Here’s an article I wrote in 2015 on “grow light” RFI.
https://www.edn.com/how-cops-are-finding-grow-ops-with-am-radios/
<https://www.edn.com/how-cops-are-finding-grow-ops-with-am-radios/>
It’s mainly due to the non-FCC approved “blasts” (i.e., switch mode power
supplies) used to power large sodium lighting.
Cheers, Ken WA6TTY
________________
Ken Wyatt
wyattphoto@mac.com
> On Nov 5, 2021, at 10:00 AM, rfi-request@contesting.com wrote:
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> 1. Re: Grow Lights Coming to NJ - What can we do? (nlsa@nlsa.com)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2021 07:31:18 -0400
> From: <nlsa@nlsa.com>
> To: <RFI@contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [RFI] Grow Lights Coming to NJ - What can we do?
> Message-ID: <002501d7d238$a75d4c70$f617e550$@nlsa.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>
> Dear friends,
> Wow, that's depressing. Could someone give a quick tutorial about what is
> generating the RFI? I don't know much about grow lights. Is the noise
> mostly SMPS, LEDs, fluorescent bulbs, or what?
> 73, W9IP
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: RFI <rfi-bounces+nlsa=nlsa.com@contesting.com> On Behalf Of Michael
> Aust via RFI
> Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2021 12:15 PM
> To: Bob Turner <n2scj-lists@outlook.com>
> Cc: rfi@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [RFI] Grow Lights Coming to NJ - What can we do?
>
> Here what to expect from Grow Lights
> 73
> Good Luck
> Mike
> WB6DJI
>
> https://youtu.be/vm4lkQE6-QE
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Nov 3, 2021, at 9:03 AM, Bob Turner <n2scj-lists@outlook.com> wrote:
>>
>> ?I grow tomatoes, peppers, cucs, and cantaloupe. I start from seed on March
>> 1st and used to put up with VHF desense while my grow was in progress. I
>> did not detect anything on HF, but I'm mostly FT8.
>>
>> This year for the first time I built a "grow box" out of foil lined Celotex.
>> I sealed the corners with aluminum foil tape (might not have been needed).
>> The foil lined box serves multiple purposes. 1) Keeps heat from grow lights
>> and mats inside the box. 2) The foil reflects the grow light onto the plants
>> and not into the surrounding room. 3) The box keeps the humidity in the
>> plant box and mostly out of my basement. And #4, (drum roll please) the
>> foil lined grow box acts as a faraday cage to my noisy grow lights and I did
>> not have to hear them this year. Perhaps the home growers will like my
>> grow/faraday box idea for reasons #1, #2, #3, and we get the bonus #4. That
>> may be wishful thinking.
>>
>> 7 3 Bob
>> N2SCJ
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: RFI [mailto:rfi-bounces+n2scj-lists=outlook.com@contesting.com]
>> On Behalf Of Dave
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 3, 2021 11:38 AM
>> To: rfi@contesting.com
>> Subject: Re: [RFI] Grow Lights Coming to NJ - What can we do?
>>
>> See:
>>
>> https://www.nk7z.net/rfi-snapshots/grow-lights/
>>
>> for SDR Spectrograms of several different grow lights... Time runs along
>> the vertical axis, and frequency along the horizontal axes. The B/W
>> Spectrograms show a 24 hour period of time.
>>
>> There seems to be so many lights that are not compliant, that is has become
>> a loosing battle for me, and I suspect others... With the lack of FCC and
>> customs intervention/enforcement on incoming, and existing items, it has
>> become a reactive issue for the FCC, not a proactive issue as far as I can
>> tell.
>>
>> This places me, (and soon you), in the unenviable position of RFI first
>> contact. We must locate, inform, try and solve, all prior to contact with
>> the ARRL or the FCC. Given that the state of Oregon has said it believes
>> that most growers are "exporting" the product to areas where it is not legal
>> I may be placing myself in the unenviable position of dealing with an
>> illegal drug dealer when/if I contact the person(s) involved. I truly
>> dislike this, and it is a crying shame that Amateurs are placed in that
>> position.
>>
>> It took about two years here in Oregon for the lights to become a real
>> pain... In some areas, I find several grow light operations per block... I
>> suspect they are the small tomato lights sold by the big box stores to
>> people for growing, for personal use. They all seem to be driven by a high
>> power Switching Mode Power Supplies...
>>
>> The ARRL took a lot of time, and documented several instances of Big Box
>> Stores selling non compliant lighting to homes, (Part 18 vs. Part 15), and
>> passed this on to the FCC. As far as I know, the FCC did nothing...
>> Perhaps Ed Hare can comment in more detail on that subject, as I believe he
>> was involved. The ARRL is doing all it can as far as I see things, but the
>> problem is completely out of hand here...
>>
>> I now work DX during the off hours of the lights. They typically run for 12
>> to 18 hours a day, depending on where in the growing cycle their owners are.
>>
>> Most seem to wipe out 40 meters, 80 Meters, 20 Meters, and in some cases
>> 15... Usually all at once...
>>
>> As you can tell, I am not happy about this at all... I used to have
>> an
>> S4 noise level on 40 Meters-- looking at my S meter now, I see, S9 +10 db,
>> from a grow operation two blocks away. This has gone on for five to ten
>> years, now. At some point, my wife and I will pack up and move to the
>> country... I contacted the person currently generating my strongest source
>> of RFI once several years ago, it got better for about a month, then
>> returned.
>>
>> Frankly I am a bit worried if he gets turned in, I will find a lit road
>> flair coming through my front window at 2 AM one morning... This is one of
>> at least three grow operations all within a mile of me...
>>
>> In working with some growers I have had great luck, but about 20% of them
>> could care less... The entire process is now basackwards, as we are the
>> contact point, with teh grower, which is a horrid position to be in as far
>> as I am concerned. So, I leave it alone, and operate when the lights are
>> off, as I suspect a lot of folks are doing.
>>
>> Good luck...
>>
>> 73, and thanks,
>> Dave (NK7Z)
>> https://www.nk7z.net
>> ARRL Volunteer Examiner
>> ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
>> ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources
>>
>>> On 11/3/21 6:39 AM, Christopher Wawak wrote:
>>> [please keep this topic ONLY to RFI of grow lights, and not politics,
>>> your thoughts on cannabis, your lumbago, or anything like that. I am
>>> replacing "cannabis" with tomato from now on.]
>>>
>>> I recently read that NJ's Governor is open to TOMATO home-grow, which
>>> typically involves noisy lights (as I understand it). Tomatoes are
>>> recently legal in New Jersey. Whether growing them at home is
>>> ultimately allowed or not, grow light RFI is coming to NJ
>>> neighborhoods. I understand it's pretty bad!
>>>
>>> From folks out west, what can I expect from grow light noise? Wiping
>>> out the entire spectrum, or a few spurs here and there? I live in a
>>> moderately tight suburban neighborhood.
>>>
>>> Since we know that it's coming, how can I work with my lawmakers to
>>> make them informed of the impending impact of grow light RFI on the
>>> amateur radio service and other services? Can we teach grow light
>>> users and vendors about RFI-clean installations?
>>>
>>> Thank you,
>>>
>>> -- Chris KC2IEB
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> RFI mailing list
>>> RFI@contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
>>>
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> End of RFI Digest, Vol 226, Issue 3
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