WARNING! Digital/ Electronic ballasts can get you busted! The A.M. radio test!

Gquebed

Well-Known Member
Actually, I had that visit from the cable company. I let them in during lights off and they did exactly that...tighten and replace some cables. But still... wouldn't hurt to filter the ballasts.

Funny thing, a few days later the cable truck was in the alley right behind my house again. So I asked them if they were going to cut me off again. They said the noise wasn't from my house, but the neighbours, who I'm almost positive is growing too. Hahahahahahahah.....
 

Gquebed

Well-Known Member
Still.. I do the AM test with 6 Digi's and 2 speed adjustors on (my friends grow) and it sounds like an AM heart attack.. I do the AM test with no speed adjustors and all Mag (my grow) and I don't hear a single thing.

Just sayin'

I did the test from down the street.. turning the grow on and off.. i could hear it clear as day from my car.
I did the same thing in my garage. Weird thing is that once I hear the lights come on I waited a bit and the noise on the radio died down a lot. Almost to nothing... weird...
 

70's natureboy

Well-Known Member
Still.. I do the AM test with 6 Digi's and 2 speed adjustors on (my friends grow) and it sounds like an AM heart attack.. I do the AM test with no speed adjustors and all Mag (my grow) and I don't hear a single thing.

Just sayin'

I did the test from down the street.. turning the grow on and off.. i could hear it clear as day from my car.
Yup, it's that easy. Hopefully the cops will never figure that out. If you don't want to take the risk you have to go back to growing crappy weed under mag ballasts.


^^^^^^^^^
(sarcasm, weed grew just fine under mag ballasts.)
 

Gquebed

Well-Known Member
This whole thread is fucking nonsense.
Well...wait until your able company knocks on your door...

It makes you think...stuff like: oh shit, they also provide my internet...so they know i am posting in forums like this...all my grow pics....hahahahah

It is a good thing i am legal. But depending on what happens up here that may not be for long...
 

Gquebed

Well-Known Member
Anyway, there seems to be a simple fix i that link i posted...

So i am going to give it a shot...got an electrical engineer to help me out so...i will know for sure whether it works or not. And will report when i know...
 

deadgro

Well-Known Member
Cable internet and TV are sent over balanced, shielded coaxial. They are impervious to RF interference. The only thing that could possibly pickup interference from a ballast is a shortwave (AM) radio. And it wouldnt be perceptible over a very large area.
 

Gquebed

Well-Known Member
Cable internet and TV are sent over balanced, shielded coaxial. They are impervious to RF interference. The only thing that could possibly pickup interference from a ballast is a shortwave (AM) radio. And it wouldnt be perceptible over a very large area.
New coax yes...old coax no... i live in an old house...

But it is not entirely impervious... and the shielded stuff is rarely used inside houses. I know cause i build em...
 

deadgro

Well-Known Member
Coax hasn't changed in years. Even if it weren't shielded, its all a digital signa anymore, it doesn't interfere like analog. I've wired it too, I've worked with sound equipment for years as well.
 

HeartIandhank

Well-Known Member
Cable internet and TV are sent over balanced, shielded coaxial. They are impervious to RF interference. The only thing that could possibly pickup interference from a ballast is a shortwave (AM) radio. And it wouldnt be perceptible over a very large area.
I've heard it myself from multilple radios.. prbly 80 yards away?
 

HeartIandhank

Well-Known Member
How did this become about coax anyway? It is a small part of the real problem...
I was wondering the same thing..
Well, I know why.. because I brought up the fact that the cable company showed up at my house, wanting to fix RF interference..
So, lots of people started replying "blha blah, it is a cable problem, blah blah, not a ballast problem"

Exactly.. a very small part of the real problem.. Like I said, I don't give a fuck about the cable guy stopping by.. I'm worried about how easy it is to "hear" my ballast from a block away even with just an AM radio. With a little effort and know how it would be easy to find..
Well, not anymore, because I just switched back to mags..

We've got a lot of former cable guys on RIU I guess..
 

HeartIandhank

Well-Known Member
I did the same thing in my garage. Weird thing is that once I hear the lights come on I waited a bit and the noise on the radio died down a lot. Almost to nothing... weird...
The startup was definitely quieter than what it sounded like after running for a minute.. I spent quite a bit of time listening to it that day.
The new galaxy digi display ballasts made a series of beeps at startup along with all of the static and such.
 

cannakis

Well-Known Member
I'm just now reading through this but wanted to ask...

Is there a way to prevent rf interference with an ipower digital ballast?!?

I have a digital converter box for radio antenna and it got fried... We bought another but I don't want to plug it up if it's going to fry this new box too...!
 

Mr.Goodtimes

Well-Known Member
I would have told them to fuck off. My neighbors tv reception is not my consern... But im a dick and damn sure aint letting anyone in my home.
 

Bob Zmuda

Well-Known Member
This just happened to me. Unbelievable. The cable guy straight out said "you must have grow lights in your home. If the problem doesn't stop we will have to refer it to a different agency!"

There was an old cable line right next to my ballasts that wasn't be used. He took it "offline" and said that should fix the problem.

BUT HOW DO I KNOW!?
 
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