T8 light question

[Runum]

Hey guys I just installed two 8 ft. T8 flourescent light fixtures in my garage and I really like the light they put out. However, the capacitors must cast off some RF waves. I am having static interference on my televisions on certain channels. Are there some kind of filters I can use to block the RF interference?

 

[ChucksCrib]

Have you tried a K&N filter

 

[bmwpower]

Cable or antennae?

 

[Runum]

No I had not comsidered K&N. That's good. This is for an antennae application.

 

[byrdman]

I'm not sure about the filters. Here's some other ideas/thoughts/brain belches:

-Could it be noise coming in on the AC line instead of RF interference?
-Maybe moving adjacent light fixtures further away from antenna or relocating TV would help? If relevant, move fixture power cables away from the antenna/TV/TV power cables.
-Have you tried shielding antenna from fixture or vice versa? (tin foil, etc)
-tried plugging TV into different AC circuit than fixtures?
-Maybe an external antenna would help. You know those little guys that sit on top of your set? That way you could put the antenna someplace less effected by interference?

 

[Runum]

Yes I had considered the possibilty that it would be static throught the 110 volt AC lines. Here is what I have, one TV in adjacent living room has an ant. on top of the house. The outside ant. is about 20 feet from the lights and the TV is about 25 feet from the lights. The other TV is in a room adjacent to the garage also and it has rabbit ears on it. The ant. and TV are about 10 feet from the lights. Both TV's get the same static problem. Both TV's are plugged in to 2 different 110v circuits and neither circuit is the same as the circuit for the garage lights.

 

[Runum]

Oops dup, sorry.

 

[TOMWELDS]

Look in the electrical panel. The TV circuit and light circuit are probably on the same phase leg. Take one of the breakers and put it on the other phase leg. EX: TV on phase 'A' and light on phase 'B'. This should help.

 

[malibu101]

You may be right that the electronic ballasts are the problem. Here's what happened to me: I have an wireless intercom between the detached garage and the kitchen in the house. They always worked fine. Then one day there was alot of static when talking. I installed a number of self-ballasted compact flourescent lamps (they use electronic ballasts) throughout the house that day. AH HA!! Turned off the new lamps and the intercoms once again worked fine. I live with the static for the few times we use the intercom, the energy savings of the lamps is worth it.

 

[TOMWELDS]

You're hearing a 60 cycle hum.

 

[Luckydevil]

Here is also a site with a lot of info on shielding and products for it: http://www.lessemf.com/emf-shie.html

Maybe try a couple of these in the house... http://www.lessemf.com/suppress.html

 

[slapshot]

<not trying to hijack thread>

How do you guys like the T8 as compared to the T12's?? I went to Lowe's today to see what my options are, and it seems like most of the 4' lights are now T8's. I was doubting the light output of the smaller light tube. Currently, I have one standard bulb and one 4' standard cheap flourescent strip. My plans are to remove the old 4' and install 3 new 4' strips, one in the center and one on each side.

 

[Runum]

The light output from the smaller T8's is great. I have a shop full of old school flourescent lights. These are as good as or better than them. The only problem is the static. The old lights I took out of my garage didn't emit the static, T8's do. I did try a cheap ant. filter from Radio Shack, no luck. That's as far as I've gotten with trying to fix this. I'm in the middle of reroofing my house right now, static can wait. Thanks for the leads guys.