RF interference
- Thread starter kfenn
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hbiss
EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
- Location
- Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
- Occupation
- EC
Re: RF interference
RFI affecting what? Really don't think RFI generated by ballasts and light fixtures is a big issue.
-Hal
RFI affecting what? Really don't think RFI generated by ballasts and light fixtures is a big issue.
-Hal
hbiss
EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
- Location
- Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
- Occupation
- EC
Re: RF interference
Steve, don't you know that AM radio rots your brain?
It's not necessarily that the signal is overpowered but that it has been weakened to begin with due to the building steel, etc. Of course all you are going to hear then are local sources of RF which doesn't mean they are a problem, just that they are about as strong as the greatly attenuated AM stations. If the AM signals were what they ar outside the building the RFI wouldn't be heard at all.
Kfenn, I have never heard of any kind of RFI filters or protection for your application nor have I ever heard of a problem. Sounds like someone is looking for a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. Are you actually seeing problems with this equipment?
I submit that if any equipment is RFI sensitive the solution would be to shield the equipment rather than going after every source of RF which can be much more than lights especially in a hospital setting.
The first place to start however would be the manufacturer of the equipment that is having RFI problems.
-Hal
Steve, don't you know that AM radio rots your brain?
It's not necessarily that the signal is overpowered but that it has been weakened to begin with due to the building steel, etc. Of course all you are going to hear then are local sources of RF which doesn't mean they are a problem, just that they are about as strong as the greatly attenuated AM stations. If the AM signals were what they ar outside the building the RFI wouldn't be heard at all.Kfenn, I have never heard of any kind of RFI filters or protection for your application nor have I ever heard of a problem. Sounds like someone is looking for a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. Are you actually seeing problems with this equipment?
I submit that if any equipment is RFI sensitive the solution would be to shield the equipment rather than going after every source of RF which can be much more than lights especially in a hospital setting.
The first place to start however would be the manufacturer of the equipment that is having RFI problems.
-Hal
Re: RF interference
Hal:
In hospitals, RF filters are recomended for fluorescent light fixtures. (Sorry, Kfenn, but I haven't any good sources of info). Fluorescent lights are probably the worst source of RF. Most manufacturers have options for factory installation of a capacitor across the ballast input (that's all that is really needed to eliminate most of the RF). For example, add a RF1 to a lithonia part number to get one capacitor per fixture, or a RF2 to get one capacitor per ballast. And a EIS1 or EIS2 gets you a military specification filter(s).
The thing that really puzzles me: why don't the manufacturers just add the capacitor to every fixture, or in the ballast? It couldn't cost more than a dime. But I guess when you sell a million fixtures, a dime each becomes a lot.
Steve
Hal:
In hospitals, RF filters are recomended for fluorescent light fixtures. (Sorry, Kfenn, but I haven't any good sources of info). Fluorescent lights are probably the worst source of RF. Most manufacturers have options for factory installation of a capacitor across the ballast input (that's all that is really needed to eliminate most of the RF). For example, add a RF1 to a lithonia part number to get one capacitor per fixture, or a RF2 to get one capacitor per ballast. And a EIS1 or EIS2 gets you a military specification filter(s).
The thing that really puzzles me: why don't the manufacturers just add the capacitor to every fixture, or in the ballast? It couldn't cost more than a dime. But I guess when you sell a million fixtures, a dime each becomes a lot.
Steve
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