Digital Ballast EMI

[oldergrower]

Just wanted to start a thread about electromagnetic interference with digital ballasts.

Just took the plunge to digital (solis tek matrix) very recently and immediately noticed
my blue labs ph meter was jumping around when checking the ph in my res which is below
my tube system below the light hood. Did not click that it came from the new setup the
first day, but when it happened on the second day it hit me that I had to be getting some EMI.

So, I took a sample of my res and moved away from my grow room, recalibrated the meter
and checked ph. Reading was fine no jumping around of meter. Went back into the room not
under the light and checked the same sample was within .1 ph. Put meter into res again and
got the ph swing from 5.3 to 6.3, just jumped all over.

I have not tried to check a sample above the light yet but it seems to only affect my ph meter
below the light, maybe grounding of the light fixture may block the emi except downward if using a fixture?

I have knowledge of frequency and harmonics and it seems the ballast frequency used and
the harmonics emitted just happens to interfere with my blue labs ph meter. Also with this ballast
I am using a super sun 2 hood with a new Hortilux 1000W hps ebalast compatable bulb.

Any thoughts from our great online community? Anyone want me to do other checks about this situation?

This info may help someone meter/equipment problems when using a digital ballast.
Best of luck and keep growing, OG

 

[Kcar]

I had the exact same problem.
So now I get a cup of nute solution out of the res,
and test it on my desk. But I don't think it's EMI. I
think it's light pollution from the HPS screwing up the readings.
Atleast for me. Also, I had a cheap PH meter at the time.
No I have a Bluelab, but still PH test on my desk, as it's become habit.

 

[Dirty Harry]

I experienced a PH pen go bat shit insane while close to florescent lights. I am in the coin op video business and have seen a bad florescent light or starter cause the game to malfunction. EMI is a bitch.

 

[nugglife]

I have had many issues digital ballasts causing my Blue Lab Combo meter to not hold a calibration for more than 3 minutes. Never had the issue with magnetic ballasts, and only have had issue when in a space with 20 or more digitals. The pH will drop while in the 7.0 solution to as low as 2.0, then bounces around quite a bit. Usually the meter is consistently .3 off in either direction. Will calibrate meter, then pH my res to 5.8, by the time I get this done and retest the calibration it has already changed, causing me to constantly water with the wrong pH. Blue Lab will not acknowledge the issue, nor the hydro stores that sell them. Constantly saying the probe is at fault, or the solution, but I have a brand new meter doing this the same day it was purchased.

 

[oldergrower]

nugg, yeah I just grab a sample and get away form my room to ph test it. Got the shock of
my life last month when I arrived home and there was a cable company sticky on my front
door saying they were getting back feed back inteference from my house.

Long story short after they came to check problem the buried cable had gone bad and was
picking up inteference, no problem with new ballast. HAHA the thoughts that went thru my
mind for 2 days before they showed up.

 

[nugglife]

Oldergrower,

I can't get far enough away in my facility to get the meter to work properly. Just purchased pH and TDS pens from Myron L company, and so far they work great. The wiring on the combo meter gets disrupted by the em from the digitals, and the solid pens are stable from that interference.

 

[Euphoriaholic]

I also had a issue with my new Quantum 600w Digital ballast.
When the ballast was on I was not able get TV signal(rabbit ear antenna) or AM/FM signal on my radio.
I like to listen to the radio while I work in the room, so I went back to my magnetic ballast
and problem solved.

 

[Kickers]

Digital ballast's wipe out all the radio band's AM radio through 100.000Mhz. Just like plasma TV's. Any radio OP in the area know's who you are and what you are doing! Stay Old School "magnetic ballast's"!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Hammerhead]

never had any of these issues. all meters work,sat , radio, internet all work

 

[TheBatCave]

nice

 

[Adze]

oldergrower

I’m thinking the EM is being emitted more from the wire between the light and the ballast than anywhere else. A digital ballast ups the frequency to 20khz so that wire acts like an antenna. If it were shielded and grounded, like a coaxial cable, likely there’d be no problem. I’d also ground the ballast case and the hood.

Adze.

 

[oldergrower]

thanks adze will try

 

[Muleskinner]

I have found that new Lumatek ballasts do not emit RFI - another brand did. Here's how I tested it - the Trifield meter. Anyone concerned about this should get one, it's a very high-quality meter:

http://www.trifield.com/content/trifield-meter/

 

[watts]

what was the other brand Mule?

 

[Muleskinner]

what was the other brand Mule?

It was Hydrofarm Phantom 400w. It gave off massive RFI, enough to scramble all radio reception over all 3 floors of the house.

I sent it back, now I have 2 Lumatek 400 watters that do not affect a radio sitting right next to it, does not show any RFI on my meter either.

This is only 1 data point, but I have to assume all of them are made the same way. A simple layer of shielding will solve the problem, all other appliances have it.

Lumatek has a UL listing. After this experience I won't buy anything without a UL listing. Many of the new, expensive LED lights don't have it either. I would only buy Lumatek, P.L. Lighting/Hortilux, or Gavita e-ballasts.

 

[LyryC]

Digital ballast's wipe out all the radio band's AM radio through 100.000Mhz. Just like plasma TV's. Any radio OP in the area know's who you are and what you are doing! Stay Old School "magnetic ballast's"!!!!!!!!!!!!

lol for the AM guys here in Cali hahaha!

 

[mackdx]

I am in the process of returning my second 1000w Thunder digital ballast. It threw enough EMI to scramble the lower am radio bands for 1/2 mile in all directions. Exchanging for a mag.....

 

[overbudjet]

oldergrower

I’m thinking the EM is being emitted more from the wire between the light and the ballast than anywhere else. A digital ballast ups the frequency to 20khz so that wire acts like an antenna. If it were shielded and grounded, like a coaxial cable, likely there’d be no problem. I’d also ground the ballast case and the hood.

Adze.

Having problem with emi.So i have remove the lamp cord and EMI are gone Lamp is now hardwired and ballast sit on top of hood

 

[oscarthegrouch]

I use a gavita pro, and a couple of lumateks. I've never got any interference from any of my ballasts.

 

[habeeb]

this a very real problem..

reading it over several automated controllers, really messing with the ph pens on them..



kinda makes you wonder what it's doing to us on a cellular / micro / "universal" .... level