Outside outlet kills reception

[tvengr]

If you don't see a test button on the balcony outlets, there may be only one GFI protected circuit in the apartment. The test button and the GFI for that circuit may be in your bathroom. The outlets on your balcony may be just standard outlets on the GFI circuit. If the radio in the charger will continue to function on battery power, press the test button on the GFI to trip it and see if the radio receives OK. Also, try plugging the radio into the outlet in your bathroom and see if it also blanks the receiver. A different brand GFI may not have that problem. If I trip the GFI in the bathroom at my home, it also kills the outside outlets.

 

[AB4BF]

I've used a slew of GFCIs over the years both in commercial and residential venues. IMHO, LeGrande GFCIs have shown themselves to be the best so far, YMMV. DO NOT use walmart or any other box store to purchase GFCIs. They will get you hurt.

One of my son's GFs had a regular outlet on her house in the back yard connected to 2 more regular outlets in the walls supplied by one GFCI located in the garage. The house had been recently built on a slab and the underground wire looked to be ran and buried in the slab (?). The GFCI had gone bad causing the rest of them to not work. I still wonder if this was kosher.

 

[Eng74]

Have you tried plugging a power strip into the outdoor outlet and then plugging into that? It might clean up the power supply.

 

[a417]

See if you can have them place regular outlets and have a GFCI breaker put in? Not sure if code allows that, but it moves the emission source away from your patio...

 

[KevinC]

I’m a fair person. My suggestion of it being the GFCI outlet may or may not be correct. So I don’t want everyone focusing on just that, let’s keep on thinking up other possibilities and/or troubleshooting ideas.

 

[dragon48]

As I posted earlier it’s probably because they are GFCI outlets.

I’m a fair person. My suggestion of it being the GFCI outlet may or may not be correct. So I don’t want everyone focusing on just that, let’s keep on thinking up other possibilities and/or troubleshooting ideas.

You are 100% correct. The outside outlet bank is GFCI. None of the indoor outlets are GFCI. I tested earlier today: I got reception on a radio, then lost reception when I connected it to a charging port on the outlet. As soon as I hit the test button, the reception came back. The test button did do what it what it was supposed to have one, as it stopped powering the charger.

Anyway, with daily thunderstorms coming soon to South Florida, as they do every summer, it would be very irresponsible to try and get the outlet replaced with a non GFCI outlet. Also, there is something about my building structure, or perhaps the specific area, that make it prone to lightning strikes, so safety is of the utmost importance.

Have you tried plugging a power strip into the outdoor outlet and then plugging into that? It might clean up the power supply.

See if you can have them place regular outlets and have a GFCI breaker put in? Not sure if code allows that, but it moves the emission source away from your patio...

Appreciate the suggestions, but it's easier for me to wire around the problem with an extension cord. I only furthered the thread as I wanted to figure out the root cause.

Lots of good problem solvers here.

 

[KMG54]

Nothing radio related, though I have a mast mount preamp for my discone on my bench to be tested.

It struck a 4 foot metal wire fence post I had recently stuck in the ground by a large tree 10 feet outside my window where I was seated when it struck. It was an incandescent flash. That fence post had a PVC safety cap on top, blown apart and charred. Traveled through the tree roots to my sprinkler system, damaged two big PVC pipes, blew my RainBird timer box apart. The door and some interior parts blown away. That current flowed into the garage branch circuit and did some havoc to random stuff in the house. I am building a custom surge protector for the replacment RainBird using 1 amp fuses, bigger MOV's and spark gaps. There was also damage to my computer network that I think was magnetically induced. Very difficult to R56 a 2900 SQ foot house, though my grounding is beefed up.

Hehe, when I was living in Florida took a lightning strike to a 40 Queen Palm tree. Set the top of the tree on fire, but I had a driveway lamp post across the yard. Same as you, it found the ground. It looked like someone ran a Ditch Whitch from the tree to the lamp. Never found the top of the light. Kicked a few breakers, but no serious damage.

 

[a417]

Have you tried plugging a purely resistive load into the outlets in question? It could be the wall-wart/SMPS that is causing the noise. Do you have access to an oscilloscope that could look at the AC output?

 

[dragon48]

Have you tried plugging a purely resistive load into the outlets in question? It could be the wall-wart/SMPS that is causing the noise. Do you have access to an oscilloscope that could look at the AC output?

No, and I don't have an oscilloscope. I already proved it was the CFGI outlet. No problems with the same power supply in non CFGI outlets.

I do appreciate your help, but I no longer care about this.

 

[a417]

but I no longer care about this.

You have a good night.

 

[dragon48]

You have a good night.

You too.