Digital ballasts

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valmeida

Active Member
I ordered a new 600watt digital system last week and just found out that the digital ballasts put out some kind of AM signal or something. Does anybody have any input on this for me? and if so is the signal multiply if you have 3 digial ballasts or does it not make a difference. I am thinking about adding 2 more 600 watt lights and since I already have 1 digital ballast I am wondering if it will put out more interference with 3 ballasts.

thanks
 
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Optimus Primo

Active Member
A galaxy ballast purchased on ebay ended up affecting tv signal. Not having cable one doesn't know if it is affecting the neighbor's cable tv or tv signal. Proceeded to purchase a 15 amp noise interference plug which didn't help. Sucked it up and bought a Lumatek digital ballast I R shielded and get the exact same thing. I guess that puts an end to growing. Quality products are hard to come by these days. People save to buy something and never can have nice things because nothing lasts. By time you save to buy the other thing the last thing you bought already falls apart or deteriorates. I know there is I R shielding cloth. Does it work? It's expensive. Do you have to wrap it around the cord and ballast or do you also have to insulate the whole grow box because it is coming from the bulb? I'm surprised I haven't been hit with a fee for asking this. So frustrated!
 
freeindeed2008

freeindeed2008

Well-Known Member
The problem is in the ground. This is common problem with electronic equipment around sound gear. If you add what is called a isolation transformer, the ground is broken and the signal dies.:bigjoint:Some people cut the ground lug on the plug or get a 3 in to 2 plug adaptor but I don not recommend that at all.:leaf:
 
tom__420

tom__420

Well-Known Member
You majorly overreacted bro, you should have just hid the shit somewhere in your house. Seems like you wasted a lot of money to me...

justatoker said:
I have a good true story for you..

I bought a 600w DIGITAL GREENHOUSE ballast/light etc set up from HTGSUPPLY.. It blew 3 bulbs then on the fourth bulb it caused the internet and cable to go out for a cpl mile radius from my home.. The cable company came out in the big line repair truck and was looking at something in the back of my house after midnight and i asked whats going on and he said ( and I quote word for word exactly ) "SOMETHING IN YOUR HOUSE IS CAUSING RF INTERFERENCE AND MAKING ALL THE INTERNET/CABLE MODEMS GO OFFLINE FOR MILES AROUND.. I HAD TO DISABLE ONE OF YOUR "OUTLETS" ( not sure if he meant cable outlet ot power oputlet.. Im sure it was prolly an unused cable outlet though as I dont think the cable repair ppl can do anything to your power ) UNTIL SOMEONE CAN COME IN AND SEE WHATS GOING ON.. IM NOT GONNA COME IN TONIGHT AS ITS AFTER MIDNIGHT.. CALL THE OFFICE AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT FOR SOMEONE TO COME OUT"

OK I immediately dismantle MY ENTIRE CLOSET GROW and bagged up EVERYTHING and drove 6 miles away and got rid of it ( plants,nutes,soil,fans I mwan EVERYTHING ) in a gas station dumpster.

I now am using a 4 ft 6 lamp HOT5 because ill be damned if this shit is gonna happen again.

100% True story.
Click to expand...
 
tom__420

tom__420

Well-Known Member
It's not that I don't give a fuck, I just don't like throwing away money which is basically what you did. I can see getting rid of the plants but not the equipment. It is completely legal to have lights and growing equipment inside your house. If I have money in something I like to make it last as long as possible. Happy growing dude :peace:
 
Mcgician

Mcgician

Well-Known Member
freeindeed2008 said:
The problem is in the ground. This is common problem with electronic equipment around sound gear. If you add what is called a isolation transformer, the ground is broken and the signal dies.:bigjoint:Some people cut the ground lug on the plug or get a 3 in to 2 plug adaptor but I don not recommend that at all.:leaf:
Click to expand...
An "isolation transformer"? Is that something you'd have to get from Grainger or some electrical parts store? Got a link?
 
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Optimus Primo

Active Member
Those are expensive, but I'm sure they are of great quality. We did a wireless internet test right next to the ballast and lifted it off the floor away from the cable company wires. It worked. It only seems to affect channels 2 and 4 with the bunny ear tv. There isn't cable there so we don't know if it is affecting there system. Just lifting it off the floor helped improve the interference to the tv and wrapping some foil reduced it to a minimum.

Here is a link to a IR shielding fabric http://www.lessemf.com/fabric.html

The fabric COBALTEX (scroll 1/2 way down) will probably work and let the ballast breath off heat better than a ton of foil. Since it comes from a linear roll I think just a foot or two is needed since the ballast was the only part covered in foil and seemed to reduce the IR.
 
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