Gary,
I do not know if it would help your situation or not, but in my prior work, I
discovered that Advance Transformer (or the name might be "Advanced Magnetics",
not sure), located in the Chicago area, is a large maker of ballasts and that
they have (or had) a 2-wire filter intended to be installed in the AC power
feed of a lamp ballast, right in the fixture. I recall using one or two of
those in special applications where RFI reduction was required to meet customer
needs, and they worked.
While I am at it, I'll also caution you (and anyone else on this reflector)
about buying a fluorescent fixture from American Fluorescent. First, their
basic, utility shop light 2-tube fixture does not use a replaceable ballast.
So, if the ballast goes, you scrap the entire fixture because the ballast is
integrated into the end housing. Second, I recently (as in the past week)
learned that the fixtures they are making today are not nearly as RF quiet as
those made 10 years ago.
Around 10 or 12 years ago, I bought 2 of their fixtures to use in my basement
storage area. One of those fixtures died last week and it , too, had an
integral, non-replaceable ballast. The other fixture is still running. Both
have been very clean, making RFI only for 1 or 2 seconds as they start up.
Quiet after that. I bought the new replacement fixture at Menard's and
installed it. Wow, 10 over 9 racket on 160 and 80, with S-9 on 40m. I know
it's the new fixture because if I unplug it or pull the switch (it comes with a
5 foot cord and pull chain switch), all is well with the other (old) fixture
running. I sent e-mail to the manufacturer and I got a speedy reply. Their
answer: go see Radio Shack for a filter. I politely, and in detail, told them
why that was not adequate, and I'm still waiting to hear back on that one.
The new ballasts are all high efficiency switchers - the days of iron core
ballasts are pretty much gone. The challenge now is to find the least
obnoxious ones. Make sure you can return anything you buy in case it is a
disaster. Let us know what works for you.
73, Dale
WA9ENA
-----Original Message-----
>From: Gary Smith <Gary@ka1j.com>
>Sent: Mar 26, 2014 10:10 PM
>To: rfi@contesting.com
>Subject: [RFI] T8 4 bulb Fluorescent ballast needed
>
>I've discovered a fluorescent fixture causing lots of RFI in this
>house. I've replaced the bulbs but the problem persists and I have no
>issues with any other fluorescent fixture in the house. I'm feeling
>the ballast is to blame and may well be commercial. This one is an
>accupro AP-RC-432IP-120-1 class P type 1 - Its a T8 with 4 bulbs in
>the fixture and all the other fixtures have two bulbs and fortunately
>are RF silent.
>
>Any suggestions for a T8 4 bulb ballast that is RFI quiet?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Gary
>KA1J
>
>
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