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[email protected] tsmwebb@gmail.com is offline
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Sep 2006
Posts: 859
Default LED Interference

On Mar 31, 12:34 am, wrote:
Try hehttp://ogmtechnical.blogspot.com/


Thanks for that link. Speculating between the lines and being a tad
skeptical of company self-reporting it sounds like they may have unit
to unit differences in RFI and hence a manufacturing/QA problem. PWM
regulators are made in the gazillions for the automotive market. As I
recall the gent in the PS letter was quoted as saying (more or less)
"gee we've installed countless LEDs in cars and we never have had a
problem with RFI there, it must be a user thing." But, boats aren't
cars. Rather like gasoline engines that need to be modified for
marine use with things like spark arrestors and bilge blowers because
of potential problems in boats, LEDs for marine use should take
particular care with RFI because of potential problems. PWM
regulators are great but because of their timing circuitry are
potential RFI emitters.

By the way, some remarks that Roger made have reminded me that
changing the bulb in your nav lights from the manufacturer's tested
type to anything else will take the lamp out of compliance. I'm not
lawyerly enough to know what having non-USCG approved lighting does
to a skipper's liability. It is likely that many LED bulbs will not
comply with Annex I section 8 despite being visible at the ranges
required by rule 22... It's also likely that USCG stamped LED lamps
don't meet annex I.8...

-- Tom.