# Electronic Ballast & TV Reception



## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 9, 2009)

Okay, so yesterday, I changed out the light in my flowering room (in a closet off the master bathroom) from a 1000W magnetic ballst to a 600W digital ballast.  Well, when the light came on tonight, the television in my bedroom went rather staticy and was basically unwatchable.  The television in the living room didn't do this.  I have satellite TV.  The TV in the bedroom is an old television.  The television in the living room is a new one.  

Is this caused because the TV in the bedroom is old?


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## ozzydiodude (Nov 9, 2009)

The aliens are scanning you :laugh: See Hick for hat making instruction

I have no idea unless your cable linking your TV to sat link up is close to the Ballast


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## leafminer (Nov 10, 2009)

UH-oh. A new way for . . . no, I am going to not write that.
Basically HG your new ballast is acting like an old fashioned spark transmitter and is radiating radio interference in massive amounts.
Frankly this is not something you want because any number of people other than your TV watching could take objection.


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## ArtVandolay (Nov 10, 2009)

Hey, THG!  You may have made contact with the Mother Ship!  Please post any secret messages you receive - nvthis and Irish may be able to decode them.


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## Mutt (Nov 10, 2009)

> Is this caused because the TV in the bedroom is old?



could be a number of reasons...proximity of the TV, ballast giving off "noise" several things, but more than likely the old TV doesn't have the interference filters in like newer TVs 
Make sure the cab;e line isn't running too close to the digi ballast either...that might help as well.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 10, 2009)

The ballast is about 15 feet away from the television in a closed closet.  I have 2 ballasts that are different brands.  Both of them did this.  If this is the television, I have no problems buying a new one, but would hate to buy a new one and have the same thing happen...


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## HippyInEngland (Nov 10, 2009)

Move your newer TV to where the problematic TV is, if it does not effect the newer TV then you know you need a new TV 

eace:


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 10, 2009)

leafminer said:
			
		

> UH-oh. A new way for . . . no, I am going to not write that.
> Basically HG your new ballast is acting like an old fashioned spark transmitter and is radiating radio interference in massive amounts.
> Frankly this is not something you want because any number of people other than your TV watching could take objection.



I don't really understand this.  I have 2 different brand digi ballasts and both of them caused this.  The TV in my living room (which is a newer TV and about 30' from the ballast) is not affected.  How could this possibly be my ballasts?  And what other ramifications could there be?


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 10, 2009)

HippyInEngland said:
			
		

> Move your newer TV to where the problematic TV is, if it does not effect the newer TV then you know you need a new TV
> 
> eace:



LOL--the TV in my living room is HUGE!  It takes 2 men and 2 boys to move it.  And each television is set up for the satellite box in that room.  I would have to move the satellite boxes, too (and I am not good at that kind of stuff).  In addition, my veg space is in a closet in my bedroom and the flowering room is in a closet off the master bedroom.  Although both my spaces are very stealth, I pretty much do not let anyone in my bedroom...well, unless...you know.......


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## the chef (Nov 10, 2009)

Maybe its on the same breaker? Jmo you have electronic wave interference kinda the same way a tornado will blue a tv screen right before it hits. Had a machine shop with the old 8' flouros, everytime the lights went on the radio quit playing only static.Just my thoughts.


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## me myyself and I (Nov 10, 2009)

grab an extension cord and plug your balast into a differnt socket in a differnt room that would be on a differnt breaker and try the tv, sometimes it can be in the wiring if the 2 are running on the same circut. I had the same problem once.
kinda wierd though since you dropped in wattage, wouldnt think that would be it.
just a thought, hope it helps


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## ozzydiodude (Nov 10, 2009)

Chech all cables and make sure they are connected tight at all fitting. A buddy that works for  sat dish co said most likely you have a loose cable or bad cable line that is not sheilding the signal right from reciever to dish. Hope yu find the problem


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## HippyInEngland (Nov 10, 2009)

hXXp://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-705

An expensive solution.

eace:


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## Growdude (Nov 10, 2009)

wrap your ballast in alluminum foil and ground the foil too any good ground (cold water pipe). If this cures it its just EMI from the ballast and your TV is picking it up.


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## dman1234 (Nov 10, 2009)

so if ya unplug the ballasts does your TV clear up....

and then go static when you plug it in???

that will answer if its the ballast.

plug the ballast iclose to the same socket as the other tv, does it affect it.

probably the old TV.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 10, 2009)

dman1234 said:
			
		

> so if ya unplug the ballasts does your TV clear up....
> 
> and then go static when you plug it in???
> 
> ...



Yes, when I turn the light off the problem goes away.  It is absolutely the ballast(s) that is causing the problem.  I have 2 different brands of 600W digi ballasts and they both do the same thing.  The grow room is on a dedicated circuit--nothing but grow room stuff (light, fans, air pump) are plugged into that circuit.  I did not have this problem when I was running my m1000W magnetic ballast.  I have no problem buying a new TV, but I would like to be sure that the age of the TV was the problem.


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## cmd420 (Nov 10, 2009)

I'm thinking of switching to DWC in my new space..I watch your grow pics and am encouraged, THG.....I'm sure Stella will like the new light....

May I ask why you switched down in wattage from 1000w to 600w? Was it so you could "go digital"?


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 10, 2009)

cmd420 said:
			
		

> I'm thinking of switching to DWC in my new space..I watch your grow pics and am encouraged, THG.....I'm sure Stella will like the new light....
> 
> May I ask why you switched down in wattage from 1000w to 600w? Was it so you could "go digital"?



You will love DWC.  It pretty much boils down to watching your pH and ppms and the growth just happens.  

I am not actually stepping down--I have another 600W digi that I am going to put in there.  Switching from a 1000W magnetic ballast to 2 600W digital ballasts gives me way more lumens for only a little more wattage.  I can also just run one light if the room is not full (like now).  When I do this, I am going to make substantial changes to my ventilation system.  I am a rather slow DIYer, so I am taking the flowering room down completely after the last plant that is in there is finished--around the first of Dec.  

It will probably take me a week or so to make the changes I want to.  So Stella is not going to be in there the first 4-5 weeks of her flowering.  Stella is going to be in the vegging closet and she will be flowering under a dual 150W in a cool tube for a while.


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## cmd420 (Nov 10, 2009)

I have a similar light/room situation at the present...I don't always have the room full but I have 3 1000w (for a 4X9 space) which is a little much...

soooo

I was thinking of making the switch to 3 600's as well....

Whatever THG..your DIY SCROG looks like proffessional store bought or something.... so I guess slow works for ya


Please keep us posted on the improvements to your ventilation cuz I read how you like to exchange your air frequently....

 so I'm curious to see how you will improve on it


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## OGKushman (Nov 10, 2009)

Your weed is too good?


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## dr pyro (Nov 10, 2009)

im with growdude on the emi  like he said try grounding it out problem should be solved


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## balorevileye (Nov 15, 2009)

The spark created by the igniter is the same that omits a radio wave in radio applications. If the tv is unwatchable even after the bulb has struck then the igniters constantly pulsing, an anticycling igniter is the way to go, once the power is connected, it pulses for 30 seconds or so and then shuts off if the bulb hasnt lit by then. It will not omit any radio interference if the bulb is lit and it has shut itself off.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 15, 2009)

Why isn't the other television affected?


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## dr pyro (Nov 15, 2009)

is the tv further away from ballast


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 15, 2009)

dr pyro said:
			
		

> is the tv further away from ballast



Yes it is.  But to rule out the proximity thing, I took the ballast into the living room and plugged it in about 6' away from television.  The newer TV didn't have any interference.


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## cmd420 (Nov 15, 2009)

As a former cable guy, I know that older TV's typically have less "shielding" on thier internal antennas...

There would be more interference on people's older TV's sometimes because of the shielding (or lack of)....


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## leafminer (Nov 16, 2009)

Assuming that the ballast is contained in a metal box, then to reduce the EMI problem:
1. Make sure the metal of the box is properly earthed.
2. Loop the mains cable as many times as possible through a large ferrite toroid. These can be found inside old computer PSUs. 
The interference is caused by high frequency harmonics being radiated from the switching circuits in the ballast.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 16, 2009)

leafminer said:
			
		

> Assuming that the ballast is contained in a metal box, then to reduce the EMI problem:
> 1. Make sure the metal of the box is properly earthed.
> 2. Loop the mains cable as many times as possible through a large ferrite toroid. These can be found inside old computer PSUs.
> The interference is caused by high frequency harmonics being radiated from the switching circuits in the ballast.



I have 2 different ballasts made by different companies that are doing the same thing.  The ballasts are properly grounded.  I have NO idea what you are talking about in step 2 (it might as well be in Greek ).  Since the newer TV is not affected, can i safely assume (I know, I know) that if I buy a new TV, it will be okay?


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## OldSkool (Nov 16, 2009)

Heh, heh. Leafminer must be into computers too!  A 'toroidial transformer' is what he is referring to, also found in stereos of good quality.
Wrapped in tinfoil and grounded like growdude said is fine since you didn't take Greek in school.


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## leafminer (Nov 16, 2009)

Yeah it is true. OldSkool. 
You can often find these toroids on various portable appliances, like for instance the power cords of laptop chargers, power cords of hifi amps, and so on. A toroid is like a donut of iron oxide powder, it has special magnetic properties that suppress the radiation of interference.


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## leafminer (Nov 16, 2009)

Try wiring a 0.044 microfarad capacitor across live and ground, and also neutral and ground, right at the ballast. The capacitor should be a high stability type e.g. ceramic or mylar, and rated at 300V.


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## zipflip (Dec 21, 2009)

THG __ wat brand of electronic ballasts were these that ya had the probs with?
 and did you solve ya prob wit the TV interferance?



> Try wiring a 0.044 microfarad capacitor across live and ground, and also neutral and ground, right at the ballast. The capacitor should be a high stability type e.g. ceramic or mylar, and rated at 300V.


 :huh:
 can we get a translator in here please  :rofl:


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