Blocking RF Noise from Digital Ballasts

  • Thread starter Billygoat
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Billygoat

Billygoat

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Ok, the title is pretty simple. If your running a digital ballast. There is a chance your producing RF noise. If your running a shitload of them. Good chance your keying a large signal and maybe causing problems with the person next door.

Here's a new material and idea that should cure the problem. Just wanted to post the link and info. I'm sure this idea and product with kill the signal. From what I've read. Looks to be a good idea.

Oh, before anyone saying digital ballast doesn't key up a signal, your wrong. I personally know one of the largest sales rep for one of the biggest light manufacturers in the country and he won't use one in his own personal garden. I won't go into details, but some of them do have their issues and some don't.

Hope this link helps those with any problems.
Take care,
BG
 
lollipopman

lollipopman

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good find billygoat, never would have thought about RF signals coming off my ballast...

part of my job is to ride around picking up RF leaks and repair them before the FCC flys over and my company gets a big fine. any leaks that the FCC finds we have a time frame to do the repair, the ones that cant be fixed do to people not letting us in the house are sent back then they take it from there....
 
sky high

sky high

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Yo guys.

I have 6 digi's running @ present and will add more soon.

Any tips on how folks can test to see if they are tossing out RF without specific measuring devices?? Transistor radio? Phone? Some other device that will screw up in the presence of RF?

I used to work for the local Cable TV Co. We did the same kinda mobile tests. (Ok..this was in the 80's so the testing equip is probably different..)

any tips for the novice/layman on how to detect this interference?

thanks

s h
 
lollipopman

lollipopman

1,211
163
find out what Hz your ballast are running at... like mine are around 20,000Hz so for me I'm OK but if you have something around 60Hz or 120Hz running that can cause a hum bar in you TV or even mess with your voip and wireless INTERNET if you have one....
 
Billygoat

Billygoat

1,235
63
This is a topic that really isn't talked about. Yes, the ballast companies all say they add extra shielding to the wires, but I won't use or buy one. Not worth the risk of even guessing if they are keying a signal.

lollipopman, is one point for sure. If your units are on or near those Hz, I would look into buying and painting the room to be safe. Better, safe then sorry. My 2-cents. I've heard some run fine and no problems. I've also heard and seen people come into a big hydro store pissed to no end. Causing problems with their TV sets and wireless. It's all in the Hz and what they are running at.
Take care,
BG
 
R

redroot

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good thread billygoat. do you know where they sell the paint? very clever stuff. just what i need.
 
sky high

sky high

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I'm legal so I'm not worried about the cops in this instance or setting off a red flag.

I have wireless, cable TV, Trimeter, cordless phone/etc.....none of which seem affected by the ballasts.

I've seen poorly wired cable TV installs that put out more RF than these seem to...

great thread.

s h
 
Billygoat

Billygoat

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63
Here's some links to sites selling this type of paint. This is the only place i could find doing a quick search. I'll find some other locations, but I'm sure your local paint store should have it or could order it for you. Next time I'm at lowes or home depot. I'm going to ask the guys there about it. I'm sure in the upscale area's. They will be stocking this stuff.

http://www.lessemf.com/paint.html


sky high, that's cool your legal. I'm legal also and don't have a issue, because I run good old coil units. Glad to hear your ballast are fine. Like i said before and i'm saying now. Some have issues and so don't. I've seen with my own eye's at a local hydro shop. They had a return unit that was keying a bad signal. You could fire it up right there. Then the cordless wouldn't work right. Also, sale rep was talking about some issues with some of the companies and how the designs where done.

Not ripping on anyone or any one design, but when people are growing in some of these states and they can not worry about one thing bring LEO to their door. I say, take all measure. Me, I would never use or buy one of these units. That's just my 2-cents and call me old. My grow goes down and that old 2-71 fires up to supply power while the power company is out. I want to know that my ballast are going to be fine.

I know this is another subject, but getting with the major player of digital ballast and asking if they would be fine on a 21K Delco coil wound generator head that's been around for years with out any issues to any other products on the market. You know what they said? It would void the warranty hooking them up to a generator supply. Even with a better and more controlled power source. I've seen the power from the power company surge many times here. Consist power my ass. lolol

My point if I got one. If someone is keying a signal and it's bad and they live to close to another house or in a apartment building. They are going to either step on, or bleed over to tv, cell phone, cordless phone, radio, etc. It all depends on the Hz.

Again, not ripping on anyone. I see it as being safe then sorry. Some ballast are shield poorly and others are fine. If you have one that is causing problems. Here is a way to help the problem. or, you could get a different ballast. To me, safety comes first.
Take care,
BG
 
sky high

sky high

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313
Much respect for bringing the topic up, Billygoat.

be well

s h
 
B

been

Guest
I am trying to find out if digital ballast user experience a high pitch squealing from their lamps at any time. :wazzup:
 
Billygoat

Billygoat

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63
I thought I would never say these words, but it looks like I'm going to buy a unit. Looking to pick up a 600 240 volt unit next week and run it with a XXXL hood.

I'll post my opion on the unit and put it threw a good test with everything I can throw at it, but like others have posted. It all depends on the Hz. This is where you get RF bleeding or stepping on a electronic device.

Will see what happens. Again, never thought i would be getting one of these units. The world is about to end, lolol joking. I'll post everything. Bulb type, noise, heat, RF problems, etc.
take care,
BG
 
thinman

thinman

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Billygoat, i'm betting you're gonna love your digital ballast. i'm an old fart, sat back and waited for the technology to improve, then bought a couple lumatek ballasts (1000 watts by 240 voltage). my system is hard wired, which means in theory i should have some RF leakage. as a test, i measured the ph of my tap water out in the back yard, then measured the ph on the same sample very close to the ballasts---same reading, no interference. have not noticed any unusual interference with my cell phone or wireless laptop when used in the room with the ballasts running.

i have been totally satisfied with the reliability of my lumatek ballasts and can't see myself returning to the hot, noisey coil ballasts any time soon. the lights come to full power much quicker than before and seem to be brighter---to the naked eye. the thing i like most is the light weight of the ballasts. because they are so much more quiet and give off much less heat, i have them mounted right in the flower room---whereas before i had to mount the coil ballasts in a different part of the house.

the most negative reports about these ballasts seem to involve the warranty issues. mine have been up and running for nearly 2 years without a single issue. i'm sure i voided my warranty the moment i hard wired them anyways.
 
Hrpuffnstuff

Hrpuffnstuff

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When you use more than 3 , will come across AM , HZ freqs
Ham operators can pin point these cause it screws up there chatting with there other HAM buddies those kinda guys have no life and love to try to pin point whats screwing there deal up... Lumitek said its not the ballasts they have reworked them few times trying to figure it out , they came to conclusion that its the bulbs and cords causing it.. ??? if they say so?! ..
i guess you could lead wrap the cords and hoods if its that big of a deal, some situations may call for it , ... ?
Some of the other cannabis sites have few topics on this same deal
 
B

been

Guest
Here's a little tidbit I found on venture's site.

Electronic Ballasts
Fluorescent lighting now uses electronic ballasts for essentially all new commercial lighting in the US, largely because of energy legislation. Fluorescent lamps generate more lumens per watt when operated at high frequency and have no compatibility issues. HID lamps have two issues. There is no demonstrable LPW improvement at high frequency and they exhibit acoustic resonances that disturb lamp operation at the frequencies used for fluorescent lamps. As a result, the adoption of electronic HID ballasts has been slow.

venturelighting.com/TechCenter/BallastTypes.html
 
I

InvisibleM

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My digital ballast causes AM radio interference all the way out to the street... nothing else just the am radio. There are rf shields you can buy, basically screens. I'll check out your links.
 
Billygoat

Billygoat

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63
thinman, I'm the same way as you. I'm going to test the 600/240 unit. Will see what happens, but my main reason is for noise now. I've got to get the noise level down. I love the old coil uses and use the Harvest Pro Elites and love them, but get bunch of them together and it get's a little noisy. The heat levels have gotten pretty high also. If the digital works out. I'll replace the other coils and run them.

This has just got to last me till about spring time. Then I should be in the works on building my new green house. Which will have green house lights and be in the middle of the sticks. Thanks for the post everyone. I'll post my results, even my buddies at the local hydro store are laughing. Some use them and others don't, but they know my feeling on digital and thinks it funny.

Thanks for all the info. Take care and good luck with the gardens.
Later,
BG
 
O

ogluver

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good post billygoat. I have used both lumatek and futurebrite. Both cause the non-cable tv signal to go nuts. Only get a few channels once they go on. If I was really close to a neighbor it would worry me more
 
F

Fubsy

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I am trying to find out if digital ballast user experience a high pitch squealing from their lamps at any time. :wazzup:

I had this problem with 1000w e ballasts and hortilux bulbs. The ballasts were nice and quiet but the bulbs screamed like banshees, made it unbearable to work with the lights on. The bulbs were fine when run in core and coil ballasts.
 
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