[RFI] cops zero in on noisy grow light ballasts

Wed Feb 3 14:04:25 EST 2016

Gary,

You make a good point.  So far most the growers I have found have been 
students and they have not been confrontational.  I have been very 
careful to point out that I do not care what they are growing, but I do 
care about the RFI.  Sometimes it takes several visits to establish 
rapport.  On my first visit to one neighbor, I asked him if he had any 
electrical device on a timer.  He responded that he resented that I knew 
what was going on in his house.  He is now a friend and has offered to 
go with me when I first approach a grower since he knows most of them in 
the neighborhood.  It took about a year to establish that relationship.  
Because marijuana growing is legal in Colorado, it does make the 
situation a bit less volatile.

My hope is that as the grow light ballast become more prevalent, the 
industry will realize that they have a problem and fix it.  We have 
already seen some movement in that direction with some commercial 
filters and at least one FCC part 18 compliant ballast.

Tom   W0IVJ

On 2/3/2016 11:42 AM, Gary K9GS wrote:
> This whole thread on grow light RFI scares the hell out of me.
>
> If this is an illegal growing operation why would you want to confront 
> your neighbor with knowledge that you know about their illegal 
> activities?  Or what happens if you mention something to your neighbor 
> and the police happen to raid his house?  He is going to think that 
> you were the one that turned him in.  He or his partners could come 
> after you.
>
> I hope we never have to read about some poor ham getting shot by his 
> neighbor with an illegal growing operation.
>
>
>
> On 2/3/2016 12:00 PM, Tom Thompson wrote:
>> Ed,
>>
>> When I find a grow operation in my neighborhood that is causing RFI, 
>> I point out the fact that they are advertising their grow cycle. 
>> Mentioning this generally changes their demeanor, and makes them 
>> eager to place a filter on their ballast.
>>
>> Tom   W0IVJ
>>
>> On 2/3/2016 10:17 AM, Hare, Ed W1RFI wrote:
>>> Actually, the formal name of ARRL now is ARRL, with American Radio 
>>> Relay League still maintained, of course.
>>>
>>> Now, as to the noisy grow lights, in some areas, growers are 
>>> concerned that law enforcement may find them, but they are even more 
>>> concerned that people can use RF noise to identify that there is a 
>>> growing operation in a particular house.  With the 16hour on/off 
>>> cycles during the growing season and a switch to 12 hour cycles as 
>>> the crop is nearing harvest, they not only know what it is, but they 
>>> know when it is ready for harvest. That has gotten the attention of 
>>> growers even in states where it is legal to grow under state law.
>>>
>>> Ed Hare, W1RFI
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: RFI [mailto:rfi-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of John 
>>> Brosnahan W0UN
>>> Sent: Saturday, January 16, 2016 7:47 PM
>>> To: Joe Wolfe; RFI at contesting.com
>>> Subject: Re: [RFI] cops zero in on noisy grow light ballasts
>>>
>>> Joe,
>>>
>>> RE:    ARRL and National Association for Amateur Radio
>>>
>>> I understand your concern about confusion with the name, but I would 
>>> only question the capital letters, because the name American Radio 
>>> Relay League is a bit quaint.  When I was first license in 1959 it 
>>> did not seem to be all that relevant to the actual role of the 
>>> national organization, even though I even made BPL once.
>>> While traffic WAS relayed at the time, it was such a small 
>>> percentage of what hams do and needed in a national organization, 
>>> that the name seemed inadequate at best.  And certainly difficult to 
>>> explain to non-hams.
>>>
>>> In 2016 the name is even less relevant to what the role of the 
>>> national organization is now about.
>>> While I am a traditionalist in many senses of the word, I would not 
>>> be against the ARRL changing their name to better reflect what it is 
>>> they are and what they do.
>>>
>>> Just google "National Association for Amateur Radio" and you will 
>>> see it reference the ARRL and used to explain what the ARRL actually 
>>> is not only on social media but by the ARRL itself.
>>>
>>> 2 cents worth.
>>>
>>> 73  John W0UN
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 1/15/2016 8:27 PM, Joe Wolfe wrote:
>>>> Least the article could have done, is get their facts straight, I
>>>> mean, the author is supposed to be a law enforcement officer.
>>>>
>>>> "National Association for Amateur Radio"  Who the heck is that?  I
>>>> guess he means the ARRL.
>>>>
>>>> I know! I know!
>>>>
>>>> The gist of the story is the RFI we have been dealing with, is now
>>>> being used by the police to find illegal grows, which, once word gets
>>>> out, could be a big boon to us...HEH, the farms will shut down and in
>>>> the end, quiet radio returns to our communities!
>>>>
>>>> Joe - W7RKN
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: RFI [mailto:rfi-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Rob
>>>> Atkinson
>>>> Subject: [RFI] cops zero in on noisy grow light ballasts
>>>>
>>>> Old story but only heard about it today:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.policeone.com/drug-interdiction-narcotics/articles/8224280-
>>>> How-co ps-are-catching-grow-ops-with-AM-radios
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> RFI mailing list
>>>> RFI at contesting.com
>>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
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>>
>> -- 
>> 73,
>>
>> Gary K9GS
>>
>> Greater Milwaukee DX Association: http://www.gmdxa.org
>> Society of Midwest Contesters: http://www.w9smc.com
>> CW Ops #1032   http://www.cwops.org
>>
>> ************************************************
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