Replies

1. 
   Piffin | Dec 31, 2004 11:36pm | #1

   Yeppuers Light is a tool

    

    

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2. 
   P3Driver | Jan 01, 2005 01:53am | #2

   I installed four 8 foot fixtures, from HD, in my garage last year and I haven't had any problems with radio reception.

1. 
   Manchild | Jan 01, 2005 04:12am | #3

   The guy at HD said that it makes a difference if the radio is on the same circuit as the lights. Can a bad ballast emanate electricity that is picked up by the radio antennae?

   I just don't want to buy 10 of these lights and have a problem. At $27 a piece I'm looking a fair chunk of change and the thought of fixing them makes me wary.

1. 
   P3Driver | Jan 01, 2005 07:00pm | #4

   I would definately recommend that the lights be on a seperate circuit from your outlets.  Fluorescent lights put out a lot of EMF and cause problems with radios and computers on the same circuit or even placed close to them.  Every office and shop in America uses these lights so they shouldn't give you any problems.  Be sure that the fixtures are grounded well.

3. 
   DennisS | Jan 02, 2005 07:43pm | #5

   David -

   My electrical contractor recommended the kind of high output instant on flourescent fixtures for my shop. They put out a lot of light, are unaffected by the cold (instant on feature) and .... they put out produce a hellish amount of RF noise. All the lighting is on separate circuit(s) but none the less I can't use a radio anywhere in the shop. The only solution would be to change out all the ballasts. As much as I'd like to have sounds in the shop, it just ain't in the budget to do so. I think, though, it depends on the type of ballast used in the lamp or fixture. Like someone else mentioned, these types of fixtures are used in office environments all over so it can't be a serious problem. Perhaps you should specify a non RF emitting ballast??

   ...........
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis
1. 
   Manchild | Jan 03, 2005 12:53am | #6

   Thanks Dennis, I agree with you. I'll talk to my local electrical contractor/supplier tomarrow and see what he has to say. At home depot they don't know much about the ballasts. I could buy the 10 lights from Hd and test each one before instalation. That's  not to say that they could change as soon as I instal them.

1. 
   DennisS | Jan 03, 2005 07:05am | #8

   David -Like so many of the issues that have been plaguing me on this home renovation and shop building project - I didn't know the right questions to ask at the time they should have been asked. As I said, flourescent lighting is used in fact fairly common place in office situations where computers and other electronic equipment is also used. So it must be a case of specifying the correct ballasts in order to avoid the RF interference.I chalk it up to experience............
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

2. 
   koikid | Jan 03, 2005 07:04am | #7

   Hey Dennis,   I have 4 8' fixtures in my wood shop and 5 of them on the other side (mech ) shop.  They are the instant on made for cold weather and I get no RFI from them or from the old standard 4' ones either unless I have one of the old ones flickering. You might want to check the grounding on your lights or just fire one set up at a time and see if you just have one bad one.

    

   Marsh

1. 
   DennisS | Jan 03, 2005 07:10am | #9

   KoiKid -That's a thought - trying them out individually. After getting involved in this discussion I'm beginning to wonder if maybe there isn't something else causing the problem. Why are mine interfering with the radio and no one elses?Oh - are you listening to FM or AM radio? Now that I think of it I don't seem to have noticed interference, or at least as much with AM than with FM............
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

1. 
   koikid | Jan 03, 2005 05:03pm | #10

   Dennis,   I listen to FM in the shop,  Usually AM will pick up electrical noise before FM will.  My wood shop is set up with 4 zones when I wired it, a switch for each zone. 1 new fixture and 1 old fixture on each switch.  It's easy for me to check it out with it set up like this.  You may have one faulty connection in the fixture it's self or a faulty ballast in one.  I'm sure it would be a pain to disconnect each one but that's the best way to shoot the bug.

   Marsh

1. 
   DennisS | Jan 03, 2005 07:20pm | #11

   KoiKid -All my flou. lights are on one switch & circuit so I'd be havin' to take the bulbs out to kill them one by one. The shop ceiling is 10' high. Maybe when I start making loads of dough with what's left over from the sawdust and shavings I'll be able to afford switching out the ballasts.Looks like the shop will be silent for the forseeable future....(grin)...........
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis