Help with Scanner Interference

[redferrariowner]

This is my situation. I have a scanner mounted in my truck. I also have fog lights and a CB, but have never had any sort of interference problems. Recently I bought one of those LED light bars you mount under the tailgate that light up when you brake, put on a turn signal, etc. The lightbar requires a constant 12v Supply wire from the battery. Up until recently, this wire went to a switch next to the scanner. But every time the signal would flash, your I would hit the brake, the scanner picked up interference. Today I took the wire off the switch and moved the wire completly out of the cab and now its only under the hood and under the vehicle, yet it still picks up interference, but not as bad. Once again, there are other wires like this around but Ive never had trouble. Although this is the only 12v wire going to the rear of the vehicle, past the Coaxial cable for the antenna (about a foot and a half away from it). Any ideas as to what could be causing the interference. It obviously sounds like the 12v wire to me because when the wire isnt hot, theres no trouble. Thanks for any input!

 

[ResQguy]

1. Where is this light grounded?
2. Why does it need a switch?
3. Most "line of fire" brake lights plug into the trailer harness, does yours not have this provision?

 

[mjthomas59]

Where are you pulling the power from to run your scanner? Also, where are you getting the power from to run your led brake light? It seems strange that something like that would cause a problem, i have all kinds of stuff wired up in my truck and i have no interference problems at all.

Is the power source you are running your scanner off of shielded in anyway? It could just be some electrical interference due to an increase drain on the battery/alternator, although i wouldn't think an led bar would pull that much juice. They do make filters you can put on the power wire to reduce interference coming from the motor, something like that may be of help to you.

 

[redferrariowner]

1. Where is this light grounded?
2. Why does it need a switch?
3. Most "line of fire" brake lights plug into the trailer harness, does yours not have this provision?

1. Grounded Im assuming through the trailer harness 2. I had the switch and wire already hooked up and was gonna use it for back up lights, but I got this light bar instead, so it was just on there. 3. It does connect to the trailer harness, but it also has a wire to plug into the back up light wire, and a constant 12v wire which it requires (I dont know, just the way its made I guess)

 

[redferrariowner]

Where are you pulling the power from to run your scanner? Also, where are you getting the power from to run your led brake light? It seems strange that something like that would cause a problem, i have all kinds of stuff wired up in my truck and i have no interference problems at all.

Is the power source you are running your scanner off of shielded in anyway? It could just be some electrical interference due to an increase drain on the battery/alternator, although i wouldn't think an led bar would pull that much juice. They do make filters you can put on the power wire to reduce interference coming from the motor, something like that may be of help to you.

The power for the scanner is from the fuse box, the wire to the lightbar is right off the battery. Nothing is really shielded, and I doubt its straining the battery. Could it have to do with the fact the scanner is coming from the fuse box?