Digital Ballast Issue

Has anyone had problems with their digital ballast interfering with their wireless modem?

If so were you able to figure out how to fix it?

I have a CAP NextGen digital ballast and it is killing my signal, wireless and connected directly into the modem.

The ballast is about 40 feet away and in a different building than the main house.

Any idea of what to do?

jake43 said:

Has anyone had problems with their digital ballast interfering with their wireless modem?

If so were you able to figure out how to fix it?

I have a CAP NextGen digital ballast and it is killing my signal, wireless and connected directly into the modem.

The ballast is about 40 feet away and in a different building than the main house.

Any idea of what to do?

Click to expand...

I'm no electrician and i don't know much about your regulations (here we have only 230V) but if your ballast is in a metal case (excuse my fingrish) I would guess it has a grounded plug which isn't working or your power supply (I guess digital ballast means that it is a switched-mode power supply) is leaking some high frequencies thru mains.

My suggestions would be: check that your ground connection is working and maybe scavenge some toroids from dead power supply etc and try to wind wire from your ballast to main through it as many rounds as you can.
Also try to keep wires between ballast and your lamp as short as possible, it might be acting as a antenna too.

Please do not act on my advice, wait for comments for people with some local knowledge and actual experience

Some digital ballasts have unshielded cables to the light.

jake43 said:

Has anyone had problems with their digital ballast interfering with their wireless modem?

If so were you able to figure out how to fix it?

I have a CAP NextGen digital ballast and it is killing my signal, wireless and connected directly into the modem.

The ballast is about 40 feet away and in a different building than the main house.

Any idea of what to do?

Click to expand...

Yes it is the your cord running from your light to your ballast the length of the cabel is causing the interferance,It needs to be shilded..JACK

Sometimes just re-positioning the power cable to the lamp can minimize the problem. Also check that the modem connection has an RF filter. My DSL coming in requires the use of a filter, without it I get lots of line noise.

and you can try putting foil aroung your cable and see if that helps block the ir as i have one of their ballasts and havent had a problem in fact this is the first one i have had but try dropping cap a email and see what they say they are very stand up and stand behind their products so they will prob offer some insight to help u

dhhbomb said:

and you can try putting foil aroung your cable and see if that helps block the ir as i have one of their ballasts and havent had a problem in fact this is the first one i have had but try dropping cap a email and see what they say they are very stand up and stand behind their products so they will prob offer some insight to help u

Click to expand...

Thanks to everyone for replying.

dhhbomb...I called C.A.P. and they didn't even hesitate, they told me to send it back and they would send another one out. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE!

Their guy did say I was the first to call with this problem so he thought was might be that particular unit.

My reflector is a Hydrofarm and I thought the cord was shielded, if I continue getting the problem with the new one I'll try your foil idea.