LED spreader light = vhf radio interference

[markrlindstrom]

I just installed two new led spreader lights and both my vhf radios cut out when the lights are turned on.
The power bar screen looks like I'm transmitting on one of the radios and the other just goes dead..... even with local weather on.
Never had any problems last year using Halogen lights with the same wiring set-up.

watzupwidat??

 

[grady23]

Are you sure that these are marine lights that use a ground wire that goes back to the boat grounding system? That's about all I can think that might cause such a problem.

 

[markrlindstrom]

Yes, they are intended for Marine. = Dr. LED $150 each.
I even tried my portable vhf radio and with the lites on the handheld even cuts out anywhere within 10' of these lights.

anybody...... help me out?

 

[Curmudgeon]

Disconnect one light, check. If not the problem, re-connect that one and disconnect the other. If still no problem light located, reinstall the halogens ...

 

[richie rich]

Are you by chance running power and signal wire in the same conduit/tube? Sometimes that can cause a problem....we run those seperately at work for our equipment, regardless of shielding, for that exact reason.

 

[bc282]

Yes, they are intended for Marine. = Dr. LED $150 each.
I even tried my portable vhf radio and with the lites on the handheld even cuts out anywhere within 10' of these lights.

anybody...... help me out?

are you saying that the handheld which is not electrically connected to the boat (on its own battery power) cuts out when the lights are on!?!

Keep the lights off and return then or eventually you may go from the mild mannered Dr. Banner to the Icl. Hulk! and keep anyone on a heart pacemaker away. JK.

perhaps the viewing screen on the handheld and perhaps the fixed radios are impeded by the direct light (kinda like viewing old lcd screens in bright sun)?

Only way to be sure would be to trace the wires and know where they run and the quality of the connections and to bench test the lights to see if you get the same results. Perhaps start with the bench test to see if it's the lights or the boat.

I too recently swapped out my 2 halogen cockpit lights on the hard top for LEDs. Went with Chris' coastal night lights and am very happy. They don't have any hot spots but put out a nice clean even light.

 

[markrlindstrom]

Yep, they even cut into the handheld with its own battery. I need to get 10' away from the lights to get the radio coming in clear again.
The mfg. said to send them in and they will send me another pair to try,
I'll do the disconnet one at a time idea and then either send one or both of them back to Dr. LED for some more latest greatest high tech state of the art ^&ing aggravation

woah, I never thought of that, someone with a pacemaker anywhere near this tub may drop like a cannonball.

fish hard and sleep later
thanks!

 

[Strikezone]

Sounds like those lights are giving off some type of signal. If it were me I'd be sending 'em back.

 

[seabob4]

Have you contacted the vendor?

BTW, my buddy Chris makes some great lights, especially the spreaders...

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Did you coil up the extra wire close to the lights?

 

[seabob4]

Did you coil up the extra wire close to the lights?

...Creating a Magnetic Field? :shock:

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Did you coil up the extra wire close to the lights?

...Creating a Magnetic Field? :shock:

Yeap, that is why i asked and i think that is his problem.

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Have you contacted the vendor?

BTW, my buddy Chris makes some great lights, especially the spreaders...

I had bought Chris first generation lights when he first started, they still run on a skiff i had and in my pond.

 

[Grog]

The amount of current they (should) be drawing isn't going to make much of a magnetic field but it's not good practice to have excessive wire coiled up. Something sounds funky with the voltage regulator in the light.

 

[markrlindstrom]

NOPE, no extra wire was involved.
Ive since tried the one light at a time idea and the inteference reduced some but it was still enough to stop hearing the radio.
Both lights cause the same amount of static ( a lot!)
I finally hooked one of the over priced low tech piece of @#$ lights to a 12v cordless drill battery......
then tried my handheld VHF radio and anytime within 8-10' of that light the radio was nothing but static.

Just sent em back to Dr. LED in Seatlle,Wa. for review.
They state they have not heard of this problem from anyone else....
I must be special

 

[bc282]

glad to hear that it's not the boat but in fact it's the lights.
definitely test the replacements lights prior to installing them and possibly save yourself some grief.

If the replacements are doing the same thing, i'd recommend either BOE Jim's LUNAR LED spreaders or Chris' Coastal night light spreaders.

 

[Fishtales]

I initially thought that it was either coupled noise from the power/ground wires being too close to the radio's wires or a ground loop problem.

Connecting them to a drill battery and still having the problem is indeed very weird.

Let's hope it was a bad pair (unfortunatley I find it hard to believe that there would be one never mind two...).

The only other thing I can think of if the proble still occurs with a new pair of lights is to add a choke (magnetic) around the power line going into the radio. If that doesn't work, then maybe you were meant to fish in the dark!!

Keep us informed...

 

[BobP]

I bet the power supply in the LED light is defective, if the design calls for dropping the too high source voltage and doing it electronically with a DC to DC converter vs. resistors. With resistors, impossible to generate anything but some losses in heat.

But irrespective, proper design is supposed to shield against generating RF noise.
The FCC has something to say about it by law.