CFL Light Bulb & Scanners

[RonnieUSA]

I have been having a problem with signals dropping out, I think I discovered the problem, it was CFL Light Bulbs that I had in my living room, and kitchen.
I went back to Incandescent Bulbs, and the signal has not dropped once.

Has anyone else had this problem?

[hertzian]

I've had this happen with CFL's, but not with all of them. Seems to be different between manufacturers and even among runs of the same model. Most of my newer ones seem ok - as long as I don't get within a foot or so. The early ones I had about 4 or 5 years ago were just nuts.

Also be on the lookout for LED screw-in replacement bulbs. I tried some expensive ones as an early adopter and was overjoyed not to hear a peep on HF up to 30 mhz. BUT, almost like a switch being thrown, 30-300mhz was totally trashed - and badly.

Sure, going back to incandescents is a solution - but if you still want to go CFL, try to get newer models (not ones that have been shelf-queens at the grocery store for 5 years) and still there's no guarantee - but the odds are better.

[RonnieUSA]

Is there any one brand that is better to go with?
Because the signal has not dropped once since I changed them.
Like You said I may have got a hold of some bad ones.

Thank You

[cg]

I just changed some track lighting to EcoSmart LED bulbs and ended up with terrible interference over VHF. Back to the good old incandescents.

chris

[RonnieUSA]

Originally Posted by cg

I just changed some track lighting to EcoSmart LED bulbs and ended up with terrible interference over VHF. Back to the good old incandescent s.

chris

Same here it's the VHF Band.

[jackj]

Everything you never wanted to know about artificial lighting:

I would think that the interference caused by LED lighting is actually caused by the power supply. I don't think there is any way for the LED itself to generate RF hash. Possibly a ferrite choke around the AC cord, positioned close to the power supply, would reduce or eliminate the noise.

Fluorescent lights, or CFL's, are just an arc of electricity in mercury vapor which generates ultraviolet light that is used to excite a coating inside the tube which then glows with visible light. They are basically "spark-gap" transmitters, so you should expect CFL's to generate RF hash. There are ways to suppress the noise they generate but they will always generate some hash.

[jim202]

Originally Posted by cg

I just changed some track lighting to EcoSmart LED bulbs and ended up with terrible interference over VHF. Back to the good old incandescents.

chris

If you don't complain to the company that made them, then shame on you for allowing the problem to continue.

[rapidcharger]

I have recently noticed an unacceptable amount of RFI from one of the circuline lamps.

[hertzian]

Some old GE's that I had were pretty bad, but the newer ones, especially some of the floods aren't that bad at all - unless you are within maybe a foot or so.

Some off-brand "greenlights" seem to be ok as well as long as you are at least 3 feet away...

[hertzian]

Originally Posted by jackj

I would think that the interference caused by LED lighting is actually caused by the power supply. I don't think there is any way for the LED itself to generate RF hash. Possibly a ferrite choke around the AC cord, positioned close to the power supply, would reduce or eliminate the noise.

You are correct - the Feit led replacements had to be considered as a whole, so yes, the supply inside the bulb was very noisy. This was 3 years ago however. A ferrite choke, even made up of multiple #43 Amidon material chokes did little - most of the energy coming from the lamp itself.

[RonnieUSA]

Is there anything that can be done, other than replacing the bulbs?
Lights are 7 to 8 feet from my radio's.

[cg]

If you have multiple bulbs, try seeing if it is isolated to a single bulb. If not, try a different brand (although they probably are all made by only one or two factories then rebranded).

chris

[jim202]

Originally Posted by RonnieUSA

Is there anything that can be done, other than replacing the bulbs?
Lights are 7 to 8 feet from my radio's.

Your all alike. Complain about the problem, but do nothing about it. If you don't take the noise issue to the company that made them, and let them know your not happy, they won't do anything to solve the problem.

Stand up and be active. Make your voice be heard. Just typing on your keyboard here is like blowing against the wind.

[RonnieUSA]

Originally Posted by cg

If you have multiple bulbs, try seeing if it is isolated to a single bulb. If not, try a different brand (although they probably are all made by only one or two factories then rebranded).

chris

I'll give that a try, because I have some more that I haven't used yet.

[gmclam]

Originally Posted by RonnieUSA

Is there anything that can be done, other than replacing the bulbs?
Lights are 7 to 8 feet from my radio's.

I have been using nothing BUT CFLs for over 10 years and am also surrounded by electronics. The key to me is using an EXTERNAL antenna. If your antenna is on your roof (or at least outside), it shouldn't pick up the CFLs. If you're just using the stock rubber antenna; well, you won't get that great of reception anyway by comparison.

[hertzian]

JIM202 - I think gmclam has the most expedient solution.

I tell you what - you give me the millions to litigate a part-15 violation for a consumer product, and take the rest of my life off to do so and I'll be happy to "stand up" and stop typing. That's how it is in the real-world. As a communications consultant, perhaps you have more contacts and pull than the rest of us peons.

You know where some strongly-worded memos from scanner listeners to a major manufacturer go?

I think the original poster *is* trying to do something about it by seeking out a possible manufacturer that makes quiet bulbs, and accusing RR members of being nothing but complainers that do nothing about it is way off the mark.

Plus, you never know who's lurking. Instead of litigation, maybe, just maybe, someone up the chain gets word from the ground up here.

[RonnieUSA]

Originally Posted by gmclam

I have been using nothing BUT CFLs for over 10 years and am also surrounded by electronics. The key to me is using an EXTERNAL antenna. If your antenna is on your roof (or at least outside), it shouldn't pick up the CFLs. If you're just using the stock rubber antenna; well, you won't get that great of reception anyway by comparison.

I do have an outdoor antenna.
Then it must be something else.

[jim202]

Originally Posted by hertzian

JIM202 - I think gmclam has the most expedient solution.

I tell you what - you give me the millions to litigate a part-15 violation for a consumer product, and take the rest of my life off to do so and I'll be happy to "stand up" and stop typing. That's how it is in the real-world. As a communications consultant, perhaps you have more contacts and pull than the rest of us peons.

You know where some strongly-worded memos from scanner listeners to a major manufacturer go?

I think the original poster *is* trying to do something about it by seeking out a possible manufacturer that makes quiet bulbs, and accusing RR members of being nothing but complainers that do nothing about it is way off the mark.

Plus, you never know who's lurking. Instead of litigation, maybe, just maybe, someone up the chain gets word from the ground up here.

Who said anything about litigation? My comment was to contact the company directly and let them know their product was causing problems to communication receivers.

You would be surprised just what type of results you can get. The bottom line is these companies want to sell their product. If the word gets out that their bulbs are causing problems, what do you think that will do to their sales. Just one small comment to a national news chain that gets onto the national network news would cause untold drop in sales.

[Jimru]

Originally Posted by jim202

Who said anything about litigation? My comment was to contact the company directly and let them know their product was causing problems to communication receivers.

You would be surprised just what type of results you can get. The bottom line is these companies want to sell their product. If the word gets out that their bulbs are causing problems, what do you think that will do to their sales. Just one small comment to a national news chain that gets onto the national network news would cause untold drop in sales.

Some companies really do listen.

Most will send you an apology and a gift certificate to purchase yet more of the offending product.

It certainly can't hurt to let them know your feelings about their product. Of course, any complaint should be worded politely and succinctly.

I also believe in praising a company for a product or service I like.

The OP got some good advice as to how to go about solving the interference issue as well.

I would second the advice of sticking with known name brands and staying away from cheapo non-branded products.

[jackj]

Jim202, do you think that these manufacturers don't already know their product's faults? They didn't just pick a bunch of parts out of a box, throw them together and sell them. They do product testing. But you are right in that the bottom line is profit. As long as sales and profit are acceptable, they are not going to change anything. Throwing light on defectively designed CFL's faults will help by reducing sales.

Writing complaint letters will generate a response, from the PR department. They will send you a letter thanking you and maybe even give you a "bucks off" coupon you can use to buy a "new and improved" version of their noisy light bulbs. But the engineering department will never see the complaint and nothing will change.

The only way to effect change is through their bottom line. Law suits and reduced sale numbers will accomplish this, not complaint letters. But we need to name the companies selling these noisy lamps. If you are afraid of law suits then name the companies who sell quite lamps.