CyrusHF said:

If posted in wrong forums please move.

OK so someone local to me has decided to set up a grow.
This person is using cheap nasty ballasts from China. They clearly are not true CE spec.

Now I have been out with a small radio and antenna looking for the sorce and so far said grow is not within 500 metres of my home.

I will continue to look for said grow and have a chat once found.

But I wanted to show you all how bad the switchmode ballasts are.
If you don't have to use switchmode ballasts and can get hold of linear (magnetic ballasts) then do so.

You may well have a AM radio and think your RF interference is not that bad but your am radio is not going to show you how bad the harmonics of the RF is on other bands.

In places where growing weed is illegal and the police bust someone the chances are its because they are creating interference on emergency broadcasting frequencys and amateur radio bands.

As you see in the images the sign wave moves and harmonics of harmonics are created.
The thin lines in the images are radio transmissions. The splatter, swerling lines are harmonics created by grow ballasts.

The other thing is the electrical safety aspect. If the makers couldn't be bothered to add some farite rings and magnetic wire to be compliant with the RF emission laws the chances are they don't give a dam if it smokes and burns down your house.

Just because you can't hear the rfi on your AM radio it doesn't mean its not making harmonics else where.

Some of the junk from China kills the VHF radio spectrum too. And as some have mentioned the UHF bands to.

Keep it clean guys. Keep it safe. Don't buy that China junk.

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