Floro bulbs and digital scales??

[GeoDudeFlorida]

As we speak static electricity has a live thread.

I think you mean live wire...

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I would guess it might cause false readings if the TV was tuned to CNN or MSNBC.

And if you was watching old episodes of “The Prisoner” it would only show whole-number loads and they’d all be off by 6.
Probably all in Imperial units, too.

 

[ballman6711]

I swapped my lights for LED lights and have discovered they will affect radio signal. If I turn on an LED light in the vicinity of my FM radio, it interferes with the radio signal.

I have also discovered this, my LED bench lighting interferes with my radio if it's too close.

I never noticed lighting messing with my digital scale. When I started I loaded in front of a large window with plenty of light, so sometimes the light was on and sometimes it was off. I moved to a balance beam within a few months of beginning reloading due to my digital drifting and shutting off if not used fast enough. I still use it for weighing bullets, but won't go back to using it for powder.

chris

 

[PWC]

"Floro" lights depend on ionizing gas which is electrically charged and radiates like a radio wave. Digital scales can act as a "radio receiver".

EDIT: I forgot to mention the ballast...it is nothing but a step-up transformer to increase the voltage to cause an arc inside the tube to get the gas to ionize.

The ballast has its own radiated electromagnetic fields.

Strength of the radiated energy decreases with the square square of the distance.

LEDs not. Regular bulbs, not.

 

[Rule3]

But now we must have a in depth study/research of magnetic ballasts vs electronic!

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I have also discovered this, my LED bench lighting interferes with my radio if it's too close.

I never noticed lighting messing with my digital scale. When I started I loaded in front of a large window with plenty of light, so sometimes the light was on and sometimes it was off. I moved to a balance beam within a few months of beginning reloading due to my digital drifting and shutting off if not used fast enough. I still use it for weighing bullets, but won't go back to using it for powder.

chris

That’s peculiar about the radio considering having WiFi built into LED TV’s almost mandatory these days. WiFi is radio, btw.

 

[ballman6711]

That’s peculiar about the radio considering having WiFi built into LED TV’s almost mandatory these days. WiFi is radio, btw.

I discovered it one day when I went to turn on the radio, and couldn't seem to get the radio dialed into the station. So I moved the radio to a different location in the room, and the sound became crystal clear. Being curious, I tried a few things and found it was my LED bench lights. I could set the radio on the window sill, and the music was clear with the lights off, but if I turned the lights on the music would get static in it or I would lose the signal almost completely. The window is only about two feet from the lights, and the radio is a small portable one that's battery operated.

My phone, which I also use to listen to music with, doesn't have any problems when next to the LED's.

chris

 

[CQB45ACP]

I discovered it one day when I went to turn on the radio, and couldn't seem to get the radio dialed into the station. So I moved the radio to a different location in the room, and the sound became crystal clear. Being curious, I tried a few things and found it was my LED bench lights. I could set the radio on the window sill, and the music was clear with the lights off, but if I turned the lights on the music would get static in it or I would lose the signal almost completely. The window is only about two feet from the lights, and the radio is a small portable one that's battery operated.

My phone, which I also use to listen to music with, doesn't have any problems when next to the LED's.

chris

For we old timers this was old news yesterday. Back before cable or digital anything (and in some cases before FM radio) aluminum foil attached to our TV rabbit ears (that’s an antenna grasshopper) was the only way to get over the air reception. Move em this way or that way or sometimes the youngest child was relegated to standing at the TV holding the antenna.

Our lights didn’t emit anything except smoke…we used candles.

 

[LiveLife]

I have read that fluorescent light bulbs have an effect on digital scales, is this true? If this is true, then does LED bulbs have the same effect? ... don't think the LED bulbs would have the same effect on digital scales

Of concern were larger fluorescent light fixtures that used long light tubes and ballasts. I haven't noticed any affect on my digital scales from compact fluorescent light bulbs I used with two overhead gooseneck clamp lights on the reloading bench. I have replaced the bulbs with LEDs in recent years with no noticable affect on digital scale readings also.

When I tested/myth busted even more sensitive analytical/lab type digital scale and new Creedmoor Sports digital scale, it was done on the kitchen counter with overhead ceiling light fixture using two 100watt equivalent LED light bulbs and on stovetop with single LED light bulb in the overhead vent and there was no noticable affect on readings - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-and-discussions.778197/page-11#post-12406419

My phone, which I also use to listen to music with, doesn't have any problems when next to the LED's

I have noticed my Samsung smartphone within a few feet of the Creedmoor Sports digital scale DID affect display readings so I remove any source of magnetic field (Phones, laptops, Chromebook, speakers, etc.).

 

[hk940]

I don't know about scales, but they (CF) would make my digital caliper display count up

 

[ballman6711]

Phone or lighting hasn't messed with my digital caliper as far as I've noticed.

chris

 

[doubleh]

I guess I'm safe as I no longer use fluro lights or even radios. LEDs and streaming. LEDs are so much brighter than fluros.

 

[74man]

Thanks all, I have taken down my Floro lights and replaced them with 5000 lumin led bulbs, just in case. Lots of good info though, and I thank all who responded with good info and not to those who tried to hijack the post. Again Thanks.

 

[jmorris]

Of interest, yes, even balance beams are sensitive to variations in electromagnetic fields.

And lighting, just try and use one in the dark…

 

[Laphroaig]

I have noticed my Samsung smartphone within a few feet of the Creedmoor Sports digital scale DID affect display readings so I remove any source of magnetic field (Phones, laptops, Chromebook, speakers, etc.).

I've detected the same when I set my cell phone too close to my GemPro or Chargemaster.

 

[Pottimus]

I have not noticed...

 

[film495]

I can't imagine a fourescent light several feet away causing any issues, but - here is a good excuse to test and calibrate your scale, maybe with the light on vs. off, move the scale closer to the light and see if it does anything weird, and test against a beam scale once you have it calibrated up all nice and cozy and consistent.

 

[AK Hunter]

I thought fluorescent lights was causing my scale to go off but after changing to LEDs it only stopped about half of the problem. I took it off of the reloading table & that fixed it all. So it was the movement of the reloading table that was causing the most of the plus & minus measurements.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

I have read that fluorescent light bulbs have an effect on digital scales, is this true? If this is true, then does LED bulbs have the same effect? I am just wondering, this is for my own information. I don't think the LED bulbs would have the same effect on digital scales but I am wondering what other reloaders think.

The question isn't whether or not flourescent light fixtures CAN affect the indications on digital scales so much as whether or not YOUR flourescent light set-up DOES affect the indications on YOUR digital scales.

And the answer to the second question is easily determined: put a test weight on your digital scale and turn the flourescent light(s) on and off and observe the scale indications. If there is no change, then the answer to the second questions is "no". If there is a change, then the answer is "yes".

Whether such lighting produces a change in indication is dependent upon several factors, such as the specific flourescent fixture, the distance between the fixture and your digital scale, the light int he fixture starts flickering, the location of your scale on your bench, etc. If you can't produce a change in digital indications on your scale no matter where the scale is located on your reloading bench for your lighting configuration, then you're good to go for any location on your bench.

If you change something (add a new flourescent light, re-configure the existing lighting, use a different digital scale, relocate your scale to some spot you haven't previously tested, etc.) then you should re-check to see if these factors will produce a change in your indications.

 

[CQB45ACP]

The question isn't whether or not flourescent light fixtures CAN affect the indications on digital scales so much as whether or not YOUR flourescent light set-up DOES affect the indications on YOUR digital scales.

And the answer to the second question is easily determined: put a test weight on your digital scale and turn the flourescent light(s) on and off and observe the scale indications. If there is no change, then the answer to the second questions is "no". If there is a change, then the answer is "yes".

Whether such lighting produces a change in indication is dependent upon several factors, such as the specific flourescent fixture, the distance between the fixture and your digital scale, the light int he fixture starts flickering, the location of your scale on your bench, etc. If you can't produce a change in digital indications on your scale no matter where the scale is located on your reloading bench for your lighting configuration, then you're good to go for any location on your bench.

If you change something (add a new flourescent light, re-configure the existing lighting, use a different digital scale, relocate your scale to some spot you haven't previously tested, etc.) then you should re-check to see if these factors will produce a change in your indications.

And THAT clear thinking makes a chief, a chief.

 

[Bottom Gun]

Seems too many other elements can influence the performance of digital scales. Just one of the reasons I decided to go back to using beam scales.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

And THAT clear thinking makes a chief, a chief.

Comes from far too many people trying to make my life miserable by turning troubleshooting into a science experiment!

I once literally flew to the opposite side of the planet to a pixel in the middle of the Indian Ocean called Diego Garcia to troubleshoot some spurious alarm indications on one of our submarines. During one of the twice-daily conference calls to God and Country with progress and status reports as well as the plan forward, one of the people on the conference call suggested we use an RF meter to plot the Radio Frequency power levels in the engineroom to see if this was caused by the use of drill radios.

I told the guy on the conference call "we don't have access to an RF meter on Diego Garcia."

His response? "You can get them on Amazon."



I was facepalming over this, as the ship's Engineer looked at me incredulously.


Bottom line is that if I suspect drill radios to be the source of the problem, I'd simply get some of the ship's drill radios and walk around the affected equipment and see if keying the radios or talking into them would cause the problem.

I'm an engineer...but sometimes engineers are our own worst enemy!

 

[CQB45ACP]

Comes from far too many people trying to make my life miserable by turning troubleshooting into a science experiment!

I once literally flew to the opposite side of the planet to a pixel in the middle of the Indian Ocean called Diego Garcia to troubleshoot some spurious alarm indications on one of our submarines. During one of the twice-daily conference calls to God and Country with progress and status reports as well as the plan forward, one of the people on the conference call suggested we use an RF meter to plot the Radio Frequency power levels in the engineroom to see if this was caused by the use of drill radios.

I told the guy on the conference call "we don't have access to an RF meter on Diego Garcia."

His response? "You can get them on Amazon."



I was facepalming over this, as the ship's Engineer looked at me incredulously.


Bottom line is that if I suspect drill radios to be the source of the problem, I'd simply get some of the ship's drill radios and walk around the affected equipment and see if keying the radios or talking into them would cause the problem.

I'm an engineer...but sometimes engineers are our own worst enemy!

War driving in a sense.

 

[kidneyboy]

Well, this has certainly been an amusing read.

Not to often you get a Phillip Dick reference on a gun forum -

I also wonder if androids dream of electric sheep?

 

[GW Staar]

Comes from far too many people trying to make my life miserable by turning troubleshooting into a science experiment!

I once literally flew to the opposite side of the planet to a pixel in the middle of the Indian Ocean called Diego Garcia to troubleshoot some spurious alarm indications on one of our submarines. During one of the twice-daily conference calls to God and Country with progress and status reports as well as the plan forward, one of the people on the conference call suggested we use an RF meter to plot the Radio Frequency power levels in the engineroom to see if this was caused by the use of drill radios.

I told the guy on the conference call "we don't have access to an RF meter on Diego Garcia."

His response? "You can get them on Amazon."



I was facepalming over this, as the ship's Engineer looked at me incredulously.


Bottom line is that if I suspect drill radios to be the source of the problem, I'd simply get some of the ship's drill radios and walk around the affected equipment and see if keying the radios or talking into them would cause the problem.

I'm an engineer...but sometimes engineers are our own worst enemy!

That reminds me of a cartoon I saw years ago about engineers designing a swing in a tree for a little boy. First picture showed what the engineers designed for him....in effect, cutting the tree down, then supporting it on each side with a hole in the middle for the swing to swing through.....the next picture was a picture of what the boy wanted....a rope from a side limb, with a truck tire swinging below! So funny but sometimes true. (I am a builder/designer and have worked close with engineers every day...wouldn't want to be without them.)

My experience with a GemPro was to add another leg to my benchtop that does not allow flex even while cranking a press. My GemPro worked great after that and compliments my 10-10 beam scale. Still have the double lamp 8' fl. strip mounted under the 7' foot ceiling, but I recently removed the ballust and direct wired LED bulbs......but for a different reason. Tired of ballust buzz, and burned out tubes. They are a bit brighter too...a good thing since my old eyes are dimmer. The silence is wonderful!

You can't leave us minus the ending of your Submarine story!.....how did it end?