Radio antenna

[MO-Iron]

When I upgraded the shop to LED lights, I killed the radio reception. I am using a Milwaukee M-18 radio and am wanting to hookup an external antenna.
Can I unscrew the little antenna an attach a coax wire to that stud?

Thank for any help or ideas.

 

[super slow ss]

I am not familiar with that specific radio but if it has removable antenna the general rule is you can use coax or antenna wire on that connection to improve reception. This is an interesting issue, I would have thought florescent would have caused more "noise" than LED, I plan to run HAM equipment in my shop when its done and it will have full LED lighting .. something to think about, thanks.

 

[CJ7VFR]

Try moving the radio as far away from the lights as you can, and preferably move it close to a window or outside wall. And point the little antenna on the radio as horizontal as you can make it and still get reception. That can help quite a bit.

Jim

 

[OldracerJones]

I put a wire on mine and drilled a small hole in the metal wall. Stuck the wire through and now I get five mores stations than I did before. Most stations in this area are in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, about 50-60 miles from me.

 

[BillK]

This is an interesting issue, I would have thought florescent would have caused more "noise" than LED, I plan to run HAM equipment in my shop when its done

Good luck with that. LED lights are some of the worse RFI generators out there. Go to the ARRL web site and you will find a bunch of articles about them. If you really want to get a wake up call drive around town with your car radio on an AM station.

There are very "clean" LED lights out there you just have to know what to look for.

Your Ham rigs will probably have antennas outside so it wont be as bad but it is a big problem. I have somebody close by that turns something on and kills most of the HF bands.

Here is some good reading:
http://www.arrl.org/lighting-devices

 

[Falcon67]

I've got a 1982 vintage Radio Shack tuner with a strip of twin lead for an antenna. I'm all LED drop in bulbs and haven't noticed any issue with radio reception. Hmm.

 

[BillK]

I've got a 1982 vintage Radio Shack tuner with a strip of twin lead for an antenna. I'm all LED drop in bulbs and haven't noticed any issue with radio reception. Hmm.

You probably have good bulbs. Like I said above there are bulbs that comply with the FCC rules and do not affect radio much. Just for grins turn your tuner to an AM station and see what happens. FM is not affected nearly as bad as AM.