[Fourlanders] another question for the brain trust

[Bob Lear]

Does anyone have info or experience with RFI/TVI from Florescent lamps?

I noticed last night that some of the interference I was getting on 
Channel 2 (analog, off the air with rabbit ears) was caused by one of 
the florescent fixtures here in the basement where we are living.  It 
appears to be the new 4 bulb fixture added for the kitchen.  The others 
were existing when I bought the house and are a good bit older.  They 
don't cause interference on channel 2 when the offender is turned off. 
I would have expected the older ones to be more of a problem than the 
newer ones but I may be wrong and certainly don't know for sure.


Anyway, it got me to thinking about what I am planning for the shack in 
the new building.  I have just finished roughing in the wiring to put 
eight, four bulb florescent fixtures on the ceiling in the shack for 
good lighting.  I understand that the newer florescents have electronic 
ballasts and my electrician said that soon we won't be able to get 
ballasts for the older units as they will stop making them in favor of 
the newer types.  He didn't say anything about RF noise, but he's not a 
ham either.

So, an I setting myself up for RFI from these new fixtures in the shack? 
  I do like to have a lot of good light in a work area like that and in 
the operating vicinity and I've always liked florescent lighting anyway 
as it's so white and cool.

Any comments, any alternatives??

Thanks, Bob