Radio dropping out

[radioman]

Some voltage reducers radiate a wide range of radio frequency (RF) noise that can interfere with radio reception. This RF noise comes from the switching process in the reducer. This noise would likely be AM signal and might play tricks on FM reception. Try placing a battery operated FM radio tuned to a station near the antenna location and turn on the voltage reducer and see what happens. Might not be the problem ..just a thought.

[orangeman6]

Just got home and checked out the other inputs. No dropout when using anything other than fm, even with it cranked up.

I don't actually have a battery powered fm radio; seems pretty crazy to say

So, I guess that brings us back to the led driver? I'll have to see if I can find another one in that exact size. It's cut into the headliner, so I'll have to have an exact match.

Really appreciate all of the help. Learning about this stuff is half of the fun.

[Sergio]

Can You post more details about the existing dome light, does it have a wide voltage range?

Maybe You can look for some led replacement type boards and put them inside the existing fixture.

It needs to be a fixed voltage and only use resistors for current limiting.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012VQPFV4?psc=1

[orangeman6]

Originally Posted by Sergio

Can You post more details about the existing dome light, does it have a wide voltage range?

Maybe You can look for some led replacement type boards and put them inside the existing fixture.

It needs to be a fixed voltage and only use resistors for current limiting.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012VQPFV4?psc=1

Sergio,

Here's a link to the exact light. Wish I could say I knew what to look for in the specs, but I don't.
Thanks again for your help.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...lent/846/7477/

[Sergio]

This spec indicates a switching mode Led Driver is been used:

Operating Voltage Range: 10~25 VAC/10~50 VDC

You need a simple Linear driver (smart resistor), so look for fixed input of 12v or a narrow range around 12v.

[orangeman6]

Sergio, big thanks for the help. Not sure what your background is, but you always seem to nail down these electrical questions.


And thanks to everyone else that replied, some super educational stuff.

[Sergio]

Actually a couple of weeks ago I finally figured out an intermittent, and very annoying, problem with my garage door opener where sometimes one of the cars would not be able close the door.

As it turns out, I had replaced the light bulbs on the garage door opener with LED bulbs, so when the lights were ON, like when you just opened the door to leave in the morning, the LED bulbs were causing so much interference that You could not close the door from the car.

Of course if the lights were OFF at the time, or after a few minutes of trying different things until the lights would go OFF, just like "magic" the darn thing would work fine.

It took me a few weeks to finally notice the pattern that none of the wireless devices would operate the door when the lights were ON.

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by Sergio

Actually a couple of weeks ago I finally figured out an intermittent, and very annoying, problem with my garage door opener where sometimes one of the cars would not be able close the door.

As it turns out, I had replaced the light bulbs on the garage door opener with LED bulbs, so when the lights were ON, like when you just opened the door to leave in the morning, the LED bulbs were causing so much interference that You could not close the door from the car.

Of course if the lights were OFF at the time, or after a few minutes of trying different things until the lights would go OFF, just like "magic" the darn thing would work fine.

It took me a few weeks to finally notice the pattern that none of the wireless devices would operate the door when the lights were ON.

Thanks for helping me retain the few working brain cells I have left.

I only have one Edison base light fixture left with an incandescent bulb in it, the garage door opener, and was going to replace it with a LED bulb when it burnt out. Now it'll probably get a small CFL that was removed from another fixture.