Way OT

[Noz]

We cut the Dish network thread six months ago or so and are completely happy using an air antenna for our TV viewing.  Well, until this week.

Miss Lorrie decorates the complete house for Christmas including at number of outside lights. One such set is 185 feet of led lights around out wrap around porch. These lights pass within 6" of the TV antenna.

Turn the lights on and we lose to of the weaker stations which are CBS and FOX, her two favorite channels.

Any advice on how to sheild the antenna from the lights?

[Sedalia Dave]

LED or Incandescent

[Noz]

2 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

LED or Incandescent

LED

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

shut of the lights when your show comes on?

 

[Noz]

24 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

shut of the lights when your show comes on?

 

That's what we are doing but if you know Miss Lorrie..............

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Nut'n you can do-You're deal'n with RFI from the lights. Plus your reception must be on the weak side.

OLG

[Doc Nelson #19958]

Have you tried a signal booster? We don't get anything without it as the tower is about 50 miles away over a few hills. As I recall it was a radio shack purchase for the antenna and under $30. 

[Noz]

The antenna has a booster in it and the two stations are the weakest in the area.  I was hoping someone who knew would suggest something like running the string thru a piece of pipe insulation wrapped in aluminum foil or chanting some Christmas carol or waving my Snow White magic wand.

[Duffield, SASS #23454]

Elevating the antenna a significant amount MIGHT help.  Also, an aluminum or steel shield, grounded on both ends MIGHT help.

 

Good Luck (you'll need it),

Duffield

[Sedalia Dave]

About all you can do is replace that section of lights with the old incandescent bulbs. You may also need to power this section separately from the others rather than daisy chaining them together.

 

Each LED in the string has a miniature rectifier that converts the AC voltage in the main wire to DC for the actual LED. This rectifier is what's generating the EMI. Some household LED and CFL bulbs cause interference with TV and Radio reception especially AM radio.

 

Another option is to find an LED light string that has a separate transformer. Then you could add an RF choke to the wire coming out of the transformer and going to the lights.

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

NOZ 

 

  ya could turn em OFF    

 

  slight chance ya might get to see me this weekend 

 

  CB 

[J-BAR #18287]

Tin foil hats on the lights closest to the antenna might work.  My tinfoil hat still works after all these years; I don’t get any radio signals in my fillings when I wear it.

 

[Noz]

3 hours ago, Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 said:

NOZ 

 

  ya could turn em OFF    

 

  slight chance ya might get to see me this weekend 

 

  CB 

I'm looking forward to it.

[Pat Riot]

Found this in another forum:

 

Just read on an agtalk forum this explanation about some led lights causing problems with radio reception in farm equipment. 

 

"Some early imported LED's gave off a lot of radio interference. Newer ones meet new standards and have a label 'Class B' and will not cause has much problems. If your LED's don't have the "Class B' label, replace them"

[Smuteye John SASS#24774]

4 hours ago, Noz said:

The antenna has a booster in it and the two stations are the weakest in the area.  I was hoping someone who knew would suggest something like running the string thru a piece of pipe insulation wrapped in aluminum foil or chanting some Christmas carol or waving my Snow White magic wand.

That Snow White magic wand won't help.

 

Now, if it was a Harry Potter wand, it would be a different story.

[Noz]

I found an inline booster that was only $12 so altho I knew it wouldn't work it was worth it to prove to Miss Lorrie that I was trying to fix the problem.

Installed it and, son of a gun, it worked.  Not a perfect picture but watchable,  Will keep things happy til the lights come down.

[Calico Mary]

On 11/29/2017 at 12:32 PM, Noz said:

 chanting some Christmas carol 

 

this one is yer best bet...go outside on the porch in full view of any and all neighbors and sing "Walkin' Round in Women's Underwear" at the top of your voice while acting it out....will work like a charm....honest!!!!

 

 

(oh, and have Miss Lorrie get vid....)

[Noz]

18 hours ago, Calico Mary said:

 

this one is yer best bet...go outside on the porch in full view of any and all neighbors and sing "Walkin' Round in Women's Underwear" at the top of your voice while acting it out....will work like a charm....honest!!!!

 

 

(oh, and have Miss Lorrie get vid....)

I would cepting the sight of 260# of blue twisted steel on a 6'3" frame in women's underwear would terrorize all the women and little children as well as sterilizing the birds, squirrels and pit bulls.

[Festus G Lonetree]

On 11/29/2017 at 3:57 AM, Noz said:

Any advice on how to sheild the antenna from the lights?

 sunglasses might help. If not, you might look into getting an antenna that's not so light sensitive.