[RFI] Grow Lights Coming to NJ - What can we do?

Wed Nov 3 12:15:27 EDT 2021

Here what to expect from Grow Lights 
73
Good Luck 
Mike
WB6DJI 

https://youtu.be/vm4lkQE6-QE


Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 3, 2021, at 9:03 AM, Bob Turner <n2scj-lists at outlook.com> wrote:
> 
> I grow tomatoes, peppers, cucs, and cantaloupe.  I start from seed on March 1st and used to put up with VHF desense while my grow was in progress.  I did not detect anything on HF, but I'm mostly FT8.  
> 
> This year for the first time I built a "grow box" out of foil lined Celotex.  I sealed the corners with aluminum foil tape (might not have been needed).  The foil lined box serves multiple purposes.  1) Keeps heat from grow lights and mats inside the box. 2) The foil reflects the grow light onto the plants and not into the surrounding room.   3) The box keeps the humidity in the plant box and mostly out of my basement.   And #4, (drum roll please) the foil lined grow box acts as a faraday cage to my noisy grow lights and I did not have to hear them this year.  Perhaps the home growers will like my grow/faraday box idea for reasons #1, #2, #3, and we get the bonus #4.  That may be wishful thinking.
> 
> 7 3  Bob
> N2SCJ
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: RFI [mailto:rfi-bounces+n2scj-lists=outlook.com at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Dave
> Sent: Wednesday, November 3, 2021 11:38 AM
> To: rfi at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [RFI] Grow Lights Coming to NJ - What can we do?
> 
> See:
> 
> https://www.nk7z.net/rfi-snapshots/grow-lights/
> 
> for SDR Spectrograms of several different grow lights...  Time runs along the vertical axis, and frequency along the horizontal axes.  The B/W Spectrograms show a 24 hour period of time.
> 
> There seems to be so many lights that are not compliant, that is has become a loosing battle for me, and I suspect others...  With the lack of FCC and customs intervention/enforcement on incoming, and existing items, it has become a reactive issue for the FCC, not a proactive issue as far as I can tell.
> 
> This places me, (and soon you), in the unenviable position of RFI first contact.  We must locate, inform, try and solve, all prior to contact with the ARRL or the FCC.  Given that the state of Oregon has said it believes that most growers are "exporting" the product to areas where it is not legal I may be placing myself in the unenviable position of dealing with an illegal drug dealer when/if I contact the person(s) involved.  I truly dislike this, and it is a crying shame that Amateurs are placed in that position.
> 
> It took about two years here in Oregon for the lights to become a real pain...  In some areas, I find several grow light operations per block...  I suspect they are the small tomato lights sold by the big box stores to people for growing, for personal use.  They all seem to be driven by a high power Switching Mode Power Supplies...
> 
> The ARRL took a lot of time, and documented several instances of Big Box Stores selling non compliant lighting to homes, (Part 18 vs. Part 15), and passed this on to the FCC.  As far as I know, the FCC did nothing... 
>  Perhaps Ed Hare can comment in more detail on that subject, as I believe he was involved.  The ARRL is doing all it can as far as I see things, but the problem is completely out of hand here...
> 
> I now work DX during the off hours of the lights.  They typically run for 12 to 18 hours a day, depending on where in the growing cycle their owners are.
> 
> Most seem to wipe out 40 meters, 80 Meters, 20 Meters, and in some cases 15...  Usually all at once...
> 
> As you can tell, I am not happy about this at all...  I used to have an
> S4 noise level on 40 Meters-- looking at my S meter now, I see, S9 +10 db, from a grow operation two blocks away.  This has gone on for five to ten years, now.  At some point, my wife and I will pack up and move to the country...  I contacted the person currently generating my strongest source of RFI once several years ago, it got better for about a month, then returned.
> 
> Frankly I am a bit worried if he gets turned in, I will find a lit road flair coming through my front window at 2 AM one morning...  This is one of at least three grow operations all within a mile of me...
> 
> In working with some growers I have had great luck, but about 20% of them could care less...  The entire process is now basackwards, as we are the contact point, with teh grower, which is a horrid position to be in as far as I am concerned.  So, I leave it alone, and operate when the lights are off, as I suspect a lot of folks are doing.
> 
> Good luck...
> 
> 73, and thanks,
> Dave (NK7Z)
> https://www.nk7z.net
> ARRL Volunteer Examiner
> ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
> ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources
> 
>> On 11/3/21 6:39 AM, Christopher Wawak wrote:
>> [please keep this topic ONLY to RFI of grow lights, and not politics, 
>> your thoughts on cannabis, your lumbago, or anything like that. I am 
>> replacing "cannabis" with tomato from now on.]
>> 
>> I recently read that NJ's Governor is open to TOMATO home-grow, which 
>> typically involves noisy lights (as I understand it). Tomatoes are 
>> recently legal in New Jersey. Whether growing them at home is 
>> ultimately allowed or not, grow light RFI is coming to NJ 
>> neighborhoods. I understand it's pretty bad!
>> 
>> From folks out west, what can I expect from grow light noise? Wiping 
>> out the entire spectrum, or a few spurs here and there? I live in a 
>> moderately tight suburban neighborhood.
>> 
>> Since we know that it's coming, how can I work with my lawmakers to 
>> make them informed of the impending impact of grow light RFI on the 
>> amateur radio service and other services? Can we teach grow light 
>> users and vendors about RFI-clean installations?
>> 
>> Thank you,
>> 
>> -- Chris KC2IEB
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