New subject: Question About Interference From Different Types of Lighting

29 Apr 2014

Hi Guys,

I apologize for the previous e-mail .  It had a lot of typos and 
wasn't complete.  The result of a very late night and a harassing 
XYL, wanting me to come to bed.  Something that you have to look 
forward to Bob !

Chuck

Hi Bob,

I have some rather biased advice(experience from several 
installations) when it comes to wiring a ham shack/workshop.  First 
if you feel confident enough, you can save a great amount of money by 
at least wiring all the wall mounted stuff yourself, before the 
wallboard/sheet rock is installed.  What you really want is probably 
10 times more outlets than the electrician has ever seen before, in 
one room of that size.  I always also do an interesting control 
function.  From where the 240 VAC comes into an outlet(s), I run a 3 
wire (and ground) 240 VAC cable, to a wall mounted outlet box that 
has a pair of mercury wetted high power relays (~50-100A+) in it, 
that are energized by a 115 wall switch at your entrance 
door.  Between that switch and the mercury wetted ones, you can 
control all the outlets, 240 and 120 VAC, that you will not want to 
be on continuously, in your absence.   This doorway located switch 
will also act as a safety or panic/emergency switch.   The other two 
switches by the entrance door control the lights and the overhead 
fans and/or the AC.   Do not use wall mounted variable lighting or 
fan switches, as they can be RFI generators,  Some of these different 
types of additions, for your needs , might not be appreciated by your 
electrical inspector, so you can add the external relay junction box, 
that's plugged into your 240 VAC socket later,  A lot of external 
wiring with Romex and wall boxes, can be done after the fact.  All 
should be to code (logical), but probably won't be in the inspector's book !

You need to have many, many outlets around on all the walls, both of 
the  "switched on",  and of the  " continuously on" types.  I use 
different colored covering wall plates to ID them.  An over abundance 
of both types are needed behind your operating positions, and also 
behind your "test bench".  Also don't skimp on placing 240 VAC 
outlets around the room, at least one on every wall.

Rationale:  There are some items that you want to run continuously in 
your absence, like clocks and frequency stds, etc., and most others 
that you can switch on/off, with one switch at the door, when you are 
entering or leaving.

As far as overhead lighting goes, numerous hanging, four bulb, 4 foot 
long, florescent fixtures provide more than adequate light and are 
generally long lived, I haven't yet really detected any RFI from 
mine.  Here again just install 120 VAC outlet boxes in the ceiling, 
where you think that you may want to later install them.  Although 
they now are replacing the transformer type of ballasts with 
electronic ones. that are supposedly longer lived, but they may be 
suspect RFI generators.

In any case don't use any CFLs, as they can not only emit an audible 
tone but also possible RFI, and in my experience, they don't last any 
longer than incandescent bulbs.    LED bulbs are the way to go, but 
you need to test each brand for possible RFI.  The CRE brand sold by 
Home Depot (at least through their catalog) so far, I haven't had any 
trouble with.  Multiple LED fixtures are often interfaced with single 
electronics enclosures, that have been a great source of problems. .

In all cases GET/INSIST on a guarantee from your supplier, that you 
can return all light sources that generate RFI.

BTW, you may want as much as a 200A service to your shop,  I do, to 
my radio room and a 100A to my remote EME shack,  400A to the 
property, including the house.

I can clarify more later, if you desire.

73,  Chuck W7CS

At 09:06 PM 4/28/2014, you wrote:
...
 At my new QTH in AZ, I'm in the process of laying
out an enclosed 
operating room (not for surgeries but for my ham radio, hi, hi).  It 
will be 320 sq ft & located inside a metal insulated 1500 sq ft 
workshop.  I'm really excited abt finally having a comfortable room 
for a couple of different stations as well as test bench with 
various test equipment.  The framing & exterior siding is planned to 
be done May 16-19.  The electrical wiring will take place after that 
is completed.

I had an electrician here today to look at my sketches for location 
of various electrical outlets & a lighting plan consisting of 
several T8 fluorescent fixtures & several adjustable bullet lights.

I watched one You Tube video (think it was fm EU) which showed how 
some different LED lights caused interference which was 
quantitatively measured.  Some bulbs caused no interference, some a 
moderate amount & some were vy high levels.  The electrician said 
the newer T8 fluorescent bulbs use an electronic ignition similar to 
LEDs which causes me concern.  He suggested an alternative approach 
of using several track lighting strips with halogen bulbs.  I know 
they're not as efficient as LEDs or fluorescents but suspect they 
also don't generate interference.

So, my question for this group is what experience hv you had with 
LEDs, halogens, &/or T8 fluorescents generating interference in the 
HF, VHF, UHF & SHF spectrums?

Tnx & vy 73,
Bob, K6PF 

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