Electrical Interference  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: MGaddict
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2022, 02:33:06 am
content: Disclaimer: I don't know where else to ask something like this. So if moderators don't like this. I'll remove it.How can basement lights effect a TVs signal?Setup: I am in the US I have an antenna in my attic. It connects, right now, to 1 TV in my bedroom on the 2nd floor of the house. The TV is plugged into a surge protector. There is a Nintendo Switch and a Roku plugged into the TV.Somehow, we have had an issue since we moved into the house over a year ago, most nights the TV gets a great signal, but every now and then, the signal is terrible.Tonight, the signal was out while I was in the basement. I turned off the lights, and the signal came back. I decided to check, and I can directly effect the TV by switching the basement lights on or off.I am really trying to figure out how the 2 could be on separate circuits, with a floor in-between, and related.Last month I removed all the incandescent bulbs and replaced them with LEDs but we had the issue before I did that.Any help?

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2022, 03:00:21 am
content: I'm very surprised you had this problem with incandescent bulbs, are they on a dimmer? Some types of fluorescent and LED bulbs are rather effective radio transmitters but I wouldn't expect that to be an issue with incandescent.

author: austfox
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2022, 03:03:50 am
content: Are you sure there is nothing else connected to the light switch, such as an exhaust fan?

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2022, 03:10:11 am
content: Quote from: austfox on October 07, 2022, 03:03:50 amI wondered if you take out all the light bulbs in the basement and see if it still happens when you flick the switch.

author: Gregg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2022, 03:17:11 am
content: I would start by checking the voltage at the TV both with and without the basement lights on.It may be one or more bad neutral connections causing the voltage at the TV outlet to change because the return isn’t returning via the neutral conductor. It also may be a ground fault where the return voltage is wholly or partly returning via a ground connection.

author: radiolistener
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2022, 02:37:41 pm
content: there are two possible problems:1) high RF interference from a bad quality cheap LED lamp2) there is a bad contact or wire short circuit (for example through water)Most of LED lamps produce RF interference, good LED has acceptable RF interference level.Incandescent bulbs doesn't produce RF interference.But since your issue was present with incandescent bulbs, so you have problem #2 - find bad contact or short circuit. I would suggest you to check power switch at first step. Also try to listen for wiring sparking noise

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2022, 05:49:04 pm
content: I had vague memories of somebody mentioning this so I looked it up. It turns out vintage style incandescent bulbs have been known to produce interference, although it's behavior that I find surprising.https://www.emcrules.com/2017/04/can-incandescent-light-bulbs-cause.html