Surge protector?

[Thrashsmith]

Please excuse my embarasing lack of knowledge when it comes to electrics...
In my workshop (aswell as my 3ph MIG) I have a single phase stick inverter on a 16A socket. Turning my inverter on always makes my radio go garbled. I just got a DAB radio for Christmas for the workhop & I don't want it to get ruined. Is there something I can plug it into to steady the flow of juice to keep it from getting scrambled? It's plugged in about 4m away from the 16A socket.
Cheers

 

[rtbcomp]

It could be radio frequency (RFI) rather than mains bourne interference. Will the radio run from a battery? If so try that and see what happens. If it is mains bourne you can get RFI filters or maybe get a surge protection plug (the type they use for computers) for the radio.

http://cpc.farnell.com/webapp/wcs/s...tegoryId=700000009707&langId=69&storeId=10180

http://cpc.farnell.com/webapp/wcs/s...tegoryId=700000009672&langId=69&storeId=10180

 

[Fazerruss]

I have a similar issue with my makita radio when I turn on the fluorescent lamp above my lathe. The strange thing is the radio interference is very localised. If the two are at least 10 feet apart its fine but an inch closer and it starts playing up.
DAB radio signal must be a similar frequency to some power supplies.

 

[rtbcomp]

...
DAB radio signal must be a similar frequency to some power supplies.

Or harmonics.

 

[brightspark]

led lighting knocks the crap out of radios so does chargers on powertools if the radio is near and plugged in

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

I have radio interference on my radio when ever I used a power tool battery recharger.
2 ways I found to stop this was:
1, Fit a RCD to the charger.
2, Plug the charger into another socket on another circuit.

 

[Kayos]

My dewalt radio has a built in charger and doesn't pick any interference up, must have a built in suppressor

I was getting some odd interference on my scanner yesterday, low level pulses of static on whatever freq I was listening to, was the AA charger for my flash batteries

 

[Thrashsmith]

As this was happening to my old FM radio I had hoped the DAB would be immune but it's suffering just the same.
I'll try the battery route and see if that helps.
I always known electrics is as much about voodoo as it is volts.

 

[voipio]

This is a problem that is on the increase with the growth in use of modern electronics and it will only get worse.

The interference arises from two main culprits - digital electronics and switched mode power supplies. Both "culprits" rapidly switch current in their circuitry, whether it is logic and data lines in microprocessor controlled devices, or the main switching transistors in switched mode power supplies. The rapid switching generates harmonics that can extend to many times the switching rate employed, right up into parts of the spectrum used by radio, TV and even mobile phones and sat nav. As an example, try putting a sat nav next to the keyboard on a modern laptop and GPS lock will probably be lost, or at least become less good.

By good circuit design and layout, the radiated harmonic energy can be minimised, and inputs and outputs can be filtered or suppressed so that connections to and from the devices (wires are basically antennas) radiate less, but this costs money and design and testing time, which is of course also money, so there is much stuff on the market that really shouldn't be there, since its emissions exceed legislative guidelines, often being many times over the specified limits.

The regulators, such as Ofcom and the DTI have the powers to do something about it but choose not to, this being, at least in some part, to resource limitations. There are very few reports of actions being taken against electronic device manufacturers for devices that fail radio frequency emissions limits.

It is only going to get worse!!

 

[500e]

How true even when brought to their notice.

The regulators, such as Ofcom and the DTI have the powers to do something about it but choose not to, this being, at least in some part, to resource limitations. There are very few reports of actions being taken against electronic device manufacturers for devices that fail radio frequency emissions limits.

It is only going to get worse!!

 

[Omniata]

The scales in my parents kitchen has a wall mounted display that communicates with the weighing base by IR, if you turn the microwave on it goes haywire...

 

[the snooper]

I have a stage lighting dmx dimmer that plays havoc with the stage monitors if they are on the same mains circuit