RF interference

[wombatcat]

I have a 250W MH digital ballast light that, when plugged in, causes one of my TVs to go loud static. Is there some kind of simple shielding or should I just replace with a magnetic ballast just to make sure?

An article I saw suggests this is RF interference some digital ballasts can cause with radios or TVs. Don't know.

wombatcat Reviewed by wombatcat on 10-06-2008. RF interference I have a 250W MH digital ballast light that, when plugged in, causes one of my TVs to go loud static. Is there some kind of simple shielding or should I just replace with a magnetic ballast just to make sure? An article I saw suggests this is RF interference some digital ballasts can cause with radios or TVs. Don't know. Rating: 5

[killerweed420]

You might try one of those battery backup line conditioner setups to see if it removes the interference.

[wombatcat]

A friend came over and started fussing with the cables on the TV and problem disappeared. He said there was a cable signal leak. Problem is that means the digital ballast is still acting like a radio broadcast signal.
It just kind of tapped into the open cable leak. Article I read says it also can affect AM radio, but not FM. When I tested it while playing my radio with AM, it gave a slight static noise, but nothing like the TV.

The dealer I brought it from over a year ago offered to swap it and I will do that.

I wonder if anyone else has a digital ballast that is broadcasting RF and they don't know (or a cable leak they don't know).

[Dutch Pimp]

I wonder if anyone else has a digital ballast that is broadcasting RF and they don't know (or a cable leak they don't know).

...pray, that it's not affecting the neighbors. The cable people can zone in on that.

[Mississippi Steve]

simple cure... use a properly grounded outlet and a correctly wired cord with a ground.