Reducing RFI off the powerline into radio set

[Dave A]

Would this work to reduced lamp dimmer interference? This is outside of my wheelhouse of knowledge. This sounds like a nice little wall-wart sized module project.

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by Dave A

Would this work to reduced lamp dimmer interference? This is outside of my wheelhouse of knowledge. This sounds like a nice little wall-wart sized module project.

The effects on the BCB from a standard rotary incandescent lamp dimmer, generating line harmonics from Triac and SCRs, should be reduced by this filter.

I used an integrated (grounded) line cord receptacle combo with M-derived filter from a CRT monitor. The 1937 Philco I put it in needed the chassis grounded anyway and it trapped almost all of the line hash, leaving the band nice and open at night.

With fluorescent lights using an SMPS as the electronic ballast , its more of an issue with HF, VHF and FM bands. Much of that interference is radiated from the lamps, not via power line. separation from and nullification with antenna placement helps.

The absolute worst offenders I found were the higher-wattage compact fluorescents operating on electronic ballasts (commercial twin and quad tube 18-42 watts) yet residential screw-in spiral types seem harmless.

The second worst offenders are the three and four-lamp electronic ballasts (2,3 and 4 foot T8 lamps) likely due to higher harmonic current drawn like the twin/quad tube compacts. Two lamp units, even with 8-foot tubes, are not too offensive.

I took great care in selecting "can" and "bowl" lighting for halls and parlors in retirement homes, thinking primarily of the residents that lived there. All the lighting supply houses and even ballast manufacturer reps were ignorant of this issue. I made sure they did when specifying.

I have found that the emission from rapid-start and trigger start magnetic fluorescent ballasts (older T12 lamps) is minimal and only a problem if the fixture is not properly grounded. cheers for old technology

[Captainclock]

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin

The effects on the BCB from a standard rotary incandescent lamp dimmer, generating line harmonics from Triac and SCRs, should be reduced by this filter.

I used an integrated (grounded) line cord receptacle combo with M-derived filter from a CRT monitor. The 1937 Philco I put it in needed the chassis grounded anyway and it trapped almost all of the line hash, leaving the band nice and open at night.

With fluorescent lights using an SMPS as the electronic ballast , its more of an issue with HF, VHF and FM bands. Much of that interference is radiated from the lamps, not via power line. separation from and nullification with antenna placement helps.

The absolute worst offenders I found were the higher-wattage compact fluorescents operating on electronic ballasts (commercial twin and quad tube 18-42 watts) yet residential screw-in spiral types seem harmless.

The second worst offenders are the three and four-lamp electronic ballasts (2,3 and 4 foot T8 lamps) likely due to higher harmonic current drawn like the twin/quad tube compacts. Two lamp units, even with 8-foot tubes, are not too offensive.

I took great care in selecting "can" and "bowl" lighting for halls and parlors in retirement homes, thinking primarily of the residents that lived there. All the lighting supply houses and even ballast manufacturer reps were ignorant of this issue. I made sure they did when specifying.

I have found that the emission from rapid-start and trigger start magnetic fluorescent ballasts (older T12 lamps) is minimal and only a problem if the fixture is not properly grounded. cheers for old technology

I have a 13 Watt CFL Bulb in my lamp on my night stand in my bedroom and in the lamp in my old room at my parents house and I've noticed that those 13 watt (and larger) CFLs (which are electronically ballasted) send severe amounts of EMI interference to my alarm clock Radio next to my bed in my bedroom and to the boombox that's in my old room at my parents house on the FM Band specifically between 88.1 and 98.1 Mhz on the FM dial, I haven't tried the AM Band recently because I haven't had a need to listen to it recently although on my old transformered AM Radios from the 1930s-1950s the AM Band comes in flawlessly even with all of my lights having CFLs in them. Another thing I've noticed is that at my parents place they have 2 Electronically Ballasted 2 bulb T8 Style Florescent lights that replaced 2 2 bulb magnetic ballasted T8 Style florescent lights and anyways whenever the overhead lights are turned on in the basement of my parents house every radio in the house using the FM Band becomes unlistenable and hums like mad and cannot pick up any stations at all, especially on the lower half of the FM dial, so I think that these Electronically ballasted florescent lights whether they be overhead lights or CFLs are extremely noisey when it comes to interfering with radio signals when they're on and need to be banned from use or at the least better regulated and designed to meet FCC Regulations for EMI Interference (which currently as it sits the FCC doesn't regulate nor do they know about the electronic ballasts effects with EMI interference, which means that technically electronic ballasts as they sit right now with all of their EMI interference that they give off are illegal because they aren't regulated by the FCC for their EMI Interference (like TVs, radios and satellite and cable boxes are) and like I said the FCC isn't even aware that Electronic Ballasts give off large amounts of EMI Interference, so because of that these Lighting manufacturers were knowingly manufacturing these ballasts illegally knowing that they gave off large amounts of EMI Interference, and never even bothered to contact the FCC to get their ballasts properly certified or even to get the proper amount of EMI Interference levels from the FCC so that they can make their ballasts within proper and legal specifications concerning EMI Interference emissions.
What I think really needs to happen is to boycott these florescent light manufacturers by buying only Incandescent lights until these florescent lighting manufacturers can properly make their electronic ballasts within legal specifications or go back to making magnetic ballasts again, because its absolutely rediculous that I have to loose my ability to listen to my favorite stations just because these floresent lighting manufacturers are too lazy to make their light fixtures the right and legal way!

Sorry for my long rant but this is how I feel about this issue and I find it frustrating that nothing has been done to rectify this issue so far.