Which lights do or do not interfere with radio?

[Hank11]

I've had some LED ceiling mount lights and some hanging mount lights that caused electrical interference with radio signals. I'd like to not buy more that cause problems.

Any lights to stay away from?

Any suggestions for lights that do not cause interference?

Thanks in advance.

 

[cybrdyke]

Nope. You'll never know this info.
Too many different driver manufacturers, too many electronic parts, too many different portable radios. No way to tell what will interfere with what.
CD

 

[nadogail]

To the best of my somewhat limited knowledge and experience; incandescent lighting does not create radio interference, when you start adding dimmers, fluorescent tubes and LED lamps; your old AM radio may pickup some interference.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Any suggestions for lights that do not cause interference?

It is actually the DC power supply inside the fixture that is causing the problem.

The only real solution is buy a fixture that is DC powered and run the wiring to a good quality fully shielded power supply.

 

[Bert_]

The issue is the high frequency switching inside of led drivers and electronic ballasts. Some designs manage the rf better than others but I'm not aware of any spec that will tell you. Regular 60hz ac is to low of frequency to interfere.

I have zero problems but my garage lighting is all magnetic ballast fluorescent. Radio is clear on any channel.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

The easiest way to avoid lights interfering with a radio is to listen via the station’s web site on a phone or another device. Dang near any station in the country is available that way.

 

[BillK]

Usually if they are listed for "residential" use they will be quiet. Here is a couple of links to read:
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/RFI/Light_Bulbs.pdf
http://www.arrl.org/grow-light-rfi
http://www.arrl.org/news/am-broadcasters-hams-have-common-interest-in-cleaning-up-noise-sources
http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-s-oet-...ompliance-testing-for-rf-led-lighting-devices

 

[Hank11]

Good stuff, BillK.

For some of the others:

I knew the cause before I wrote, what I wanted to hear was something like "I bought some XYZ brand lights and have no radio interference".

In budget garage lighting I suppose its too much to expect the makers to actually document any interference by their product.

I guess my only sure bet is to hire a band.
Live music.
Gotta love it.

Or maybe install filters on the power supply lines?

 

[BillK]

Or maybe install filters on the power supply lines?

That wont help at all. The interference is not coming through the power lines. An outdoor antenna would help a lot.

 

[txvwnut]

Downstairs I have eight Prime Light Bolt fixtures and upstairs I have a mixture of some single bulb led work shop lights from home depot a few fluorescent fixtures. I can run all independently and have had no issues receiving my favorite radio station. All of these lights are mounted in a quonset hut style building and metal buildings are somewhat hard to receive radio signals in.

 

[Bert_]

I've got a couple T8 fixtures in my house wired for dual level switching. Center lamps use T8 magnetic ballast and have zero RF interference. If I switch on the outside set of lamps that use an electronic ballast it causes static on most radio stations and even screws with weak tv stations.

 

[WisJim]

I have perhaps 6 different brands of LED lights, and the only way I found which ones caused radio interference or not was to try different ones ina location. I did find that the newest ones did better.

 

[Hank11]

That wont help at all. The interference is not coming through the power lines. An outdoor antenna would help a lot.

No.

The lines from the device's power supply.

 

[Hank11]

I have perhaps 6 different brands of LED lights, and the only way I found which ones caused radio interference or not was to try different ones ina location. I did find that the newest ones did better.

That's useful.
Thanks

 

[65ranchero]

If you are using Edison base bulbs there are LED's made for GDO that do not interfere with the opener frequency
May help in your case

 

[13mo]

I've had some LED ceiling mount lights and some hanging mount lights that caused electrical interference with radio signals. I'd like to not buy more that cause problems.

Any lights to stay away from?

Any suggestions for lights that do not cause interference?

Thanks in advance.

Lights that use a high-frequency switching power source (LED and electronic ballast fluorescent) can cause RF interference. Lights that do not use these (magnetic ballast HID or fluorescent, incandescent, halogen) do not.

The thing to look for with any high-frequency power source lighting is that it meets FCC Part 15 or 18 Class B specifications rather than Class A. Class B is for residential use and noticeably more strict with RFI than commercial/industrial Class A fixtures or noname Chinese unapproved gear. The RFI generally tends to be more noticeable on FM than AM and generally does not interfere that much with >1GHz signals like WLAN or cell phones.

 

[Vahispd]

Thanks for the references BillK and 13mo, I subbed to the thread for future reference when I add lighting to my garage.

 

[13mo]

Thanks for the references BillK and 13mo, I subbed to the thread for future reference when I add lighting to my garage.

Now, there are tradeoffs with using residential ballasts. Essentially the only advantage is lower FM/VHF TV band RFI.

The commercial ballasts often are rated to withstand higher temperatures, which can lead to longer life. They often have the ability to start the bulbs at cooler temperatures than the residential ballasts. All of the program-start ballasts that give longer bulb lifespans are commercial ballasts. Commercial ballasts also can operate a wider variety of bulbs, particularly the lower-wattage energy saving bulbs and HO bulbs. They are available in ballast factors other than "normal" 0.8-0.9. The highest-efficiency ballasts are all commercial ballasts. Commercial ballasts can run on voltages other than 120 volts, which can be helpful if you have a large nonresidential building, especially if you have 3 phase power. Their power factor correction circuitry (which is typically the culprit for the RFI) allows them to draw fewer amps, and they also generate fewer harmonics on the power lines.