[RFI] T8 4 bulb Fluorescent ballast needed

[Dale]

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 at ka1j.com>
>Sent: Mar 26, 2014 10:10 PM
>To: rfi at 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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