LED in shop = radio static

[jakedaawg]

Well, bought a couple cheap LED lights at menards. 4'ers, ~4000 lumens. Plugged them in to an adaptor plug thing that screws into the existing keyless.

Now my radio has lots of static. Two different circuits for the radio and the lights.

Could it just be they are cheap chinesium lights or ...?

the little compact fluorescent style did not do this. Normal florescent didn't do this.

Any solutions other than different lights?

 

[alldodge]

Assuming there is no dimmer on the lights, most probable cause is the transformer powering the lights, next would be the lights. The good ones have shielding built in to stop the issue. Many of the China stuff are made cheap and don't meet the build standards but to meet UL

 

[southkogs]

Not sure on AM or FM signals, but USB chargers and LED lights can both monkey with VHF signals depending on how it's all located. I'm not an expert, but I've run into the issue a time or two with VHF radios.

Can you hook an auxiliary antenna to your radio and try to run it out a window or something?

 

[Stingrayaxe]

Yep. Cheap LED bulbs are a know cause Of Radio Frequency interference. That's why the garage door opener company I work for recomends not using them in our openers. Bad LED's can interfere with the range of the remotes in the car. A couple of years ago I had a transformer on an electrical devise go bad. It still powered the device but it caused interference on the AM radio band.

 

[Lightwin 3]

.I am told, LED lights actually turn on/off thousands of times per second. We can't see it. Apparently that is why bugs aren't (supposedly) attracted to them.

I can see how that could interfere with radio signals.

 

[alldodge]

.I am told, LED lights actually turn on/off thousands of times per second. We can't see it. Apparently that is why bugs aren't (supposedly) attracted to them.

I can see how that could interfere with radio signals.

That's only if they are being dimmed. An LED can not be dimmed, so it gets turned on/off real fast by a dimmer to reduce the amount of light being emitted

 

[jakedaawg]

Well, this is a drag...was planning on going all LED for brightness and cost savings.

no radio means I will be finding another lighting operation. I'll go nuts wi th out the radio. Been using Pandora but I like rush in the afternoons from time to time...

 

[DouglasW]

Well, this is a drag...was planning on going all LED for brightness and cost savings.

no radio means I will be finding another lighting operation. I'll go nuts wi th out the radio. Been using Pandora but I like rush in the afternoons from time to time...

Most small LED bulbs that are replacements for incandescent bulbs do not have that problem. It's only the larger ones that have their own power supply. The small ones have linear regulation that does not switch on and off.

And the bugs are attracted to my dock's LED light big time. Have to keep the cover on the boat or aim the light elsewhere.

 

[MTboatguy]

I replaced all of florescent lights with LED and got rid of the interference on my radio, the ballast on the old flo lights were killing the radio signal in addition to making my powder scale jump all over the place when I was reloading, I paid for good quality lights and they are working out great.

 

[BWR1953]

I put 10 of those 4000 lumen LED lights in my shop and have no problems with the radio. I listen to FM though and that makes a big difference compared to AM.

I do listen to Rush on FM.

You can also stream from a website and listen via Bluetooth.

 

[82rude]

I have led el cheapos all over the garage and zero issues.

 

[Lightwin 3]

Well, tI like rush in the afternoons from time to time...

Ah ha! You're being jammed by the DNC.

 

[southkogs]

... Been using Pandora but I like rush in the afternoons from time to time...

I'm such a dolt!

I was trying to figure out why you couldn't listen to:

... without the radio. :facepalm:

Apparently half my brain is tied behind my back too.

 

[Grub54891]

You could try putting a ferrite on the wire.

 

[jakedaawg]

You could try putting a ferrite on the wire.

Could you expand on this? Is ferrite what it sounds like? A big hunk of iron? Or a weasel like animal? Lol. Seriously though, what do you mean?

 

[dingbat]

Could you expand on this? Is ferrite what it sounds like? A big hunk of iron? Or a weasel like animal? Lol. Seriously though, what do you mean?

https://www.amazon.com/Ferrite-Core-.../dp/B0002MQGE0

You could be picking up the interference either by antenna or power. Different circuit doesn’t mean different ground plain.

Run an extension cord from house to connect radio. If the interfence goes away get a ferrite. It that doesn’t solve the problem, the lights have junk power supplies. get a new lights

 

[garbageguy]

I'm such a dolt!

I was trying to figure out why you couldn't listen to:
Rush, the band

Funny, I was thinking the same thing, maybe it's the great-white-northness still going on here...

 

[Grub54891]

Ding bat nailed it. I've been outside doing hard work the last couple days. Radio shack should have them also.