me industrial lights for a garage?

There is some good news. I wired the 24x28 garage for 8 fixtures. I was prepared to buy all 8 of them when I bought these 2 last weekend. But they had only 2 in inventory. So, I've only invested the time and money related to 2 of them. Had I bought and put up all 8, I would be really pissed.

I'll be going back tomorrow to see about getting my money back and getting the right fixtures. Wish me luck.

Rob

 

[wildgoose]

Fixed it by using residential grade ballast

I fixed the FM interference issue from the T8 fluorescent lights in my kitchen today. I replaced the current commercial electronic ballast with a residential grade one. After that, the interference is gone! Crystal clear FM reception on my portable radio just like when the light is off!

The residential grade ballasts have stricter RF interference requirement. I found this out while researching into these issues online. I wasn’t sure if it will fix my problem, but decided to give it a try as I was quite annoyed and the cost is not high, $20 from Lowes.

I have a ceiling light with four 4FT T8 32-Watt tubes. It had a Philips Centium ballast (ICN-4P32-SC) which I installed a few years ago (original one died). Worked well except for the interference issue. As soon as I turn on the light, my portable radio (battery powered, not AC) will have a constant static noise. As soon as I turn off the light, reception goes back to normal.

The replacement is a Philip AmbiStar residential grade ballast, REB-4P32-SC, assembled in Mexico if anyone’s interested. I think anything from the AmbiStar line should work, as they are all designed for residential use and should have less RF interference. The box has green label, rather than blue for the industrial ones.

Took me about 30 minutes to replace it (an electrician or pro would’ve done it in like 10 minutes, I was being very careful).

Based on the label, the AmbiStar one seems to have higher current draw for the same bulbs. I don’t know if this is a necessarily for reducing interference.

Hope it’s helpful to some of you. I am sure glad I was able to fix it for $20.

 

[scruffie]

My outlet for the radio and my lights are on different brakers and I still have the same problem.

 

[Frank DuVal]

This thread is really old, but the problem remains! I thought the RFI producing ballasts would be out of stock by now, but, they are still in production.

I just bought 10 Lithonia SB2 32 120 GESB fixtures, as the box clearly says these filter EMI and RFI.

Oh was I surprised when I installed four fixtures and turned on the lights. What radio? I made a poor video of the RFI when the lights came on:

Upon reading this thread, I opened the fixtures and noted the Accupro AP-RC-232IP-120-1 ballasts were in there. The date codes indicate recent build dates. I called, and Lithonia replaced all 10 ballasts with American Ballast p/n AB2-32-IP-120-R.

Oh what a difference!

Now I can listen to the radio with the lights on.

Just wanted to say thanks for the information in this thread, and to say it is still an issue.

Frank DuVal
Fredericksburg, VA

 

[jam0o0]

update info: grainger does not carry any residential rated ballasts in any of their fixtures. they can special order most fixtures with residential ballasts. but you have to have an account to special order. and you have to be a company to have an account.

 

[MN Battery Chuck]

I am running T5HO. Terrible radio interference when I turn the lights on. Garage has a TV antennae installed by a previous owner. Ran a splitter off that cable to the antennae hookup on my radio. No where near as much static now. I am much happier.

A couple little things not working in my favor are the tin walls and roof. However the static was not even close to that bad until I installed the T5HO's. My ballast are commercial standards and that is likely the cause of static. All lights are grounded, have not checked ground quality in switch box. I will someday.

 

[brassspike]

Still subscribed, still have FM issues!....for years now!

 

[MN Battery Chuck]

Brassspike, you've tried the roof mounted TV antennae?
Its working pretty well for me. Be sure only the little copper wire in the coax is connected to the radio. Good luck

 

[brassspike]

No, still in the attic. TV reception is great.

 

[raddksn]

Didn't read all the way thru but think I commented on this before.

Got one at home garage, one at work. FM recpition is great. Think the antenna was $20.00 or so, fabbed up a gable mount some left over coax and a chunk of conduit! Bonus I get stations never did before!

 

[MN Battery Chuck]

Didn't read all the way thru but think I commented on this before.

Got one at home garage, one at work. FM recpition is great. Think the antenna was $20.00 or so, fabbed up a gable mount some left over coax and a chunk of conduit! Bonus I get stations never did before!

I'm going to order one of those antennas here in a couple days. Really good reviews. $9.99 plus shipping. 17.99 all said and done

I grabbed a tv fron the house and hooked it up to the other side of my splitter. No TV signal whatsoever. Weird that my radio works but no signal on tv. Oh well, I really don't need a TV distracting me in the garage. Wi-Fi is bad enough. lol.

 

[olytdi]

I had this similar problem after installing my lights with the **** ballasts. I thought long and hard about antenna solutions but ended up dedicating a cheap laptop to the shop. My wifi is within 40 ft line of sight so reception is good. I put my old 80's component power stereo system in the shop (it was a job hanging those speaker cabinets with the 15" woofers) and inputted streaming audio. Man it's crystal clear incredibly rich sound now with zero interference. Anything over level "3" on the amplifier and I've got to start thinking about the neighbors! Anyway, I can stream any of the radio stations I previously was tuning in and do so with crystal clear audio. I'm glad I didn't choose to muck about on the roof with an antenna.

 

[MN Battery Chuck]

I had this similar problem after installing my lights with the **** ballasts. I thought long and hard about antenna solutions but ended up dedicating a cheap laptop to the shop. My wifi is within 40 ft line of sight so reception is good. I put my old 80's component power stereo system in the shop (it was a job hanging those speaker cabinets with the 15" woofers) and inputted streaming audio. Man it's crystal clear incredibly rich sound now with zero interference. Anything over level "3" on the amplifier and I've got to start thinking about the neighbors! Anyway, I can stream any of the radio stations I previously was tuning in and do so with crystal clear audio. I'm glad I didn't choose to muck about on the roof with an antenna.[/QUO

Sounds like a good idea. What are you using to input the stream?

 

[olytdi]

It's just a cord that is headphone-out from the laptop, to RCA-in on the receiver. Radio Shack for about $15 if I recall. I got a long enough cord so that I can continue to stream and take the laptop over to the lift or some other project when using youtube or other online instructions.

Yes, an older component stereo system from the 70's, 80's or 90's makes a kick-*** shop stereo system and they can be had for peanuts these days.

Mine's a Kenwood with amp, receiver, CD player, cassette (yes, I have many), and an equalizer. Has a wood cabinet that has a nice slide out upper shelf that I use for the laptop -- kind of acts as a desk.

I'll be putting some doors on it for dust sealing.

 

[MN Battery Chuck]

Simple enough. I am going to go with the antenna and the cable. Then I can actually hear something on youtube but still have radio options

I second the old component stereo. I've been rocking a Hitachi HA-2 amp Hitachi FT-2 receiver for about 15 years. 2 Hitachi HBA 3104 Speakers. Always sounded real good I think and am pumped about some options to eliminate the interference from my lights.

Thank you.

 

[MRREILLY]

I had this same issue when I built my garage. Bought 5 t8 lamps from Lowe's and immediately had the noise. No electrician had any idea what could be wrong. So after some research I bought a commercial grade ballast by Advance and installed it in the light over the bench. It took ALL the noise out of the radio. It's just the cheap ballasts they put in the lights to keep the cost down. I paid $40 for the commercial ballast and now Im just trying to bring myself to spend another $160 to fix the other 4!!
Mike

 

[dfarning]

On a related note.

I spent the weekend pulling my hair out trying to diagnose random errors in my lawn irrigation system when I turned it on for the season. By total accident, I discovered that the irrigation system worked correctly when the new florescent lights I installed over the winter were turned off.

Does any one know if an AC line filter will solve my problems?

 

[Brcobrem]

It was the Lithonia brand. Looks like the only brand of fluorescent lights they carry. Just junk.
http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/...e+matchall&recN=112580 5&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

Hi Garage Journal,

I realize this is a very old post, but I experienced the same RFI with 2 Lithonia 4 foot x two T8 bulb strips that use the AccuPro AP-RC232IP-120-1 ballast. They're still selling them at Home Depot. Fyi, "AccuPro" is just Lithonia's brand name for their ballasts.

I called AccuPro using the 888-345-7571 phone number on the ballast. I explained the RFI problem, and the were kind enough to send me two replacement ballasts. But alas, they sent me the same exact part numbered item. No surprise, they produced RFI as well.

I'll contact AccuPro again for usable replacements, but in the interim, I found that this currently available Home Depot ballast ($14.95) works without producing RFI :
GE Model # GE232-120RESDIYB, Internet # 205400553, Store SKU # 126532
120-Volt Electronic Ballast for 4-ft. 2-Lamp T8 Fixture

Fyi, there is another other post that discuss the RFI problem with the the "RC" series AccuPro ballasts. It's at :
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44316
I'll add a thread to that post referencing today's thread here. Btw, other threads say that the AccuPro "RS" series ballasts do not cause RFI.

Thanks Garage Journal and forum contributors. Your posts on this subject helped me. I hope this thread helps someone else too.

Regards . . .

 

[PA Electrician]

GE232-120-RES for 2-lamp T-8
GE432-120-RES for 4-lamp T-8
Twist line and neutral wires into a pair
Twist red and blue wires into a pair
Radio noise gone.

 

[mrmsbhvn]

Hey guys, I recently put nine t8 light fixtures (4 lights in each) in my garage. Now I can’t listen to FM radio at all with the light on. The radio works fine till you turn on the lights. The interference almost completely cuts the radio out. Any ideas? Anyone else have this problem? Any fixes? I can only listen to my old cassettes from the 80’s so many times.

I had bought 2- 8’ thin-fixtures and installed them on the ceiling of my garage.
Only recently I wired up an old receiver with some speakers only to find out that whenever the light was on it was almost impossible even hear the music.
I got a new antenna and ran that up through the attic, and it made the signal much stronger, but the static is not a signal problem.

After reading all of the three pages of comments here I realized that the lights I bought were very discounted from a local individual selling them out of boxes.
I believe they’re T8 lights because upon going into Amazon and looking that’s how it lists them.

I tried ferrite cores on every wire in triplicate, but nothing made any difference.
So I sent those back.

Going through a bunch of listings in Amazon. I found a set of four lights for about $100. It says that they will not generate the EMI and other commentor said they didn’t have a problem, so I bought a set of four, and I will give them a try.

I will report back-

Edit/update; 03-01-23
Received my posted set of 4 today.
I plugged them in and compared, TOTALLY STATIC-FREE!!!

Made a vid, but post only accepts pics.
Here is a link to it;

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Congrats on waking up a 14+ year old thread from the dead

 

[Racer_X]

 

[MBfreak]

All modern electronic ballasts and LED drivers use " switching technology", which in short is square wave supply voltage/current.
Great for efficiency, low losses. Can be as high as 98 %.
The only technology today for lap top "power bricks", and they are ALL very well designed and totally interference free.

But a large percentage of lighting supplies are designed by people who do not understand Fourier transformation, like dogs watching TV, ie the HF spectrum generated by square wave switching. Or are too cheap and dump the needed filter.

My idea for the OP is to return the parts and refer to FCC rules on RFI.
Then but good quality LED tubes that fits in the armatures and listen to whatever you like.

Best regards

Ola

 

[dave*99]

All modern electronic ballasts and LED drivers use " switching technology", which in short is square wave supply voltage/current.
Great for efficiency, low losses. Can be as high as 98 %.
The only technology today for lap top "power bricks", and they are ALL very well designed and totally interference free.

But a large percentage of lighting supplies are designed by people who do not understand Fourier transformation, like dogs watching TV, ie the HF spectrum generated by square wave switching. Or are too cheap and dump the needed filter.

My idea for the OP is to return the parts and refer to FCC rules on RFI.
Then but good quality LED tubes that fits in the armatures and listen to whatever you like.

Best regards

Ola

I suspect the OP won't have the option to return the parts since they were purchased in 2008.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

All modern electronic ballasts and LED drivers use " switching technology", which in short is square wave supply voltage/current.
Great for efficiency, low losses. Can be as high as 98 %.
The only technology today for lap top "power bricks", and they are ALL very well designed and totally interference free.

But a large percentage of lighting supplies are designed by people who do not understand Fourier transformation, like dogs watching TV, ie the HF spectrum generated by square wave switching. Or are too cheap and dump the needed filter.

My idea for the OP is to return the parts and refer to FCC rules on RFI.
Then but good quality LED tubes that fits in the armatures and listen to whatever you like.

Best regards

Ola

Did ya miss how old this thread is? I doubt whatever store he bought them from has a 15yr old return policy

 

[MBfreak]

Never mind how old the thread is. Since the GJ does not have a "valid today only" rule.
There is still a large amount of totally substandard electronic ballasts and mains operated LED "tubes" out there, and a little electrical insight on the background might get some people interested in facts to avoid the garbage parts.

 

[cherokee]

All modern electronic ballasts and LED drivers use " switching technology", which in short is square wave supply voltage/current.
Great for efficiency, low losses. Can be as high as 98 %.
The only technology today for lap top "power bricks", and they are ALL very well designed and totally interference free.

But a large percentage of lighting supplies are designed by people who do not understand Fourier transformation, like dogs watching TV, ie the HF spectrum generated by square wave switching. Or are too cheap and dump the needed filter.

My idea for the OP is to return the parts and refer to FCC rules on RFI.
Then but good quality LED tubes that fits in the armatures and listen to whatever you like.

Best regards

Ola

I know old thread, but doubt the interference free part.

I play guitar, if the wife is in her chair with her laptop plugged in (1yr old Dell) I can hear it through the amp. Have her unplug her powersupply and just run on battery, everything is good. Interference also changes with my facing just like with the "old" tube lights.

I don't know if the guitar is more susceptible or not, but there is something there that the guitar can "hear".

 

[dogdog]

I am just here for the thread revival party.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I know old thread, but doubt the interference free part.

I play guitar, if the wife is in her chair with her laptop plugged in (1yr old Dell) I can hear it through the amp. Have her unplug her powersupply and just run on battery, everything is good. Interference also changes with my facing just like with the "old" tube lights.

I don't know if the guitar is more susceptible or not, but there is something there that the guitar can "hear".

Guitar pickups work by inductance.... so no mystery there

 

[dave*99]

Try some Humbucker pickups in your guitar.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Try some Humbucker pickups in your guitar.

but the twang from single coils is awesome!

 

[mrmsbhvn]

Congrats on waking up a 14+ year old thread from the dead

I hope that is a good thing-

 

[dave*99]

Edited