Ballasts cutting my internet and tv

[Joe Fresh]

Ok so I just upgraded 7 of my 13 ballasts from old school magnetic...

And when they all turn on at the same time my internet and tv gets permanently cut until I go and turn off all electronic ballasts... then internet and TV comes back....

If I plug the ballasts in one by one with a minute or 2 delay then everything is fine

Ballasts are solistek... got them used... 3 are old model and 4 are new model v.20(2 of which are the matrix LCD display models)


The other this is I'm running 13 ballasts on relays... so the 13 ballasts are on 24/7 but are powering up 13 lights in each room on 12/12.... and every time the timer flips the relays for the lights to switch from one room to the other the internet gets cut and the TV as well...(TV runs of modem with bell Canada..so if modem goes down then so does tv)

To be clear it's not wifi.... it's the signal going from the phone Jack to the modem..
It's like the line just gets cut and modem doesnt recieve any signal

 

[calkurt73]

My advise is to put some kind of timer to stagger the lights coming on. All 12 lights are too much load on start-up. Maybe stagger them so that 4 come on, then wait 5 min. before starting 3 more, then another 5 before starting the last 3. You could do this pretty easily by installing a 4 station digital timer on the circuit that controls the lighting relays. The lights pull many more amps when they start than they do while running. This should keep your tv and internet up when the lights change over. IMHO

 

[DistyDemon]

Just wait until the com-crap (comcast) guy drives your neighbor hood with a back-feed detector and finds your house. They WILL put a tap on your incoming line, thus making your internet and cable work like sheet!

Sounds like your having MAJOR RF issues. Just think what happens to all your immediate neighbors. If yours poops out momentarily , so does your neighbors who have the same service.

You may need faraday cages

 

[Jimster]

Electronic "smart" ballasts generate a TON of RF energy. Try listening to an AM radio near one and you will just hear buzzing. Some digital systems for internet use differing frequencies to allow for other pieces of equipment using the same frequency, since several "channels" might be already used. Usually, when first turned on, a scan will check for available frequencies and will choose an unused channel. If everything is turned on at once, it can overload the ability to find a clear channel, with the result being a dead line. Phones are mostly digital anymore and anything that will affect wi-fi can kill the phones. Since TV is digital now as well, it gets thrown out with the bathwater.
Resetting the router/modem after powering up the lights might correct the problem, or powering them up staggered, like you are doing, might be necessary. Older digital equipment causes alot of RF noise... most newer equipment address this but older equip might not.

 

[LeHerber]

Cover your ballasts with some sort of insulation for RF interference. Make sure your cables leading to your lamps and outlets aren’t junk. Or move your router. Priorities man

 

[m8ty]

Good 'ol analog ballasts

 

[Trustfall]

Well now ya know why the guy was selling them ...

 

[MIMedGrower]

I have current solis tech ballasts and have no rf interference. I used to use galaxy. They are advertised not to have the interference. And they didn't. But i only run 2 ballasts. Cant speak for more at once.

 

[jsmo]

Sounds like RF leak. It also sounds pretty strong if it's getting through the cable wire shielding. Cable companies have guys driving the lines with RF leak detectors looking for leaks to fix. They have to do this because the FCC does fly-overs and fines the cable companies for RF leaks since it can interfere with aircraft. You could be backfeeding RF into the cable lines and/or affecting your neighbors service as well so it's in your best interest to close up your cable system to RF leaks as well.

You should block the RF at the ballasts and also seal up the cable system. Might be easier to buy new ballasts depending on your budget.

1. There's information on the www for how to shield (block RF) the ballasts.
2. Close the cable system to RF.

a. Buy some 'F-type terminators' that have good ratings from amazon.​

b. Find where the main cable (RG11 or RG6) wire enters your home. The round wire (telephone is flat, power is usually bigger than the rest).​

c. Follow that round wire to the cable splitter and use a terminator from step a. on any splitter nubs that aren't being used.​

d. Follow each wire from the splitter and make sure it's not dangling somewhere not plugged into anything. If you find 1 unplug it from the splitter and terminate the nub.​

e. Put a terminator on any unused wall outlet.​

f. Inspect the cable wires around the house to ensure they are in good condition and there's no cracks in the sheathing. Replace any questionable wires.​

f. Cable system should now be sealed to RF feedback.​

 

[LeHerber]

And also I’ve never had this issue and I run Nanolux and Phantom. And I’ve ran every pice of Amazon junk out there and a couple homemade ones in no sort of shielding at all and still never had this issue. And been in extremely close quarters like apartments in the past. I’d say the core of that problem is junk (defective) ballasts. Maybe they were wired up wrong previously and something is fried inside. But jsmo has the right idea, if your that dedicated to those ballasts, if that’s the issue and not some other pice of auxiliary hardware doing this unnoticed

 

[LeHerber]

The problem could be a single unit not all of them. Something to consider
That’s a certified bag of cats sir
Good luck