radio interference with flouros

Submitted: Thursday, Jan 22, 2009 at 13:38
ThreadID: 65325 Views:2182 Replies:2 FollowUps:6
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on my camper trailer I have 120amp bat. supplied by solar.
the problem arises when listening to the car radio (which is hardwired into van circuit) and having a 12v flouro light on at night a howling feedback comes through on the AM band (which out bush is all you get)
I purposely kept the antenna wire apart from the radio power wiring and an outside car antenna, but noise still persists.
Anyone any clues how to aleviate this problem ??
Also radio is picking up spark? when running the 1kva Honda genset - can a suppressor be fitted (though it was inbuilt)
I guess the simplest method would be to scrap the bldi flouro!!
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Reply By: Robin Miller - Thursday, Jan 22, 2009 at 14:41

Thursday, Jan 22, 2009 at 14:41
Its better to kill it at the source by dumping the fluro for an LED equivalent.

Generally speaking the noise is conducted down the wires connected to your appliance
and then radiated out by those wires.

Sometimes you can enough of a fix with just suppression capacitors but more usually you need to impede the propagation by adding in a ferrite choke around each cable , and also using supression capacitors.
(Electronics shops sell snap on supression chokes items for a few bucks each- these also work on mains wiring)
Following the fitting of these devices its best to also use shielded cable from your fluro light as well.

As you can see its usually better to dump the offender, but before you do check that the globe is not on the way out(flicking) and causing excessive noise.
Robin Miller

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Follow Up By: Member - John R (QLD) - Thursday, Jan 22, 2009 at 20:10

Thursday, Jan 22, 2009 at 20:10
Do you need to stay away from LED lights that have a DC/DC convertor as well, Robin, as possibly their electronics could also put out spurious frequencies? Haven't seen any comments on this.

Cheers, John
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 08:09

Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 08:09
Hi John

In practise I agree that they should be watched however electronic products like that should have a "C Tick" mark which indicates that it has low emissions.

For our hobby though even these "low emissions" can be to much when out in the bush.

Quite often attaching a few meters of wire to the AM radio's aerial helps surprisingly well.

Robin Miller

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Follow Up By: Member - John R (QLD) - Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 13:55

Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 13:55
Hi Robin

Shall put a couple of metres of wire in the camping kit then - it's useful to get a weather report occasionally (though probably should start with a better car aerial first).

Cheers, John
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Follow Up By: Rolly - Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 14:28

Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 14:28
Really? Does anyone ever go beyond the limits of suburbia without a few turns of malleable 12 guage fencing wire??
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Follow Up By: Member - John R (QLD) - Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 19:37

Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 19:37
10 gauge, Rolly, 10 gauge! ..... LOL

John
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Follow Up By: Rolly - Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 20:10

Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 20:10
Nah, I prefer the thinner stuff - it's easier to chop up into small pieces for reloads. :D
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Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 08:53

Friday, Jan 23, 2009 at 08:53
Kill the radio mate.

You don't need it out bush anyway. It drowns out the "noise" of nature.

Bill.

Bill


I'm diagonally parked in a parallel Universe!

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