Hello Bob;
When you encounter situations like this please contact MIke Gruber W1MG at the
lab with the details. The lab has been very actively looking into the problems of interference
caused by LED lighting systems but there is a lack of feedback from the field.
Also, please encourage hams that you know have encountered these
types of problems to contact the lab by email. The ham in the article that was posted
by N5AUS had not contacted the lab, and had the reporter not contacted Mike, this
particular case would have been an unknown situation.
The issue of measurement at VHF for LED lighting devices is a significant
issue that is being looked at by the lab and Chris. If harmful interference exists to a licensed
radio service the operator of the device must mitigate that interference.
73, Kermit W9XA
From: "Bob Famiglio, K3RF" <RBFamiglio@Verizon.net>
To: 'arrl-odv' <arrl-odv@arrl.org>
Sent: Monday, August 1, 2016 11:58 AM
Subject: [arrl-odv:25544] Re: This Will Become A Bigger Problem - And We a Should Have A Game Plan
It is already a bigger problem. Some brands of new traffic light LED bulbs seem noisy. In Southeastern Pennsylvania at least, all the traffic lights for state roads being replaced by PennDot with LED lamps exhibit broadband type noise. I live one county over from Bucks County, PA where the ham in the article lives. Here in Delaware County, PA, the new LED traffic lights cause significant noise even up at VHF High band (for us 144 to 148 MHz). While driving through newly re-lamped intersections, moderately strong two meter FM signals are blanked out as the strong noise masked the signal and closes the squelch. This begins almost 300 feet from the closest LED traffic light. In large interchange intersections with coordinated lights for 600 feet (US Route 1 and PA 252 for eg.), the dead zone is a significant period of drive time, especially if one gets caught at one or more of the lights. I hear the same noise up on public safety UHF-T band (500 MHz), but it is not as strong. I do not yet work HF mobile so I have not checked.
Is this our new BPL level of threat? LED lighting may end up as our biggest spectrum threat yet.
Bob Famiglio, K3RF
Vice Director, ARRL Atlantic Division
610-359-7300
www.QRZ.com/db/K3RF
From: arrl-odv [mailto:arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org] On Behalf Of Christopher Imlay
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2016 11:42 AM
To: N5AUS
Cc: arrl-odv
Subject: [arrl-odv:25542] Re: This Will Become A Bigger Problem - And We a Should Have A Game Plan
John thanks for sending that. I have relayed it to Ed Hare and Mike Gruber and Kermit Carlson and we will see if we can help with this. It may be a good test case for RF lighting interference. Mike and Ed have several of these of course but the press coverage makes it a bit more compelling.
--
Christopher D. Imlay
Booth, Freret & Imlay, LLC
Silver Spring, Maryland 20904-6011