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Lights interfering w/ home automation?

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    Lights interfering w/ home automation?

    We don't have any home automation per se but we're fortunate enough to have a few solar panels that communicate via the power lines (PLC) to a central controller. It in turn reports to me (my PC) and the company that made the system as well. With interference I still get the power benefit but I can't monitor it to see if each panel is checking in or not or if there is some other point of failure. OK, that's the back story in brief.

    I assembled my grow goodies this summer in anticipation of my first indoor grow. I held up 'til my first outdoor grow had been dried in the tent and jarred up, etc. I noticed on Monday I had zero output from my PV system even though it was a spectacular day in the upper 60's and wall to wall sun. Further digging showed I went offline at 12:35pm Sunday. I had just moved the first plant into the tent and fired up the Viparspectra for the first time before hitting the bag and settling in for football. After messing with things for two days I tried shutting off the LED and restarting the Solar controller. All was good. When I turned it back on the PV system went dark again!

    I now have an extension cord running across my basement from another circuit and all seems good so far. (Of course today is gloomy and going to rain so slow start to solar monitoring but all the panels did check in.) I'll get that cord sorted more properly shortly.

    Have others run into electrically noisy lights or fans or anything else that interfered with the PLC for other devices?
    TENT: Cool Grow 3x3x6 LIGHT: M-H TSW2000
    EXHAUST: AC Infinity T-4 and controller 67
    AIR CIRC: AC Infinity Cloudray S6 x2
    IRRIGATION: BluMat Tropf NUTRIENTS: Earth Dust

    #2
    Sounds like they failed to put in a "ferrite choke" in the light, LEDs can be very noisy. Adding this should help, I am not an EE so I'll say google it!

    Comment


      #3
      I considered using a snap-on choke (purely guessing at that point) but I grabbed a 50' heavy duty extension and put the 100' one away. Ran it over plumbing and ductwork and the PV reports just fine and the cord is out of the way so good for now. I nearly incurred a big bill for the solar guy to come out and look stuff over. Wasn't looking forward to explaining the tent and all of those mason jars!

      Glad I was only a bit baked when this all started and I was thinking...just what changed at that time Sunday...only the LED!
      TENT: Cool Grow 3x3x6 LIGHT: M-H TSW2000
      EXHAUST: AC Infinity T-4 and controller 67
      AIR CIRC: AC Infinity Cloudray S6 x2
      IRRIGATION: BluMat Tropf NUTRIENTS: Earth Dust

      Comment


        #4
        Moving to another power source will often do the trick, it moves the interference to the other power line. The choke will eliminate it,,,

        Comment

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