Beware of possible issues when installing some LED lights on your tractor

[k0ua]

I picked up some old heavy duty fluorescent 277 fixtures from work many years ago. I've rebuilt a few for T8 bulbs to hang in my barn at my property and they are noisy. My barn is about the only place I might listen to the radio and I can't with those lights on.

Ditch the flourscents and their ballasts. Install these LED tubes in their place. They are totally radio quiet. I have them in my garage and Kitchen. Both very close to the radio shack and some of the antennas. I can't find any trash out of them at all.

I bought the 5000K crystal white ones. Really like them.

https://www.amazon.com/Hyperikon-Si...43603&sprefix=hperikon+led+tu,aps,195&sr=8-11

 

[k0ua]

Yep, James, that would be me! :confused2:

I'm following W8BYA's thread with great interest, and looking forward to the Cliff Notes solution. :laughing:

I get modest RFI/EMI from my six Asian-sourced aftermarket LED work lights on my cab tractor. The radio is a Pyle marine radio that receives AM/FM and NOAA weather broadcasts. The interference is actually the most irritating on the NOAA weather band, 162.40 - 162.55 MHz, but I listen to that only occasionally and for a few minutes at a time.

For several years, I've been intending to experiment with some cheap ferrite beads that I would order online and install on the power wiring at each work light. Hopefully my procrastination will be rewarded when one of you smart guys find something that works well, and that even I can install easily.

remember that the effectiveness of the choking action of placing ferrite in line with the supply leads increases by the square of the number of turns that pass thru the ferrite. So 2 turns is 4 times more effective, 3 turns is 9 times etc.

 

[dennis103]

Well boys, for those of us that have LED lights that shut down our radios, you have full filled us with mind boggling information about the problem. We know the problem is the cheep LED lights. We turn them on and the radio goes off. With all this knowledge of the problem does any one have a solution other that buy a quality LED light?

 

[Industrial Toys]

I bet the quality has little to do with it. You need to specify a model that has RFI reduction measures.

 

[Hilbilly]

For those of us that have no idea what you guys are talking about, is there a way to find out if the LED lights we are considering are properly filtered and will work on our tractors or is it a crap shoot.

Lets say I go to Amazon and look at several hundred LED lights for my tractor, how would I tell which ones will be OK?

 

[Industrial Toys]

Therein lies the rub, as they say. It would be similar to trying to buy a PSU for a computer and expecting EMI specs.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Couple pages to help determine what mix or what frequency the chokes are effective on.


Use your antenna analyzer to test ferrite chokes - KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

https://www.eham.net/article/7596

The Proper Split Beads to Suppress RFI

The k0bg site has lots of RF info

David Kb7uns

 

[k0ua]

For those of us that have no idea what you guys are talking about, is there a way to find out if the LED lights we are considering are properly filtered and will work on our tractors or is it a crap shoot.

Lets say I go to Amazon and look at several hundred LED lights for my tractor, how would I tell which ones will be OK?

You used the word "crap shoot". I think that just about sums it up. You have no way of knowing.

 

[AlCap]

Very interesting thread ! Way beyond me lol . I want a fellow at work who is in our communication dept. , co. radios and such to read this . He's good at explaining things like this and I'm sure he'll enjoy it .

 

[BrokenTrack]

He, he, he...

I have 5 daughters and a wife, three daughters of which are teenagers, not to mention high property taxes and cancer...

Of all the problems in my life, one I really wish I could have is a little static from the lights on my tractor.