| Author | Message | ||
| Vern Rainville (Vern_in_ri)
Registered Member Username: Vern_in_ri Post Number: 1 Registered: 1-2010 Posted From: 72.195.157.114 Rating: N/A |
First of all, My name is Vern Rainville and I live in RI. I am (have been for untold years) building a motorhome from a 1962 Eagle. After a 3-4 year winters nap, I am about to begin "steady work" on her. Befor I do, I need tunes. My garage has 12 t-5 (flourescent light ) fixtures. Any radio will only receive 1-2 stations. Shut the lights off, and it receives about all stations. Problem is, I can't work in the dark. So...Ithought I would get a auto radio, run it off a battery (with no other power source i.e. charger or other power. and put a auto radio antennae out side the building. Sounded good to me. No 110 power and an antennae outside. Same problem. Any good ideas to solve this as the rivet gun and compressor alone does not do it for me. Thanx, Vern | ||
| George Martinez (Foohorse)
Registered Member Username: Foohorse Post Number: 3 Registered: 1-2010 Posted From: 174.48.3.218 Rating: N/A |
Could you place the receiver in your house and run speaker wire to the garage? just a silly thought. | ||
| Vern Rainville (Vern_in_ri)
Registered Member Username: Vern_in_ri Post Number: 2 Registered: 1-2010 Posted From: 72.195.157.114 Rating: N/A |
George, Sure I thought of that. Can you picture my wife everytime I come in (God forbid I yell) to change the station, turn it up or turn it down, or better yet, " can you find a cetain CD and or change it for me, dear? Never mind the dirty boots or clothes into the house. I am sure we all hear that one. So far, other than working in the dark, that is the only other solution. Vern | ||
| doug yes (Dougg)
Registered Member Username: Dougg Post Number: 116 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 125.24.80.189 Rating: N/A |
Try a wire with a alligator clip to your radio antenna connected to another outdoor antenna. | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 1203 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 74.4.63.215  Rating: N/A |
just curious, do you get the same interference when playing a CD as you do when receiving a radio station? Jack | ||
| thomas flocks (Taflocks)
Registered Member Username: Taflocks Post Number: 134 Registered: 9-2009 Posted From: 74.76.246.165 Rating: N/A |
satellite radio | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 956 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 99.172.183.72 Rating: N/A |
Its probably lack of a proper ground between the antenna and the radio. The connection must be a coaxial cable, with proper connections on both ends, or you will pick up interference. Next thought is proper polarity, if the hots and neutrals are not properly connected, this will happen. Look also at the ends of all the tubes, T5s and T8s will light with one pin outside of the tombstone, and throw 20KHz static everywhere. Do you have a code-legal sub-panel in your garage with an isolated neutral, and all correctly grounded receptacles? Lastly, all electronic ballasted fluorescent lights generate harmonincs back on the incoming line. The only way to avoid this would be to run an extension cord from the house, and plug only your radio into it, and run it outside the garage as much as possible. Welcome, G | ||
| thomas flocks (Taflocks)
Registered Member Username: Taflocks Post Number: 136 Registered: 9-2009 Posted From: 74.76.246.165 Rating: N/A |
am or fm? | ||
| Vern Rainville (Vern_in_ri)
Registered Member Username: Vern_in_ri Post Number: 3 Registered: 1-2010 Posted From: 72.195.157.114 Rating: N/A |
OK, here is some more stuff.CD's play flawless with no interferance with lights on or off. Satalite radio cost money that could be better spent elsewhere.Radio and antennae ground is good. I checked by grounding the chassis of the radio to the metal bracket holding the antennae. Same problem. Auto radio and antennae is connected by auto coax cable (from a car).Garage is wire properly, nuetrals and grounds seperated and the receptacles too are grounded. Right now I have it connected to a 12V car battery with no 110V going to either the charger or the radio. I do not know how an extention cord would help this. So far the 20kz static sounds possible to me. How could I eliminate this as a possible cause? Also, AM has no reception, while FM may get 2 stations (neither of which I like). Vern | ||
| Vern Rainville (Vern_in_ri)
Registered Member Username: Vern_in_ri Post Number: 4 Registered: 1-2010 Posted From: 72.195.157.114 Rating: N/A |
Sorry, no charger is being used as a power source. Only the 12V car battery. Vern | ||
| Jim Wilke (Jim Bob) (Pd41044039)
Registered Member Username: Pd41044039 Post Number: 435 Registered: 2-2001 Posted From: 184.0.5.73 Rating: N/A |
Do you have wireless internet at your house? If so, set up a computer in the garage and listen to radio stations through streaming audio. (A decent set of aux speakers is needed.) I listen to The Eagle, a Jacksonville FL station here in Western NC. Clear as a bell, digital. | ||
| FloridaCliff (Floridacracker)
Registered Member Username: Floridacracker Post Number: 423 Registered: 7-2004 Posted From: 24.27.226.231 Rating: N/A |
Hey Vern, Welcome back! Been wondering what you have been up to. Remember when we talked about how long it would take us to finish our coaches at Bussin......LOL Good to hear from ya! Cliff (Message edited by floridacracker on January 21, 2010) | ||
| Paul Lawry (Dreamscape)
Registered Member Username: Dreamscape Post Number: 623 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 64.40.209.41  Rating: N/A |
Hi Vern, I tried to post the other day to say HI! It's been a long time. Have you tried a noise supressor from Radio Shack or an Auto Store? Paul | ||
| Cable (Fe2_o3)
Registered Member Username: Fe2_o3 Post Number: 35 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 71.112.201.48  Rating: N/A |
I just nailed 18" of coat hanger to a piece of wood near the peak of the roof and ran coax to the radio...Cable | ||
| Don Evans (Doninwa)
Registered Member Username: Doninwa Post Number: 248 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 208.81.157.234  Rating: N/A |
If your shop has metal siding it may need to be grounded. Can you turn off some of the lights individually to see if one is radiating more than the others? If not a portable radio/boombox walked near each fixture may tell you if you have one making more noise than the others. If you get near/in your shop with a vehicle do you get the same static on that radio? | ||
| Vern Rainville (Vern_in_ri)
Registered Member Username: Vern_in_ri Post Number: 5 Registered: 1-2010 Posted From: 72.195.157.114 Rating: N/A |
If I drive my car into the garage with the garage lights on, static just as bad as my garage radio. Turn the lights off and the car radio and garage radio play flawlessly. My garage is wood framed.Radio shack suppressors did not work. I tried a 110 line running outside the building to a 110V radio and the same thing, all static. Like I said earlier, I am now running a 12V battery with no charger or any 110V attached ( I just recharge the battery when it gets low) to a car radio with a car antennae mounted outside the building (located fairly high) using a coax car cable, and get static with the lights on. Perfect with the lights off.The CD plays perfect with the lights on or off, 110V or 12V. I now believe the cause is in the flourescent lights. Is there an inexpensive way to combat this. Vern | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 1210 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 74.4.63.215 Rating: N/A |
Can you turn on the flouresecent lights one at a time? Maybe you have a ballast going bad in one of the lights. Also might try shooting the light cases (in the ballast area) wwith a temp gun and compare temps. If one case is much hotter, that ballast may be the problem. Jack |