Radio Static

[Gotcha6]

I have an old boom box I use for shop music. It gets pretty good reception for being in a metal skinned building. The problem is whenever I plug up my battery chargers for my cordless drills I lose the signal altogether. Anyone else have this problem? Have you found a fix?

 

[alleng]

i had the same problem. i moved the chaeger to a outlet that is on a different curcuit. it solved the problem

 

[TracyP]

I also had the same concern. Moving the chargers to a dedicated circuit so to speak fixed the static.

 

[Gotcha6]

I wired my shop with no more than 2 outlets on one circuit. The radio is on the opposite side of the shop so there's no question it's on a different circuit. I haven't tried moving it to a different outlet not on that power phase, though. Don't know if that should make a difference or not.

 

[RandyJ]

I have the same issue, Dennis. I had to move the battery chargers to a different PHASE to fix the problem. Now I am static-free 'cept when I wear my wooly pajamas....:gar-Bi

 

[Dragon]

Try running your cords through ferrite beads. These cut down on electrostatic "noise" which is common in electric circuits. Look at the cords on your computer.........the large "burl" looking growths on some of the cords are ferrite beads to eliminate "noise" in the circuits. You should be able to get them at Radio Shack or any computer store.

 

[TracyP]

Try running your cords through ferrite beads. These cut down on electrostatic "noise" which is common in electric circuits. Look at the cords on your computer.........the large "burl" looking growths on some of the cords are ferrite beads to eliminate "noise" in the circuits. You should be able to get them at Radio Shack or any computer store.

That is some "sound" advice. Thanks dragon for the lesson in electronics:thumbs_up

 

[Gotcha6]

Are we talking about the chargers' cords, or the radio's cord?

 

[bluthart]

I have had similar problems but I think mine might be related to flourescent lighting. Is this possible? I guess I am adding a question to your question.:dontknow:

 

[Gotcha6]

I get that too from time to time - especially when the shops is cold and the ballasts aren't warmed up. It's not as much a problem with HO fixtures as they usually have ballasts rated for 0 degrees. But the day I got mine they weren't giving away HO fixtures - only regulars - and my daddy always said, "Don't thump a free watermelon." :gar-La;

 

[MIKE NOAH]

I too get the interference from the ballasts. I switched from a boom box to an old reciever with a non powered trex antennea which helped some. Some days I get more static then others. I will have to see if I have a charger plugged in on the same circuit as the stereo when that occurs. I bought a surge protecter that claimed to have rf/emi protection and found it too be of little help.Tried the ferrite beads from Radio Shack, no help. If the lights on in the shop I can get static in the truck parked 10 feet from the overhead door. I have thought about changing ballasts but scared I would spend the money only to find it didn't help either.

 

[Dragon]

Fluorescent lights are notorious for imparting static to otherwise quiet circuits. Best advice I have there is dedicate a circuit to those lights only and hope for the best.