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Topic:
8' LED Lamps Interfering With Directv
This thread has 11 replies. Displaying all posts.
Post 1 made on Thursday April 7, 2016 at 20:46
PatMac
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A client contacted me today regarding an issue he started having with his Directv at his workshop. I have never been to this location, only his home. He indicated they recently upgraded all of the 8' florescent lamps (and ballasts) with 8' LED lamps (and ballasts). After this occurred, the flat panel Directv picture goes to snow (his description) until the new LED lamps are turned off. Then the picture is clear.

Coax and HDMI cables are approximately 15' away from the nearrest LED lamps.

He explained the dish is mounted near the ground on a pole. I haven't installed a dish for over 20 years, so I don't know if the dish's mounting pole is a suitable ground. He doesn't think a grounding block exists where the satellite feed enters the building. Could it be that simple, or is there more to this? I did a Google search on the topic and found next to nothing relevant. I will probably go out there sometime next week. I wanted to be as prepared as possible. It is at least 45 minutes one way.

Thanks in advance!
Post 2 made on Thursday April 7, 2016 at 21:29
westcojack
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Don't know if this will help, can he plug in a lamp with a regular 60 watt bulb into the same circuit the dish/receiver is powered from and see if this helps.
Jack Goldberg, PE
Post 3 made on Thursday April 7, 2016 at 22:13
buzz
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Knowing the brand and model of the LED lamps might be helpful. Also, if the customer can take a picture of the "snow," this might be a clue. Dimmers? Ask if there are any intensity variations or stripes (hum bars) that walk slowly up the screen.
Post 4 made on Friday April 8, 2016 at 12:38
Ernie Gilman
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On April 7, 2016 at 20:46, PatMac said...
A client contacted me today regarding an issue he started having with his Directv at his workshop.

I've fooled myself in the past by not realizing that I had not characterized the problem correctly. One customer could not get certain DirecTV channels on one TV, certain other channels on a second TV, yet certain other channels on a third TV. It was horribly convoluted. I played around and found that none of those channels came in on any of the TVs, which is a different and simpler problem! There was a dish polarity issue.

In your case, are all inputs to all the TVs going wonky; except he has only one TV and one source? See, that puts a different spin on it and would make me think it's an HDMI problem.

I have never been to this location, only his home. He indicated they recently upgraded all of the 8' florescent lamps (and ballasts) with 8' LED lamps (and ballasts).

Again, characterization. Those aren't exactly ballasts, and if you name them ballasts you might lull yourself into thinking they behave the same way.

After this occurred, the flat panel Directv picture goes to snow (his description)

Snow with an HDMI setup is a known symptom.

until the new LED lamps are turned off. Then the picture is clear.

Will any one lamp and any combination of lamps make this happen? Do the screens (does the screen) look the same for all cases?

Coax and HDMI cables are approximately 15' away from the nearest LED lamps.

But power wiring and grounds for all ultimately are connected together at the same box. The "furthest away" you can get, electronically, is feeding from the two different polarities of 120VAC in the normal 120-0-120 house power setup. Every other bit of "isolation" is just a wire run except for power strip surge suppression.

Contact Brent about this if he doesn't chime in a few days before you're going out there.
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 5 made on Friday April 8, 2016 at 13:01
King of typos
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With out looking into the fluorescent tube to LED tube conversion. I wonder if the LED tubes are able to work with the old style ballast, you know the heavy clunky magnetic coil type. Or are they only made for the newer electronic switching ballast type.

KOT
Post 6 made on Friday April 8, 2016 at 15:38
Bubby
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On April 8, 2016 at 13:01, King of typos said...
With out looking into the fluorescent tube to LED tube conversion. I wonder if the LED tubes are able to work with the old style ballast, you know the heavy clunky magnetic coil type. Or are they only made for the newer electronic switching ballast type.

There are three basic type of LED tubes. Those that 1) are universal and will work with electronic or magnetic ballasts; 2) those that only work with electronic ballasts and 3) those that are ballast by-pass. Then throw in shunted vs non-shunted

So there are several possibilities of what the client may have.

Has the client tried the TV with another programming source such as OTA or BR player to see if it is DirecTV or the TV.
Post 7 made on Friday April 8, 2016 at 16:27
King of typos
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So there is something else to look into.

What type of LED tube did they use?
What type of ballast were the old fluorescent tube fixture using?

If the LED tubes are of the type that requires the electronic ballast, are the fixtures using the electronic or magnetic?

I can only assume if the LED tubes require the ballast, magnetic or electronic, to be removed. That the LED tubes either won't work, or would've blown up on first switch on.

KOT
Post 8 made on Friday April 8, 2016 at 16:37
Ernie Gilman
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KOT,
It sounds like the fixtures were kept; the fluorescent ballasts were changed to LED drivers, which the light manufacturer might have called ballasts so they wouldn't have to educate anybody; and the LED "bulbs" fit into the fluorescent fixture's connecting pins.

All LEDs are 2 to 3 volt DC devices that MUST have something to change the 120VAC to their level. Your "if" is true: They can't operate off of fluorescent ballasts.
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 9 made on Friday April 8, 2016 at 17:28
King of typos
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I know the LED component itself works off of the 1 to 3 volt range. However, we all know that there are "LED bulbs" that twist into a standard light socket. So obviously there is a step down voltage to it. And maybe an AC to DC conversion. Or even an AC 60 Hz to a higher Hz, depending on what the manufacture did.

With that said. There are LED tubes that directly replace the T-8 fluorescent bulbs. As noted above with the fluorescent ballast to remain. But apparently it could depend if it's the old magnetic or new electronic ballast. But there are LED T-8 style tubes that require to have the ballast removed all together.

KOT
OP | Post 10 made on Sunday April 10, 2016 at 15:05
PatMac
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Thanks to all for the input and questions! I will try to schedule an appointment next week with the client.
Post 11 made on Sunday April 10, 2016 at 19:28
Brad Humphrey
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On April 10, 2016 at 15:05, PatMac said...
Thanks to all for the input and questions! I will try to schedule an appointment next week with the client.

During that call, you need to push for all the info about the LED lighting. What brand, model, who hooked it up, how it was hooked up, etc...
Without this info, you could be spending a very long day there figuring it all out yourself. Before you even get to the troubleshooting part.

If the customer kind of blows it off as unimportant (how people can do that blows my mind), ask him if he wants a bill in the hundreds or thousands of dollars because you had to find all that out yourself - when he already knew.
Post 12 made on Monday April 11, 2016 at 00:47
Ernie Gilman
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Maybe it would be good to take some ferrite rings if you've got them. If the problem is RF from the LEDs, ferrites could block them from getting out of the LED fixtures and onto the power wiring.

You really should contact Brent about this before you go. He might have some suggestions about HDMI snow and what makes it happen. You might be able to save yourself a trip if you know some of that stuff ahead of time.
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw


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