| Wes Stewart 2005-08-23, 4:21 pm |
| On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 14:40:45 -0400, "Percival P. Cassidy"
<Nobody@NotMyISP.net> wrote:
>Here's one for the electrical/electronics gurus.
>
>Our new Wayne-Dalton iDrive garage door opener operates its associated
>light fitting via an IR beam: the opener proper installs right above the
>door, while the light fitting can be mounted to any convenient outlet
>within "view" of the opener.
>
>The light operated correctly when it was first installed, but then would
>sometimes switch on but not be able to be switched off except by killing
>the power to that circuit -- and even then the light would sometimes
>switch on and stay on as soon as power was restored.
>
>I called Wayne-Dalton Customer Service. The rep. asked whether we had
>fluorescent lights in the garage. I replied that we did but that the
>problem existed even when the fluorescents (CF) were turned off. The
>rep. then said, "We have found that fluorescent lights can interfere
>with infra-red sensors even when the lights are turned off." I told her
>I couldn't see how that could be, but there was no point in arguing,
>because she was only reciting her official spiel.
>
>They are going to send a new light unit and a new motor-control board
>(mine is an older revision, it appears), but . . .
>
>Please tell me that there's no way a switched-off fluorescent can
>interfere with IR circuits.
Okay, there's no way a switched off flourescent can interfere with
anything. Switched on of course is a whole nuther ball game,
particularly if the fixture uses an electronic ballast.
But in this brave new world where every doodad manufactured includes a
microprocessor, a switch-mode power supply and a wireless link, the
other possibilities are endless.
Someday everything will just come to a dead stop because the
electromagnetic spectrum will be nothing but hash.
|