OlderStoner
Well-Known Member
I can't explain this fully but I'll try. For the last few years I've been growing a few plants now and then in a 5x5 tent with two 600W air cooled lights. All has been well. But, about a week ago I noticed that the cable from my cable box in the yard had been cut and a new one placed above ground. At first I thought the yard care people cut it and just patched it until they had a chance to notify me and come around to make it right. Then I got a call from my cable service provider. They told me they were picking up some troubles on my lines and they would be sending a tech around to check it out. The tech arrived today and he said there was indeed a problem inside my house. Of course I had to be very discreet so I kept my cards very close to the vest. At the tech's directions I went into the house alone, and disconnected and reconnected a few cables to start eliminating what was not causing the trouble. To make a long story short, the tech and I found that it was those damn lights that were doing it. I never told him what I was disconnecting, I used a cover story that I did work for a confidential client and I had high amp equipment in the house turned on. But no fooling. When I turned the 600w lights off, the signal cleared up completely. I turned one of them on and again the signal went afoul. I switched the outlets they were plugged into. No matter what we did, the lights were definitely causing the trouble. The tech may have figured something else but IFAIK he only knew I had high amp equipment in there and that was what was causing the trouble. And by trouble, I mean the entire street was being affected because I'm the first house on the block in their loop. What he did say is that if the trouble continues they would have no choice but to disconnect my Internet, cable TV, VOIP phone service, the whole works until it was resolved. And BTW, the cable tech told me that it was he who replaced that external cable and he was nice enough to dig a trench and rebury it underground.
I always thought it would be the power company coming in to check things because with those two lights my monthly bill shot up about $75 per month more than average. They only run 12/12 but that was enough to start drawing attention to myself.
Now, I'll try to remember what the tech said. He told my that something UV in the range of 5-40 mghz was what would be causing the signal interruption he was recording on that device of his. Like I said, he seemed to be a smart guy, but if he was putting the pieces of the puzzle together he wasn't showing it. Now when he reports his findings there no telling what research the other techs at his corporate office will do and thus I can not take anymore chances with this setup. The only saving grace is that at 119 days, this grow is almost ready, though I'd love to give the plants another week or so. But this is just too risky now.
The damn thing is that today, this very day, new legislation is being introduced at the Federal level, not state, that will finally, once and for all move the legalization effort along on a national level. Nonetheless, I can't and will not take anymore risks with this. I have to bring it all down today and hope that soon we get the laws changed.
Now, if any electricians, cable techs, whatever out there read this and can chime in on why, and how lights could be causing a problem with the cable system. I mean, there is no place in this house where anything I know of is crossed over, etc... Oh yes, I plugged the digital ballasts in and let them run and the signal was fine. It was only when I plugged the lights in and they started glowing that the trouble would appear on his scope. We did no less than five different tests with this and no matter what, the trouble only showed up when the lights were on. Damn and double damn. I am a structural engineer by trade, and have only limited experience with electrical so I can't say anything except for everyone to start watching your backsides. This was not a fun day at all.
I always thought it would be the power company coming in to check things because with those two lights my monthly bill shot up about $75 per month more than average. They only run 12/12 but that was enough to start drawing attention to myself.
Now, I'll try to remember what the tech said. He told my that something UV in the range of 5-40 mghz was what would be causing the signal interruption he was recording on that device of his. Like I said, he seemed to be a smart guy, but if he was putting the pieces of the puzzle together he wasn't showing it. Now when he reports his findings there no telling what research the other techs at his corporate office will do and thus I can not take anymore chances with this setup. The only saving grace is that at 119 days, this grow is almost ready, though I'd love to give the plants another week or so. But this is just too risky now.
The damn thing is that today, this very day, new legislation is being introduced at the Federal level, not state, that will finally, once and for all move the legalization effort along on a national level. Nonetheless, I can't and will not take anymore risks with this. I have to bring it all down today and hope that soon we get the laws changed.
Now, if any electricians, cable techs, whatever out there read this and can chime in on why, and how lights could be causing a problem with the cable system. I mean, there is no place in this house where anything I know of is crossed over, etc... Oh yes, I plugged the digital ballasts in and let them run and the signal was fine. It was only when I plugged the lights in and they started glowing that the trouble would appear on his scope. We did no less than five different tests with this and no matter what, the trouble only showed up when the lights were on. Damn and double damn. I am a structural engineer by trade, and have only limited experience with electrical so I can't say anything except for everyone to start watching your backsides. This was not a fun day at all.
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