GEOSATpro Power, Timer and Random Issues - Solved CFL Light Bulbs

[rv1pop]

Well, as I was watching / listening to a little TV, (pun intended - but probably lost = 5" battery TV), I needed more light and reached over and turned on a 12VDC CFL light. The channel changed - clear out of my FAV! the time went way out (years) and --- well --- what the heck? Turned back to the channel I was watching and the brain cleared. I reached over turned the light off and back on. Everything OK... NUTZ.
Finish that little project and turned off the light. About 45 minutes later, I needed more light again and turned the cold light back on. Big mess again. Tried to figure it out - three of my 20 or so CFL reset my microHD, when started cold. I do not know why nor how, and hardly care! Problem identified. Lights replaced (those 3 were old and all the same brand). None of the others seem to cause ANY problems.

Back to cabinet building. Issue no longer an issue. A large capacitor had helped, some. An extra battery had not. I put toroid beads over the power lead, then decided - "WHY BOTHER!"

 

[SatelliteAV]

Interesting!

Would you experiment and cover the IR window on the microHD? It would help to determine if the CFL is emitting and IR blast or if power related.

 

[rv1pop]

It was almost certainly going through the 12VDC lines ........ or maybe the 110 vac inverter wiring. as one of the CFLs was in another building! and none of them were in view of the cabinet. That is what made the troubleshooting so hard. I seemed totally random! But it was not. I was so upset, yet pleased with verifying 100% failure I threw all 3 into the outhouse pit, breaking them, before I thought about sending them out for testing. It was hours later I thought I should have sent them to you. But in the ---- now! Never to upset the receiver again. Both microHDs record perfectly, manually. (The DVR1100c is recording on timers and using a 65 watt inverter - doing that job well, no TV on it except when generator is running.) I am still using thumb drives with all 3 units.

 

[AcWxRadar]

RV1Pop,

That is very interesting. I have a 34 ft tow-behind at the river and that is where I started my FTA sat days. Never had any CFLs in the camper, but used a lot of halogens and LEDs, I don't figure they would bother anything. I will have to keep this in mind in the future if I detect any strange anomalies with my AZBoxes and my new microHD (on its way).

By the way, I am going to have to report you to the EPA for disposing of your mercury laden CFLs in the outhouse pit!
No telling how much crap you have contaminated!
What were you thinking?
If you would like to simply do the right thing and come clean and turn yourself in to the authorities, the judge may go easier on you.
I would hate to have to make a big "stink" about this blatant disregard for the environment.
We've been friends for so long, I would just hate to see you turn to a life of brown collar crime.
Give yourself up! Retrieve the evidence and come before the judge with a clean conscience (and clean clothes) and for God's sake, take a shower first!

Snicker, snicker!

RADAR

So sorry, I could not resist that one!

 

[AcWxRadar]

Kallesatman,

I noticed that you disliked my previous post.
I want to be sure that you understand that it was all a "tongue-in-cheek" ribbing from me to Pop.
There was no seriousness meant nor intended, it was all pure tom-foolery and a bit of horseplay.
I didn't want you to think that I was really bashing Pop in any way.

RADAR

 

[WRBreland]

Everything OK... NUTZ.

I have macros on my remote control to shut down the media room equipment and lights. One night recently I activated the shut down macro and all the IR equipment responded but none of the X-10 devices responded (lighting and equipment via appliance modules). In fact hardly any X-10 anywhere in the house would work (I have a lot of X-10 devices). Turned out to be a 13W high efficiency light bulb. It was still working but started generating a lot of line noise. Replaced it and all was well with the X-10 devices.

 

[rv1pop]

I have macros on my remote control to shut down the media room equipment and lights. One night recently I activated the shut down macro and all the IR equipment responded but none of the X-10 devices responded (lighting and equipment via appliance modules). In fact hardly any X-10 anywhere in the house would work (I have a lot of X-10 devices). Turned out to be a 13W high efficiency light bulb. It was still working but started generating a lot of line noise. Replaced it and all was well with the X-10 devices.

Very glad to see I was not the only one in the world to have a problem like this! I am not sure why they do this, but ALL of my AC lights are CFL, and now only 6 CFLs are 12VDC. At almost $20 each for the DC ones .... I am finding brands that start fine on the small inverters - and they seem to have less interference also (than hard to start brands). Now if I could get BPA to quiet down their data over power line stuff - I might have internet when power demand is high!

With your solution, being much like mine, there is probably nothing we can do, except be aware. Oh, BTW, I found one more "dirty" one, {hard to start AC light, running on the pump generator with a switch before the pump contactor} over 400 feet away at the well. I started to remove it, to replace it and the glass shattered! I was cold, so was wearing gloves so no cuts - except to the glove.

 

[Cham]

RV1 are the "good" CFLs UL and/or CSA approved and the others are not? I have found some that are not approved that seem to be problematic.

 

[rv1pop]

Cham, That could be. At this point, I can not tell, as the bad ones are gone... The replacements are all known brands and appear to be CSA, UL (and FCC, I think) approved. All but one had been installed by 2008 and I had not purchased any DC bulbs since late '07 or early '08.
The well and that bulb went in ~ 2006.
The brands may have been OK, but just old - and filters failed, (Like surge protectors that have been hit too many times).
The case of 48 I am working on now were purchased Christmas of 2008.