Topband: AM BCB noise in Portland, OR

[Rod]

Hi Eddy,
 
It is "un"common knowledge among Amateurs that AC and pulse DC lighting devices that feature touch sensors, dimmers, photocell activators and motion detection devices are often poorly engineered. They are prone to spew RF hash across of LW, MW and SW frequencies, and some are adversely affected by strong RF fields, especially varying RF fields, like ours on Topband and up.
 
The lights in question are very likely not Part 15 compliant. There have been documented cases of interference to Amateur Radio, where and individual, assisted by ARRL and FCC authorities, forced a lighting manufacturer to comply with Part 15 on a neighbor's under-cabinet lighting device. However, a lighting solution that is Part 15 compliant would probably not solve the RF sensitivity problem of a touch circuit. I was getting a huge noise from and modulating the dimmer circuit my wife's table top touch lamp 20 years ago. I got rid of it and got her a better, standard three-way switch lamp. 
 
In the electrical lighting market, as in many other electrical and electronics device markets, there is a large number of poorly engineered, RF spectrum polluting electronic devices that emit a hideous amount of interference to RF communications. Under-the-cabinet lighting is only one example.
 
For your situation, you may be able to craft an electronic circuit modification to solve part of the problem, if you are so inclined. However, do not expect a solution from the manufacturer. It is my recollection that the cases where the FCC forced the manufacturer to redesign their product took years, with many man hours and dollars spent to achieve a single, but important solution.
 
The simplest solution for you is to obtain a completely different lighting device that you test to not cause RF interference which is not affected by RF.
 
Good luck!
 
73,
Rod
WN8R  
 
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:44:32 -0500
From: "Edward Swynar" <gswynar at durham.net>
Subject: Re: Topband: AM BCB noise in Portland, OR
To: "Tree" <tree at kkn.net>, <topband at contesting.com>
Message-ID: <007901ca9eaf$38781660$c521334a at COMPAQ>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
On Tueday 26th January, Tree wrote:
"...Last night, I heard a very bad noise on the band."
********************************
This is not directly related to what Tree's been experiencing, certainly, but I wonder if anyone else reading this may have encountered something similar to what's plaguing me---and possibly suggest a cure, or two...?
Last weekend, my son visited from Maine & whilst here, installed two banks of under-the-kitchen-cupboards pot lights that my XYL saw (and fell in love
with) at his apartment in Bridgton: they look great, and activating them is rather unique, too---you tap a large white plastic "sensor" attached to a vertical surface of the cupboard, and get three levels of brightness.
The only problem, though, from a radio perspective, is RFI---both the giving AND receiving kind! When I transmit, both banks go absolutely squirrely, blinking off & on at different intensities---but receiving is even worse:
the system emits a steady buzz all across the band...
Thus far, the only solution that I've found---inelegant, maybe, but effective!---is for me to physically UNPLUG the lights from the AC mains...
Has anyone else ever had run-ins of this kind, and if so, what---if anything---is the cure...?
~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
PS: TX3D was a solid 579 here this morning, starting at atround 5:00---but he was reduced to near-begging for QSOs from North America! I can only surmise that everyone in this part of the world either already has the Austral Islands confirmed from some time before, or there's a plague of sleep aptnia (sp?) sweeping the continent...!