VHF radio doesn't work with Aten 270 trio LED

[Lizman]

Hello
I have just bought the above and found that the VHF doesn't work when its switched on. Just a loud squeel and then off. The lamp was swapped for an old flourescent tube jobby. I contacted the company and they tell me they've sold lots without any reported issues. I, like a silly puppy, got rid of the box, so can't send it back. I wonder if anybody else has experienced similar? i should add that the light is over the navstation, so the VHF is about 2ft away.
Philip

 

[Plum]

Hello
I have just bought the above and found that the VHF doesn't work when its switched on. Just a loud squeel and then off. The lamp was swapped for an old flourescent tube jobby. I contacted the company and they tell me they've sold lots without any reported issues. I, like a silly puppy, got rid of the box, so can't send it back. I wonder if anybody else has experienced similar? i should add that the light is over the navstation, so the VHF is about 2ft away.
Philip

I have had problems with led lamps and also 12v USB phone chargers interfering the a vhf. Hopefully you can get your money back.

 

[Lizman]

Hello Plum,

Thanks for replying.
I think the company would have given my money back, but i got rid of the box, so i didn't force the issue. I will persevere with the light and experiment with the wiring. First, by putting it on a separate circuit, and then by moving it further away, just to see what the issue is.

Philip

 

[Daverw]

I would not use something so poorly designed that caused this much electrical noise on my boat, with so much critical stuff that’s close

 

[billskip]

Hello
I have just bought the above and found that the VHF doesn't work when its switched on. Just a loud squeel and then off. The lamp was swapped for an old flourescent tube jobby. I contacted the company and they tell me they've sold lots without any reported issues. I, like a silly puppy, got rid of the box, so can't send it back. I wonder if anybody else has experienced similar? i should add that the light is over the navstation, so the VHF is about 2ft away.
Philip

I've read about this before, a while back along...there must be an old thread somewhere, I seem to remember it was narrow down to a particular type of led, but I could be wrong....somebody will I'm sure be able to find the old thread.

 

[Daverw]

It’s not normal the led but it’s very noisy power supply circuitry and the lack of filtering

 

[billskip]

It’s not normal the led but it’s very noisy power supply circuitry and the lack of filtering

I seem to remember the thread containing info about changing down lighting lamps and a certain type caused this problem, would you suggest it's the cuircuity in the lamp itself?

 

[Daverw]

Almost certainly lamp circuitry, leds use around 3v so power supplies drop from 12v and it’s the dc to dc circuits that are the issue on most

 

[William_H]

Options for the OP. get rid of the lamp. Determine that it is interference to VHF. This can come via the antenna or just through the ether. But is most likely coming via the wiring to the lamp. As suggested try running it from another 12v battery. This may isolate the transmission of interference.
If interference stops when using separate battery then a filter at the power supply to the lamp may solve the problem. If interference does not stop the distance or a steel box to enclose lamp is only option.
A filter will consist of an inductance. This will be wire wound around a toroid (ring) or rod made of ferrite. (black carbon like substance) (aerial for old transistor radio or torroid from an old computer power supply or other device.) Inductors & Ferrites RF Suppression Cores - Altronics
Wrap as many turns as you can of a wire heavy enough to carry the light current. (and robust to last) Like 10 turns might do.
Then fit 2 capacitors at the light end of the inductance to ground (negative at light. first .47 microfarrad in paralllel with .001 microfarrad. The big one to smooth out current surges the small low inductance (make leads short) to pass very high frequency pulses.
If all else fails rip out the electronic circuit fromn the fitting and replace with simple resistive current limiting circuit. using 3 LEDs in series plus resistor. ol'will

 

[Sandy]

Is the VHF radio fitted with an electrical choke?

 

[Lizman]

There is a choke fitted on the radio circuitry as far as i remember, but i'm going to have to dig into this a bit more and do one or two experiments, to see if I can salvage the situation.
Thank you for all your helpful comments.
philip

 

[Sticky Fingers]

It's under twenty quid. Chuck it out or use it at home, replace it with a better product.

 

[billskip]

Have you fitted cheap led lights from china, anywhere on your boat lately? My freind did this and he could not transmit on his vhf ,but he could recieve transmitions, He took out all the cheap leds,and the problem was gone,

I found this in another thread by Refuler