|
 Some of these posts are very old and might contain outdated information. You may wish to search for newer posts instead.
|
 othyem
Registered: 03/21/12
Posts: 49
Last seen: 7 years, 5 months
|
 Tips for dealing with rf interference. 
#667800 - 04/26/13 10:49 PM (10 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
I'm running 6 1000 watters and 2 400 watters that are digital. No
Interference with my wifi cable or Internet. A.M. Radio is completely gone 20 feet infront of my house. The ballasts are some cheap Chinese ones called ipower only even using them because they were free. Any good ways to deal with this aside from buying all new ballasts?
Also, there is a house at the end of my block that I always thought was a grow house, well A.M. Radio is killed completely at the road in front of their house hah.
|
 Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: othyem]
#667825 - 04/27/13 05:00 AM (10 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
I just wouldn't worry about it.
--------------------
Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
|
eyedea
kickin' it to the licks
Registered: 01/29/10
Posts: 5
Loc: The Lost & Found
Last seen: 10 years, 10 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: Hawksresurrection]
#671900 - 05/20/13 06:31 PM (10 years, 10 months ago) |
|
|
Who listens to A.M. radio?
--------------------
you can kill a man, but not his eyedeas
Shroomery
|
Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: eyedea]
#671961 - 05/21/13 12:39 AM (10 years, 10 months ago) |
|
|
I do...
--------------------
Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
|
PoloDown
Stranger Danger
Registered: 07/13/12
Posts: 1,559
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: eyedea]
#671982 - 05/21/13 09:52 AM (10 years, 10 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
eyedea said:
Who listens to A.M. radio?
my dad. anyone who wants to hear the news or a talk show.
|
SmokeSomeHash
Littlest pee pee on da block
Registered: 02/26/13
Posts: 1,555
Loc: murica 
Last seen: 8 years, 2 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: PoloDown]
#672025 - 05/21/13 06:05 PM (10 years, 10 months ago) |
|
|
I do too
Dave ramsey financial peace and coast to coast am with george norey!!!
--------------------
|
joshisstoned
strange
Registered: 10/26/09
Posts: 120
Loc: Akron
Last seen: 10 years, 8 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: SmokeSomeHash]
#672150 - 05/22/13 10:19 PM (10 years, 10 months ago) |
|
|
Man. So magnetic ballasts interfer with am radio signals? That's good to know.
--------------------
Give me the bat wendy!
|
Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: joshisstoned]
#672164 - 05/23/13 05:24 AM (10 years, 10 months ago) |
|
|
I haven't noticed the 4 of mine fuck with it.
--------------------
Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
|
SmokeSomeHash
Littlest pee pee on da block
Registered: 02/26/13
Posts: 1,555
Loc: murica
Last seen: 8 years, 2 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: othyem]
#672175 - 05/23/13 07:43 AM (10 years, 10 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
joshisstoned said:
Man. So magnetic ballasts interfer with am radio signals? That's good to know.
Quote:
othyem said:
I'm running 6 1000 watters and 2 400 watters that are digital.
--------------------
|
joshisstoned
strange
Registered: 10/26/09
Posts: 120
Loc: Akron
Last seen: 10 years, 8 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: SmokeSomeHash]
#672211 - 05/23/13 11:39 AM (10 years, 10 months ago) |
|
|
I see....
--------------------
Give me the bat wendy!
|
Ped
Relax
Registered: 05/31/13
Posts: 62
Last seen: 10 years, 7 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: othyem]
#677987 - 07/14/13 09:24 PM (10 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Like many people, I use a clock radio to wake up in the morning. Recently, whenever my alarm went off, instead of the radio station all I could hear was a buzzing noise. Cycling through stations, all had the same exact noise.
Thinking there was something wrong with my radio, I picked up a new one. Same noise. Same exact sound.
It wasn't long before I made the connection. It was my Lightspeed Digital Ballast. It also explained the brief internet outages I've been experiencing lately.
So I hopped in my car and switched on the AM radio. Same noise. What was really alarming was that after driving to the end of the block, I could still hear it. Stations came in soon after I got down the driveway, but none were absent of that peculiar symmetrical buzz. This effect persisted almost a kilometre away.
This is really alarming. My ballast is beaming a loud, constant clue about my activities 18 hours a day. There is a police station about five kilometres away, and a few of the officers who work there live in the neighbourhood. If any of them should know what to listen for, it's game over.
I need to deal with this immediately. If anyone's had this problem and has deployed a cost effective solution, I'd like to hear about it. There's a lot of conflicting information from tin-foil hat crack pots on the internet, and not a lot of accessible science.
--------------------
|
Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: Ped]
#678007 - 07/15/13 12:00 AM (10 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Um, there would be no real effective way for them to track that down to a single house. So I wouldn't be overly concerned. They also wouldn't have the resources for and investigation like that. Stop being paranoid and focus on your plants man 
--------------------
Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
|
Ped
Relax
Registered: 05/31/13
Posts: 62
Last seen: 10 years, 7 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: Hawksresurrection] 1
#678026 - 07/15/13 12:24 AM (10 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
I hear what you're saying, but I don't think it's paranoia and I do think they certainly could trace it here. The signal degrades with distance, and where I live there's only 5 houses per square kilometre. To locate the source all someone would have to do is drive by with their AM radio on. The difference in signal strength would be glaring between here and the nearest neighbour.
I get what you're saying about being paranoid, but this is how I look at it: Now I know this thing about ballasts. I know the radiation really extends quite far, and I know that it gets louder as you get closer to the source. Now that I know this, I can use it to detect other gardens anywhere, any time, using only the radio built into my dash. To the people with those gardens, the number of people in the world aware of their activities increases, and it happens completely out of their control and without their knowledge.
That's a vulnerability. What's stopping enforcement from deploying this method? What's stopping rippers? It's as big a hole in my security as an odour problem would be to passing noses, or a light leak to passing eyes. The only difference here is that a piece of commonplace technology is required to supplement the ears.
Security is especially important because it's not just me, but my entire family at stake. Since this is a medical grow for a cancer patient, and since that patient is part of my immediate family, the risk-benefit ratio has to be appropriate to that circumstance. That means covering all the bases.
You're right, it's unlikely to lead to a bad outcome, but it's better to be safe and a little too careful than sorry for not being careful enough to protect my loved ones' freedom.
--------------------
|
Magash
The Feminizer
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 6,634
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: Ped]
#678262 - 07/16/13 07:26 PM (10 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
You'd also be tracking down microwave ovens, portable heaters, dryers, and blow dryers. No they wouldn't be able to track down a garden that way or gardens would be dropping like fly's here in the states.
--------------------
All creatures tremble when faced with violence. All creatures fear death, all love life. If we can only see ourselves in others, then how could we possibly hurt another creature?
 Join us at the Growery!
|
Ped
Relax
Registered: 05/31/13
Posts: 62
Last seen: 10 years, 7 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: Magash]
#678638 - 07/18/13 09:22 PM (10 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
I suppose that's true. It's simply that the interference it generates is quite distinctive. It has a "digital" quality to it, not like a microwave which just generates some noise for a minute at a time. You can hear the factor correction, even half a block away.
Ultimately I guess you're right; if it was a viable means of detection we'd see a lot more of it happening. Right here right now, though, I don't see how it's not so obvious as to be great big security hole.
--------------------
|
SmokeSomeHash
Littlest pee pee on da block
Registered: 02/26/13
Posts: 1,555
Loc: murica
Last seen: 8 years, 2 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: Ped]
#678679 - 07/19/13 08:20 AM (10 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
My am radio gets noise at intersections with lights...neighborhoods...all over the place...
Dont worry about it
--------------------
|
BluntguY 207
That Guy
Registered: 09/19/13
Posts: 462
Loc: North East Coast
Last seen: 8 years, 9 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: SmokeSomeHash]
#692049 - 11/05/13 04:04 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
|
|
I had my internet company show up last week. said my wireless modem was causing feedback into there system. said it interferes with airplane radios and signals. My modem was on the wall near my 2 1000k lights.... Had to move modem to another room. Didnt cause any problems on my end but I guess caused all kinds of problems on there end. HAHA
--------------------
"Self sufficient medical marijuana patient"
"I should be sponsered by Swisher Sweets"
|
Data
That Guy
Registered: 08/12/08
Posts: 3,980
Loc: Southwestern US
|
|
Quote:
hawksapprentice said:
Um, there would be no real effective way for them to track that down to a single house. So I wouldn't be overly concerned. They also wouldn't have the resources for and investigation like that. Stop being paranoid and focus on your plants man
Hey guys sorry to resurrect an old thread but I feel like this must be said. Cable companies and the FCC have specific requirements regarding RF emissions from a residence. If you are causing enough RFI that you can pick it up on your AM radio down the road, then your local cable man can very easily detect and locate the source of this RFI on whats called a Cable Signal Leak Survey. These surveys are required by the FCC on a regular basis.
The FCC also occasionally does their own scanning for any spurious emissions that could potentially affect air traffic or emergency communications. Should they detect any signal from your residence that exceeds the limits of FCC Part 15 or Part 18, then they will locate said source, and come to your door to fix it. They use similar systems to enforce radio band regulations and prosecute violators.
Normally these digital ballasts are expected to comply with FCC regulations, but not all of them do. For us, this is not a good thing to have operating for very long. The only way to know for sure is to either buy or build an RF meter, because the ballast may or may not be transmitting at frequencies that your modem/tv/phone/radio can detect. The only way to deal with any RFI coming from the ballast is to build a Faraday cage around the ballast and the cable running from the ballast to your lamp. This cage will need to be well grounded to work effectively. 
Don't get caught guys
--------------------
“The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you” -NDT
|
P-O
Registered: 10/08/11
Posts: 17,891
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: Data] 1
#723594 - 03/27/14 11:00 PM (10 years, 22 days ago) |
|
|
I actually did days of reading and research on this topic. Seen LOTS of storys of the cable company showing up at growers houses saying "Your house causing interference for the whole neighborhood". Apparently its only the cheaper electronic ballasts that do this.
the ballast i have is a "ipower" its known for RF interference (cheap china ballast). I took a couple steps to just to be extra safe. I put a layer of aluminum tape over my hood+wires+ballast), grounded the hood, put on 4ferrite clip-ons (stops RF), made sure it was plugged directly into the wall (no extension cords). These small measures costed like $10. I did the "AM TEST" (google it if u wanna check your RF). My RF is about 8 ft away from the hood/ballast now. Ive read stories of people have RF interference for blocks away!!! Mostly cheap ballasts that are plugged into extension cords (cord isn't protected on a extension cord)
RF interference is no joke. If you have cable and are using a cheaper ballast, you may wanna check the RF with a AM radio test. If your using magnetic or a high quality ballast you have no worries.
I could post dozens of links/stories of people getting knocks on the door over RF interference. Scary thought!
|
P-O
Registered: 10/08/11
Posts: 17,891
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: P-O]
#723695 - 03/28/14 09:32 PM (10 years, 21 days ago) |
|
|
(cheap on ebay)
|
othyem
Registered: 03/21/12
Posts: 49
Last seen: 7 years, 5 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: P-O]
#724456 - 04/03/14 03:31 AM (10 years, 16 days ago) |
|
|
I'm running the I power digi's too. I have 7k altogether. They knock out am signal to the curb of my house. I've been running them a year with no issues.
I'm 100% legal so I'm not to concerned.
|
Data
That Guy
Registered: 08/12/08
Posts: 3,980
Loc: Southwestern US
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: othyem]
#724502 - 04/03/14 07:06 PM (10 years, 15 days ago) |
|
|
Quote:
othyem said:
I'm running the I power digi's too. I have 7k altogether. They knock out am signal to the curb of my house. I've been running them a year with no issues.
I'm 100% legal so I'm not to concerned.
If you are causing harmful interference at that level you are not legal in the US. You are rolling the dice with the FCC, and while they may not find you for a while, they will eventually notice the RF output from your house. You may not get in trouble for the activity thats causing the interference...but you will get in a buttload of trouble for causing harmful interference.
I had a friend who was amplifying a CB radio to 1500W transmission power. He operated it for about 2 years with no problems. One day he got a knock on the door, and when he answered a group of dudes served him a warrant, pushed their way into his place, and confiscated every bit of radio equipment in his home. They then fined him several thousand dollars for violating FEDERAL LAW.
Just saying guys and gals, the FCC is nothing to mess around with. In a world where nearly all emergency/air traffic communications are accomplished via RF, you don't wanna be that guy who is jamming up that system with your grow lights.
--------------------
“The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you” -NDT
|
M3LM3L
Stranger
Registered: 07/12/16
Posts: 1
Last seen: 7 years, 9 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: Data]
#816810 - 07/12/16 11:39 PM (7 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
The first time 2 cable guys showed up, i had lots of open lines and splitters, a new 1000 watt thunder pro and they came a few feet in the house to unhook splitter and close the circuit to the old cable... Its been about a month, its hot, I have it dimmed to 400, 1 of the original cable guys shows up, says it is still a problem?, this time he follows the line in, sees my fan room where i have a couple of seedlings under a baby bulb, and goes in my basement (basically everywhere but my 'personal' closet) and finally reroutes the line in. I am a legal small grow in a medi state, I know my place smells like blueberry dank, how nervous should i be about getting reported to law enforcement? and does anyone know if mi law enforcement knows who grows in their county?
|
oggy
Stranger
Registered: 12/15/14
Posts: 16
Last seen: 5 years, 7 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: M3LM3L]
#816854 - 07/13/16 10:53 PM (7 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Well placed capacitors will help reduce noise and interference in your circuit, if it's something you have built yourself.
|
Data
That Guy
Registered: 08/12/08
Posts: 3,980
Loc: Southwestern US
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: oggy] 1
#816860 - 07/14/16 05:38 AM (7 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
We are talking about RF emissions of grow lighting, as that is really the only piece of grow equipment that is using high frequency, high power resonant circuits. Adding capacitors in the vague manner you've suggested would more than likely brick a ballast, and possibly start a fire.
Filter capacitors can be safely installed downstream of a rectifying power supply (if you know how to identify that particular circuit), and a more complex series of high voltage varicaps and variable inductors can be used to perform impedance matching between the ballast and the power cable, or the power cable and the light....but an easier way to do this is by selecting an appropriate length of shielded cable, or to use a ferrite bead on the cable to change its transmission characteristics.
Sorry man, but without more details or a tek, adding capacitors to a ballast circuit is a very bad idea.
--------------------
“The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you” -NDT
|
Fat_A
Stranger
Registered: 06/07/16
Posts: 43
Loc: Sweden 
Last seen: 5 months, 8 days
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: Data]
#816868 - 07/14/16 12:26 PM (7 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Damn agamotes you know your shit
--------------------
Im doing this because its so fun!
|
oggy
Stranger
Registered: 12/15/14
Posts: 16
Last seen: 5 years, 7 months
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: Fat_A]
#816882 - 07/15/16 12:35 AM (7 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
I did put a small disclaimer in there with that built yourself part. I don't recommend taking a part any ballast that isn't of your own design.
I only posted because I thought othyem was the OP and that page 2 was page 1. 
Edited by oggy (07/15/16 12:38 AM)
|
Data
That Guy
Registered: 08/12/08
Posts: 3,980
Loc: Southwestern US
|
Re: Tips for dealing with rf interference. [Re: oggy]
#816887 - 07/15/16 08:46 AM (7 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Gotcha, and yea if you know where to place them in a custom circuit, then yourstatement is 100% correct. 
--------------------
“The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you” -NDT
|
|
Threaded
Previous
Index
Next
Edit 
Reply 
