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Lumatek ballasts will get you busted
- Thread starter SneakySneaky
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Two questions:
1. Sorry if I've missed this elsewhere, but, can anyone confirm that a standard ballast does not put out RFI that can also be traced by the cable guy?
2. What are some non-suspicious electronics that someone might have in their home that might be passed off as an RFI cause, should the cable guy come knocking.
1. Sorry if I've missed this elsewhere, but, can anyone confirm that a standard ballast does not put out RFI that can also be traced by the cable guy?
2. What are some non-suspicious electronics that someone might have in their home that might be passed off as an RFI cause, should the cable guy come knocking.
any ballast or high output appliance can be traced. Specially if your robbing power from the street or from a neighbour..
When my mates grow was running in his shed but for somereason connected to neighbours power bill the Power company was quick to fix and find the cause. Within minutes a hand help meter found where the power was comming from but had no right to enter the shed. Mate was asked whats in the shed and if he would have any problems fixing owed moneys straight away.. Must be the deep freezer buggered seals and where do i pay.. In the end everyone was happy and still growing although the power guy must have have had an idea what was going on..
Moral of this story pay your bill and dont avoid the power guy when he comes a knocking..
When my mates grow was running in his shed but for somereason connected to neighbours power bill the Power company was quick to fix and find the cause. Within minutes a hand help meter found where the power was comming from but had no right to enter the shed. Mate was asked whats in the shed and if he would have any problems fixing owed moneys straight away.. Must be the deep freezer buggered seals and where do i pay.. In the end everyone was happy and still growing although the power guy must have have had an idea what was going on..
Moral of this story pay your bill and dont avoid the power guy when he comes a knocking..
PUFFS-ENUFF
Member
cable companys do routine sweeps for ingress.....(see sadelco meters)
G
Guest
A ballast is like a transmitter a faulty circuit contact and you have one hell of alot of radio noise.Simple triangulation will pinpoint location.
El Loco Smoko
Member
I have a blue 600 lumatek.I have it in the basement.It was under my living room tv.It caused interferance with Sattelite recep.I moved the light to under my bedroom tv.Same thing, but my living room tv is allright now.I was told to buy a can of spray, and spray cord going from bllast to bulb, after being told there would be no interferance.Sunded like the first time it had ever came up???? I seem to run into alot of first time ever heard of it.Anyone else run into this?Happens with ALL my accounts.Sattellite, cell phone,credit cards, etc.etc.
I bought a 250W a few weeks back (metallic blue UK one).. it caused so much interference to AM radio it was unusable. I was told there's some dud ones around (dunno if that only applies to the 250's or all models) so always pays to check for RFI, rather than assume they've sorted the problem.
HappyHemphog
Active member
$1.00 solution to ballasts that cause RFI problems...
http://www.meritline.com/rfi-reducer-for-round-cables.html
Yes, they do work. They won't eliminate all the RFI, but can reduce it significantly.
http://www.meritline.com/rfi-reducer-for-round-cables.html
Yes, they do work. They won't eliminate all the RFI, but can reduce it significantly.
G
GR8shoeBaDizzle
good stuff hemphog!
I have a Galaxy 600 and no interference, Tried two sources of AM radio above the ballast and no problems. Radio - AM and FM fine, Internet fine, TV fine, no satellite, but cell phone and cordless phones are fine.
Wireless internet can be interfered with by cordless phones on the same frequency (2.4 gHz, I believe) Do you have cordless phones? Do your neighbours? Not all isp techs know their shit....
My mom was running a wifi card with two cordless phones in the house and oh boy that was a mess, until she switched the phones to the 5.8 gHz models...
EMI interference will show up on your television or computer monitor as bands of lines or other static interference. Start and stop the vacuum as you watch the screen and you will see what I mean.
Wireless internet can be interfered with by cordless phones on the same frequency (2.4 gHz, I believe) Do you have cordless phones? Do your neighbours? Not all isp techs know their shit....
My mom was running a wifi card with two cordless phones in the house and oh boy that was a mess, until she switched the phones to the 5.8 gHz models...
EMI interference will show up on your television or computer monitor as bands of lines or other static interference. Start and stop the vacuum as you watch the screen and you will see what I mean.
G
Guest
HappyHemphog said:
Hey now, thanks for the info, was shipped today... never had any issues but for only a 1$ who cares...
! 
K+
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D
DogBoy
It might be worth mentioning aswell that having noise that is exactly 18 or 12 hours long is a good indicator to the utility companies of what you are doing. Growers are usually quite precise in their timings and rarely stagger their lights. This means that if they can see from their reports that the noise is only 12am-12pm etc it might well be someone growing. Obviously they cant say for sure but a quick look at your meter and the rest of the blocks will tell them. Also, meters are often outside properties with unrestricted access.
The world is getting very high tech now and you cant afford to be a simple grower anymore. It's dangerous to hide away now, to survive the climate you need to be well educated in the ways of your enemies.
The world is getting very high tech now and you cant afford to be a simple grower anymore. It's dangerous to hide away now, to survive the climate you need to be well educated in the ways of your enemies.
HappyHemphog
Active member
DogBoy said:
So what? There's not a DAMN thing they can do with that information. For all they know your growing STRAWBERRIES.
The last time I checked, it's legal to grow a lot of different plants indoors.
Stop spreading FUD, your just as bad as the gmvt and it's propaganda.
Kailua Kid
Active member
RAGGA MON said:
My thoughts exactly.
I'm running 4 of these now and was running 8 of them. I started with the old silver ones. After about 18 months a few of them melted down & were replaced by Hydrofarm (free of charge) with new blue & purple ones. I haven't had ANY problems with the new ones. I've never even had ANY interference. Not even in my own house. Let alone have interference that would effect my neighbors.
how do you like your purple ones vs your blue ones? (lumateks) Any huge advantage with the purple? what voltage/wattage? Im thinkin bout gettin purples too.
D
DogBoy
HappyHemphog said:
Thanks for the instant slating. I'm as bad as the government huh?
You really believe that if a utility company sees that data they are going to think it's strawberries? You must be one of the new school growers, all bullshit and bravado. Some of us have been round 20 years and not had a days trouble. Why do you think that is? Cos were stupid and arrogant and cant see the value of caution?
Oh and what is FUD? Is that the new elite kiddie slang of bullshit? I'm proud to have drawn your attention, your obviously a smart cookie!
HappyHemphog
Active member
DogBoy said:
What I am saying is the Power company couldn't fucking care less if your consumption increases and decreases on fixed schedule. As long as you pay your bill, THEY DON'T CARE.
New grower? I've been around and growing longer than 20 years and I've yet to see anyone busted because their power consumption changed on a regular schedule. In fact, the only busts due to power consumption have been because the morons were STEALING power. That's when the power company will really care.
FUD - Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. Popularized in the 70's and 80's by IBM. Try looking it up.
I will say it again, for the Sheeple that have already forgotten: The power company will not give a rats ass if your power consumption changes on a regularly timed schedule. There are too many legit reasons for such consumption.
All bullshit and bravado eh? I've done my time for possession and I've stood across Pennsylvania Ave. from the White House and smoked pot while protesting. I've not stooped to calling you names or disrespecting you, only to ask that you stop spreading pointless information.
high4twentydays
Active member
Have you thought of using a faraday cage around the ballast?
G
Guest
purple= 600
blue=400
Like I said, they will replace their old ones which some do have the RF interference. I don't think anyone is getting busted for weird electricity usage unless your stealing it or biting off more than you can chew...I would be more worried about the smell IMHO and my meter is right next to oh about 15 others....
blue=400
Like I said, they will replace their old ones which some do have the RF interference. I don't think anyone is getting busted for weird electricity usage unless your stealing it or biting off more than you can chew...I would be more worried about the smell IMHO and my meter is right next to oh about 15 others....
W
WaT iT Do?
HappyHemphog said:
is there another name for RFI reducer? can i find it at lowes or home depot?
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