Strobe noise AAARGH!

Znarx · Post by **Znarx** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 3:45 pm

Have a Code3 light bar (XL) 3 bank of dual strobes..causing all sorts of desense on the radio. Best option? Can those little crappy motors be filtered? replaced? Help!...Z

E911EMT · Post by **E911EMT** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 4:16 pm

What you could do is buy a double shieled two way radio antenna kit..

Post by Pj » Thu Jul 31, 2003 4:20 pm

I know that Whelen has it, but does the code3 bar have an RFI ground on the power and/or control cable? If so, try grounding it to a really good ground...if that doesn't work at all, just double check the internal wiring in the bar so check for loose connections etc. Also try to turn on one set of strobe at a time to see if its just one power supply or all etc.

I am running a total of 20 stobes in my truck and I hear nothing on the two-ways (VHF being about 1/2 inch from the bar) or the AM/FM.

nmfire10 · Post by **nmfire10** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 4:36 pm

Znarx wrote:Have a Code3 light bar (XL) 3 bank of dual strobes..causing all sorts of desense on the radio. Best option? Can those little crappy motors be filtered? replaced? Help!...Z

Ok, maybe I missed something while I was on vacation. Since when did strobes have motors?

Like PJ said... Shield drains on everything would probably help.

FFParamedic571 · Post by **FFParamedic571** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 5:54 pm

Its maybe not the strobes but the supply that has a motor. The code 3 supplies have a small cooling fan on the side of the supply..I ve replaced a few defective ones..

Post by Pj » Thu Jul 31, 2003 6:09 pm

Almost forgot....

Don't ground anything to the battery. Find a good clean ground in the chasis. Works great for me. Attacthing the ground to the vehicle battery lets lots of noise into the systems. Also can't hurt to double check you A+ power to the radio. Noise tends to get into the ign sense + line if your radio uses one. M has notes about the same in most of their install guides these days (mostly with alternator noise, but applies here too)

Znarx · Post by **Znarx** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 9:21 pm

sorry, my bad....they are rotating lights..(not a lighting guy, so I call 'em all strobes)..thanks for all the tips...any others appreciated...Z

nmfire10 · Post by **nmfire10** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 5:28 am

Haha, ok. That makes a little more sense now. I was wondering when Code 3 starting making the Rota-Strobe....

I don't know much about DC Motor noise so I'll let someone else take it from here. I know a few people that would probably just wrap the motor in tin foil and call it high-tech RFI shielding.

FMROB · Post by **FMROB** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 5:56 pm

Znarx,,,,What type of radio is being effected with the rf noise....The code 3 rotating light bars are all pieces of crap, have been and always will be...That is why they a cheap to buy, fall apart, and of course wreak havic with electrical systems and radios all over the place...The motors usually have a small filter capacitor wired in series, but it doesn;t always work....Make shure that the light bar ground is by itself,,,,nothing else connected to it....Also if it is a two way radio, make sure that the ground and main powers a separated....Disconnect the antenna from the radio, If you still get the noise it is a power problem, if you reconnect the antenna and the noise appears it is thru the RF side (highly unlikely)...Anyway, Good Luck....If it happens to be from the RF side try cleaning the ground of the NMO mount, or even try the double shielded coax. If you move the grounds and main powers and the problem still exists TESCO sell a very heavy duty main power line filter choke capacitor type device for about 30 bucks, works okay....But when have you ever seen a whelen light bar cause rf noise.....I haven't...It is just code 3...Sorry.

Strobe noise AAARGH!

Strobe noise AAARGH!

Re: Strobe noise AAARGH!