[RFI] RFI Digest, Vol 138, Issue 5

[Wes Stewart via RFI]

Years ago I purchased and installed some four tube 4' fixtures from Home Depot.  This was still in the analog TV days and CH4 TV was actually wiped out when the lights were on.  I examined the innards and discovered "commercial" ballasts.  The manufacturer (forget the name) also made a version with "residential" (filtered) ballasts.

I talked to the store manager and emphasized that when I walked into the store I could plainly see "Home" on the outside and politely asked why they were selling items that were *not* for use in a "Home."

He of course was blindsided by this information and offered to give me a refund.  Since these were installed in my newly built garage and wired through EMT I was not interested in this option and instead requested that he order the residential ballasts, which I agreed to install.  He did and I did and the problem was solved.

I priced the ballasts separately and as I recall they were in the $90 range.  I paid $40 something for the fixtures.


Wes  N7WS
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2014 13:09:27 -0400
From: Jeffrey Otterson <otterson_nospam at nhrc.net>
To: rfi at contesting.com
Subject: [RFI] re FW: Low Band Interference Report (non-ham radio
    reports)
Message-ID:
    <CA+G8gAmBpXN7BjX_8bbs6qCCfU_RMcTJ6LGSFGCJZGH4FWLKVg at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

I had terrible RFI from fluorescent light fixtures I purchased at the local
big box.

They all have "commercial" rated ballasts "ACCUPRO AP-RC-432IP-120-1".
These things suck.  I have two different style of lamps with these
fixtures, 8-foot, 4-tube strips and 4x2 foot suspended ceiling fixtures.

These fixtures all made a racket from 15M and up.  I had to turn off the
lights in the shop and the shack to work any weak signal stuff on 10M and
6M.

I significantly ameliorated this by installing Corcom 10VR3 line filters in
power supply wiring to the fixtures.  This took ~20dB of the noise away.  I
can have the lights on now.

I don't know why the "Home" store is selling industrial/commercial light
fixtures to homeowners.

Looking back over the archives, I see I am not the only one complaining
about these ballasts.

Jeff n1kdo