LED "Security Lighting" RFI

[kenglish]

They started installing new outdoor security lights here yesterday. They still run the lights in the breezeways and stairwells off the photocells, but the new lights are each controlled by their own, individual photocells. So, once it's dark enough to turn on the original circuit, then each of the dozens of outside lights randomly turns on with a loud "DZORK" burst.
Only 3 or 4 buildings are done so far...I wonder how much noise I'll get when all 40 buildings are done.
BTW, did I mention that they bought the brightest, bluest lights they make? It looks like a major-league baseball stadium all night.

[David]

I've found photoelectric cells to be one of the worst RFI generators EVER. I used to have a screw in lamp socket with a photoelectric cell to turn my back porch light on at sunset, and off at dawn. The darn thing only worked right about half the time and it generated a horrific amount of RFI on the AM broadcast band as well as the HF bands, so I got rid of it several years ago. I use standard A19 LED bulbs in a few hard to reach light sockets because they last so much longer, and I haven't noticed much of an increase in RFI. In most areas of my home, I'm still using incandescent bulbs that I bought before they were phased out a few years ago, mostly because they generate much less RFI than fluorescent tubes or CFL & LED bulbs. But eventually my supply of the old incandescents will run dry, and I'll have to switch to either LED or CFL bulbs in all my light fixtures. I think I've got at least another 3-5 years before my stock of the Edison bulbs finally runs dry, however. 🙂

[kenglish]

Something I wonder about....do those sensors make noise all the time, or just when they energize the lights after dark?
I know we get RFI once the contactor clicks on, and the lights come on, but I haven't checked to see how much is due to just the photocell. There's a huge load once the lights come on...maybe direct radiation, maybe by wiring conduction.

BTW, I love 40-watt, clear, appliance bulbs. I have a stash.

[kenglish]

Went outside last night and monitored a few frequencies. The new lights didn't seem to create continuous RFI on the channels I listened to. Each individual fixture DID create a momentary blast of wideband noise at the instant it came on.
There are about 20 new fixtures on each building, so there will be 720 lights revving up at random times each night.
I did see at least one DOA already....sections were off, on or sputtering.

[CAwasinNJ]

If you don't like LED or CFL, is there a reason you don't use halogen incandescent bulbs?

[kenglish]

All the halogen bulbs I've seen run very hot. The older (made for incandescent) fixtures in our complex are made with very tight-fit glass globes.
I have seen the foil-covered fiberglass reflectors turn brittle from heat, even with the recommended 60-watt incandescents.
What color temp do the halogens run?

[CAwasinNJ]

I hadn't done any background checking on halogens since I have no interest in them personally. (I have little trouble with LED's and CFL's can't float off into oblivion fast enough for me.) Westinghouse seems to say they have the full gamut of color temperatures. www.westinghouselighting.com/light-bulbs/halogen-bulbs/

What you seem to be talking about Ken is actual temperature, not color temperature. Those are two different things. I see references to halogen bulbs being much hotter than standard incandescents. So hot that it's suggested that gloves be used even when the bulb is cold to avoid depositing oil and salts from the fingers on the bulb that will burn when the light is on. Anyone who's ever done TV lighting knows that routine.

[kenglish]

On the LED and halogens, I was concerned about heat.
That one about Color Temp was about the color of the light. The new LED lights I'm seeing are very often extremely blue/violet, and usually ungodly bright.
The ones they are installing here are spec'd as "sunlight" color, which I think they stated as 5000 degrees Kelvin. Just glancing at one of them, especially at night, leaves you with a huge, dark-blue blind spot in your eyes for several minutes.
The birds seem confused, too.