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Author Topic: Neighbor's backyard lights = noise on 2m  (Read 322 times)

KF4WDD

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Neighbor's backyard lights = noise on 2m
« on: May 27, 2021, 02:36:59 PM »

My neighbor has lights on his deck and a few spots on the ground in his backyard. I have a 2m/440 antenna on my chimney, and noise gets very bad on 2m when his lights go on at 8pm. I turn my squelch all the way up but that doesn't help 100%.

We had a heavy rainstorm last night. I turned the radio on afterwards, the noise was gone. Seems like the rain helped 'fix' this somehow. I assume this  won't last long. Any thoughts on what the rain did, and how to approach this persistent problem?

Thanks and 73.
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W9IQ

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Re: Neighbor's backyard lights = noise on 2m
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2021, 03:01:03 PM »

Were the lights on when you noticed the reduced RFI? Lightning storms often trip GFIs when exterior loads are involved. Storms with power outages can cause electromechanical timers to defer intended cycles.

- Glenn W9IQ
« Last Edit: May 27, 2021, 03:21:07 PM by W9IQ »
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- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.

KK2DOG

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Re: Neighbor's backyard lights = noise on 2m
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2021, 03:30:21 PM »

Take a look around here: https://www.electronicshub.org/radio-interference-by-led-lights/
If things get ugly, it's actually your neighbor's responsibility to mitigate the interference.
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N6MST

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Re: Neighbor's backyard lights = noise on 2m
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2021, 03:54:03 PM »

...it's actually your neighbor's responsibility to mitigate the interference.

While this is very true, alerting your neighbor to the problem and then offering to help them get everything fixed up in a neighborly way can go a LOOOOONG way and make this and potential future issues much easier on everyone.
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KK2DOG

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Re: Neighbor's backyard lights = noise on 2m
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2021, 05:08:13 PM »

...it's actually your neighbor's responsibility to mitigate the interference.

While this is very true, alerting your neighbor to the problem and then offering to help them get everything fixed up in a neighborly way can go a LOOOOONG way and make this and potential future issues much easier on everyone.

I agree and I tried that once and things quickly went south.
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N0GV

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Re: Neighbor's backyard lights = noise on 2m
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2021, 09:57:03 PM »

LED bulbs are notoriously bad for RFI - I suggest that you find out what sort of bulb he has and offer to replace them for free with ones that do not generate RFI (a trip to home despot and a quick try in your home fixture should help find a good bulb). If they are the power company supplied type then contact them and complain... they DO know how to mitigate this....

When all else fails a low dipole near their lot line and a 1.5 kW SSB session calling CQ and chatting with pals from overseas really works wonders. Trips all their GFI's and any touch sensor lamps will go on and off at random and the stereo will have voices -- let them know that a ghost/poltergeist has moved into the neighborhood....

My problem neighbors moved out 2 weeks after my next door neighbors told them that their house was haunted. My next door neighbor's dad had been a HAM and he knew what was going on but he didn't like the neighbors at all. I was actually neutral about them but the story is true and a good one....

Grover
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W9IQ

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Re: Neighbor's backyard lights = noise on 2m
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2021, 04:44:11 AM »

LED bulbs are notoriously bad for RFI - I suggest that you find out what sort of bulb he has and offer to replace them for free with ones that do not generate RFI (a trip to home despot and a quick try in your home fixture should help find a good bulb).

Gary Johnson WB9JPS , has done a fair bit of testing using an LISN with a spectrum analyzer and offers the following:

RECOMMENDED FOR AMATEUR RADIO STATION USE  Probably undetectable at most ham stations

     Feit 75W eq. dimmable LED PAR30 flood lamp, medium base
     Feit 100W eq. dimmable LED bulb, medium base
     GE 65W eq. dimmable BR30 flood lamp, medium base
     Lights of America 8140SE2-WH5 4-foot LED shop light (reported by W1VLF, ARRL Lab)

BORDERLINE  (or OK after some user modification/filters)

     Cree 100W eq. dimmable LED bulb, medium base

NOT RECOMMENDED  Avoid these.

     Elite RL675 8-inch flush LED light fixture
     Commercial Electric 5- or 6-inch flush LED light fixture
     Torchstar LSDDL-19W6D50 6” LED recessed retrofit (reported by K6OK)

- Glenn W9IQ
« Last Edit: May 28, 2021, 04:59:15 AM by W9IQ »
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- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.

KF4WDD

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Re: Neighbor's backyard lights = noise on 2m
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2021, 07:30:39 AM »

Thanks for the replies. Yes, his lights were on when I noticed the reduced RFI, right after we got maybe 1.5 inches of rain.  A friend thought maybe the water 'grounded' one or more of the problematic light fixtures, but I don't know what to make of his theory. 
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W9IQ

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Re: Neighbor's backyard lights = noise on 2m
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2021, 07:41:41 AM »

It could be that he has a marginal connection that the moisture simply "improved".

- Glenn W9IQ
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- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.
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