Causing interference

Hi Team,
It would appear when transmiting I'm able to turn motion activated LED Strip lights on and off in my house, also on SSB I can be heard on the good ladies computer Headset during Teams Calls ?   
All Equipment is in the Shack located in back garden, Antenna is also located in back garden on an 8M Pole.
Still got the L PLATES on currently, so be kind   
Any Advice / Ideas to remedy this would be much Appreciated 

Cheers
Franko

Hi Franko,

Sheesh, how many kilowatts are you burning there?!  

I had a similar problem with my Ham activities to start with popping off the 'cheap-Chinese-LED-security-light' which was easily remedied by putting back the old light but I then upgraded the Halogen bulb to LED.  I could've stripped apart the lights electronics and maybe added RF choking into the PIR sensor circuits but wasn't worth the effort.....made a satisfying 'plonk' sound when it hit the bin.

Similar issues when my wife was working from home and she could hear my radio activity over her headset. Simple solution there of using a clip on ferrite onto the headset USB wiring (instead of the 'pretend' plastic moulding that was on there with no ferrite material at all! ) Two or three windings and clip it closed should solve that little problem, or at least it did for us.

This was back when I was using 10 Watts too!

More recently I treated my wife to a home stereo system for her Birthday (she loves a good blast out of her Northern Soul) and a similar issue reared it's ugly head now that I'm on 25 Watts of RF power. Same fix as for the headphones with some clip on ferrites onto the speaker leads right at the back of the stereo. Problem gone.

Hopefully those ideas will help you out but make sure you get some good ferrites from a reputable dealer.....cheap 'Ama-zun' ones might leave you as bereft as the goods purchased from there in the first place. (Yep, station manager likes an online bargain and that's where the lights and headset came from. )

Let us all know if you get sorted.  



All the best,
Victor

Hi Victor, 
Many Thanks for getting back sir 
Kilowatts !!!?
Yes 25 W Is the trigger sir. Will deploy the Ferrites and report back.

Thanks Again

Franko

Hi Victor, 

Top Man ! The Ferrites have solved the Headset problem 100%
As for the LED Strip lighting, They can be unplugged  
Every day is a School day on the Radio Sir

Many Thanks Victor

Franko

Brilliant stuff there Franko and glad to hear that you at least sorted out some of the issues.  
(Always good to keep the 'station manager' happy.)

As you say the PIR lights can be unplugged - dumping mine in the bin was extreme but problem solved!

Glad it was an easy fix for you (much as mine) and you can happily continue your radio activities.


I did buy extra clip on ferrites just in case a 'neighbourly' nose poked over the fence but have never once had a complaint from anyone so they sit spare just in case.

Enjoy your radio activities.

73
Victor

Hi Victor, 

Yes, The LED's sensor etc is clearly just cheap cheap. Problem is, It's a strip built into each side of the Divan bed base, As you can imagine, My superior is less than Impressed with a Disco when she's trying to relax with a book, Of an evening   
Can live with just unplugging.  

Good Shout with the extra Ferrites, It was a concern that this could be happening at a Neighbours also,
Not been approached thus far, so fingers crossed

I Will of course report back with any new developments   

73
Franko

Ha! Ha! That's too funny Franko!  


(Inadvertently become a peak reading RF power meter! )

Hopefully you won't need the extra ferrites for any neighbourly woes (fingers crossed) as I've never had further issues even with the jump to 25 Watts.  


If you've read the forum for a bit you might know that up to now I've been running a bit of electric-lawn-mower-lead as a doublet antenna in my loft space and more recently I've upgraded.....to an outside clothes drying line! (Steel core works just as well as any copper does.)

When one of the neighbours asked what it was I replied with the obvious, "It's a washing line", to which they replied, "Bit high up isn't it?"

"Yes", I said, "I'm gonna buy the missus a trampoline next!"  


Enjoy your radio.  

All the best,
Victor

Like the trampoline idea Victor.
Must remember it the next time somebody ask's about the cobweb.

Victor wrote:

 Two or three windings and clip it closed should solve that little problem, or at least it did for us.

OOOps, I posted just this and then read your post more in depth, Victor so I deleted it.

As you say, it's much better to clip the ferrite over as many turns as you can.

Today I ordered some ferrite rings. Large ones for winding baluns/ununs/chokes and smaller ones to choke laptop power lead, solar controller etc.

Deb

Hiya Deb,

I wouldn't have worried, many times we get the same information as replies to postings and I'd rather the OP got advice more than once than never at all.


You definitely can't have too many ferrite materials to help out with our radio pursuits and I seem to have a fair old stock of them myself nowadays!


Thanks for being there as an active member of the CT community, it really is appreciated.


All the very best to you,
Victor

Hey Victor,i thought the missis threatened to permanently make that steel core antenna a clothes line, lol, i guess that she didn't then.

Got the trampoline for T yet Victor.

Hey Brian & morning Alan,

She's been doing a damn fine job at hanging long stuff like sheets on the washing line and the wind whips them up wrapping around the lower half of my sloping antenna!

Think I need a longer pole to stick it up higher.

(No before you say I did think things through, her line is polyester/nylon whilst mines the stainless wire....wouldn't want to inadvertently make a cloud warmer. )

Lol, i know that's right.