As RVers try and stay up with the latest in technology, "unintended consequences" sometimes strike. So it is with combining digital TV technology in the same rig with low-power LED lighting. Complaints from RVers, as well as stix-and-brix dwellers, are indicating that LED lighting and digital televisions get along like the Hatfields and McCoys.
Click on the accompanying video link and you'll see the dramatic demonstration of how this plays out. An otherwise good digital TV image simply rolls up and vanishes when the RVer switches on his LED lighting. Turn the lights off, the image recovers. From the information been seeing, the situation is particularly severe when a television is pulling a distant, therefore weak, transmitted signal.
Are these boondocker friendly LED's to blame? Not technically. The LED lights in themselves don't seem to cause the problem. Apparently what's at issue is not the actual light, but the circuitry that's required to fire the lighting. Getting in over our collective heads, the technical folks say that what's called a "Buck/Boost IC circuit" in the system can create electro-magnetic interference (EMI) that spoils the digital TV signal, and in some cases can interfere with radio reception.
Some LED/TV users report that not all LED lighting creates the problem – some point the finger at "cheaper" LED lighting as the culprit. But that's cold comfort if whatever LED lighting you have in your rig fries your TV at the critical moment when Perry Mason reveals whodunit.
What's the fix for this technological family feud? Aside from not running your LED lighting when trying to watch the tube on the fringes of TV reception areas, you could try switching out your LED lighting. That can be a pricey proposition, so we suggest to try it, just buy a single LED light, and try it to see if it doesn't fight with your TV. We say this, as we've yet to find anyone who can speak up as to what particular brand or type of LED lighting doesn't cause a problem.
Australian users, who seem to have been the first to really scream about the problem, report that TVs don't seem to be affected when equipped with quad-shielded TV coax. That isn't exactly great news. The same sources report that RVs imported from the U.S. to Australia are the rigs most prone to interference, suggesting that RV builders here in the states don't regularly use shielded coax. And if you've ever had a coax problem in your RV, you know that the stuff is most likely buried in walls, completely inaccessible to the average mortal. You could "rewire" your TV cabling system, but most likely this would create some issues for those who feel strongly about esthetics, since having coax routed "over the walls and ceiling" could be a touchy subject for such ones.
Until a better fix is arrived at, or RV manufacturers routinely spring for the more expensive shielded cable, this could be a trial some issue for RVers going "green."
We switched out almost all our lights with LEDs and even added some - no problem of any kind with the TV.
ReplyDeletePurchase Leds from Eversale. They have non RF producing LEDs at 1/10 the price. Excellent & HONEST people!
ReplyDeleteI had this problem with 2 of my LED's. I fixed it very easily by adding magnetic chokes to the wires just before they entered the fixture. You can get these chokes at electronics shops (Radio Shack etc) they are simply a 2 piece magnet that goes around the electrical wires. EASY FIX
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem with my DTV but only when I turn on a inductance load like a hair clipper. Signal drops out !!
ReplyDeleteChanged out all halogen and flourescents for LEDs and have encountered no tv/radio problems. Bought them from m4poducts...great quality and dimable. Used a standard dimmer and got 50% dimming before LEDs went off. Could get more dimming with an electronic dimmer but they can cause RFI on tv/radio signals. Not all electronic dimmers are equal
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I can think of that this issue has in common is the amplifier in the RV TV antenna or the power supply that you turn on to power the amplifier.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone tried running a coax from an standard home antenna or a pair of rabbit ears to the TV to see if they still had the problem.
We replaced all 15 incandescent 12v bulbs in our 1998 Mini-Winni with LEDs from Brightest. We have not had any reception interference on our two Skywatch LCD digital TVs. The bedroom TV is still fed by the old integrated "skinny" coax from Winnebago. We purchased the Brightest bulbs through Amazon.com. They are described as: "The Brightest Ba15s LED Light Bulb Replacement - Cool White Color - 2nd Generation with 66 LED's - Single Contact Base - 10-30V DC" here http://amzn.to/19zJKs0
ReplyDeleteIf you have the problem of TV interference (as I did) go to Radio Shack and pick up an assorted pack of very small capacitors. Remove the light fixture from the wall/ceiling and un plug it. Strip a very short piece of the insulation from both wires on the fixture as close to the light socket as is comfortable to work. Wrap one lead of a capacitor to one of the wires and the other lead to the other. Solder both. Insulate all bare wire. I insulated mine with RTV glue which was easier than taping. Reinstall and test. Repeat at each light giving the problem. Not all types do.
ReplyDelete1. larger capacitors do not work better than small ones at the frequencies of TV signals and may work worse.
2. Capacitors do not consume DC electricity and will have no effect on your 12 volt power but they will act as a dead short to the high frequency AC power that is interfering with your TV.
3. All LED lights must have current regulation or they will take so much current they will burn up. Most use a simple resistor which works and is inexpensive but is not efficient and does not always put out the maximum light. Better LED lights use a voltage conversion circuit similar to those used in inverters and computer power supplies but they can create signals that can interfere with radio and TV. --Steve C.
you want to use a inductor inline with each light as close as you can get and a small ceramic disk capacitor well i would use the largest ceramic disk cap i could get or put 2 or 3 in parallel and apply heat-shrink-tubing to all but 1/2 inch of the ends of the cap
ReplyDeletesmall note you should use an inductor that has a wire gauge one bigger then the wire feeding the circuit to remain with in UL spec but this would only be a problem if there was a short inside the light box its self i would use the bigger wire it does not cost much more
so you got the light the cap going across the hot and ground then the coil aka inductor inline on the hot then the switch and fuse box behind that to get the full benefit of all components very important to follow that order
oh ya if you can get em high Q ceramic disc capacitors will work better and they do not cost that much more compared to new lights also you can change the regulator for one that is shielded note they are rated as follows input voltage range for most 11-16 volt output range will vary and its not a crictal factor as long as your LED falls in the range and the key factor you are looking for is a match in amperage these regulators will raise or lower the voltage to acquire a target amperage and as such these types of LEDs are not dimable another story for another day but you could dim them by using lower current regulator and the LED bulb will last longer at this lower power i would not reduce the power more then 30 percent note going down in power by 10 percent will not cause a loss in brightness on most LEDs and make them last allot longer some can give out 60 percent of their rated light while using 10 percent of the power due to an inverse negative resistance where by lowering the voltage drastically increases the resistance while reducing thermal output the main waste of energy
I have the same problem. The led lights that were bad for me were the round ones, I have flat panel leds in some of the fixtures and they cause no interference. I believe the problem is with the TV antenna amplifier sensing those led lights on the 12v wire to the amplifier itself, not the coax., although I have not proven that as yet.The person Anonymous above suggested magnetic chokes. Perhaps one of these on the 12v input wire to the TV amplifier would do the job?
ReplyDelete