radio reception

[aja21]

I'm experiencing a situation where a garage where I installed new t8 fixtures are causing customers radio to get static, turn off said lights and its ok. Grounding and bonding is ok.

 

[al hildenbrand]

What type of radio? AM, FM, CB, Shortwave, Sirius, etc?

 

[brian john]

Sirius

Don't you mean XM?

 

[dereckbc]

If it is a form of AM like AM broadcast, CB, or HAM it is quite normal using cheap ballast in fixtures.

 

[al hildenbrand]

Don't you mean XM?

Thanks. I don't have any digital radio in my life, other than streaming stations online while I'm writing this.

As I was banging out that question, I couldn't think of XM. :smile:

 

[mgd]

conducted or radiated noise?

 

[catchtwentytwo]

Let's not forget HD Radio.

 

[al hildenbrand]

I'm experiencing a situation where a garage where I installed new t8 fixtures are causing customers radio to get static, turn off said lights and its ok. Grounding and bonding is ok.

You will find that the ballast(s) have an FCC label (Federal Communications Commission) attesting to the standard the ballast must comply with.

The FCC standards basically say that the ballast will make noise, it just can't be harmful.

Some of the recommended fixes are re-orienting the radio. . .now, if the radio is a long distance away, or digital. . .then a ballast may be faulty.

I suspect the radio is AM.

 

[dereckbc]

If it is AM form of radio. The first steo is to make sure the radio is not being shared on the same circuit as the lights.

 

[brian john]

cheap ballast

There is another thread that explains of the risk of shopping at HD

 

[aja21]

Sorry for the delay guys. Just an am/fm portable radio . Got the fixtures from local supply house and they are Sylvania ballasts. They are the same fixtures we used in a parts warehouse and we don't have problems there. They are on a different circuit than the radio. In this garage is a separated room where this doesn't happen.

 

[catchtwentytwo]

Got the fixtures from local supply house and they are Sylvania ballasts.

You should have the supply house contact the fixture manufacturer and Slyvania. If they won't do it, go to the web site(s). If you get no where with the technical people, send a high-level, non-attacking message to the corporate public relation people asking for help in finding a contact. Those PR folks understand "brand name damage".