RF interference from USB power ports

[eddieshep999]

I have added two USB power ports to supply power to two cameras and they are getting power from battery through a FZ-1. The USB's are causing RF interference.
It was suggested to me that I put a 25 ohm 5 watt resistor on the positive side. Local Radio Shack is going out of business and does not stock. Anyone know where to get this resistor?

There is a hiss noise and reception is lost until the brake is released
seems to do this with the brake pedal
just tried the same by applying the parking brake using the switch no interference

 

[finless]

There is a hiss noise and reception is lost until the brake is released
seems to do this with the brake pedal
just tried the same by applying the parking brake using the switch no interference

Parking break does not turn on the break lights.

I would unscrew the right rear speaker box and check the radio antenna ground strap and connection.

Bob

 

[eddieshep999]

Parking break does not turn on the break lights.

I would unscrew the right rear speaker box and check the radio antenna ground strap and connection.

Bob

Bob

Have done this and all connections look ok and are tight

See Picture

​

Is anything I could connect in line with Aerial which would block the interference but allow all Radio Stations to work

 

[finless]

Did you also check that the antenna plugs are mated at the radio?
Pull the cover off over the radio and there is a standard type antenna plug set in there. Pull it apart and clean it inside.
There was a water intrusion fix (service bulletin) a while back that the dealer should have done. It puts heat shrink around that antenna connector so no water gets in it and keeps it from coming loose due to vibration.

Other than that I am stumped. Only thing I can think of is some ground issue for the radio.......

Bob

 

[jthornton]

You might have to use shielded cable and ground the shielding at both ends as the wire is acting like an antenna.

Bob

Hi Bob,

If you ground both ends of a shielded cable you create a current loop and that is not good. You only ground one end of a shielded cable so it drains. I've been working with analog signal cables (twisted pair shielded) for years and every time someone has a signal problem I find that they have grounded the shield on both ends.

JT

 

[PaladinLV]

I would STRONGLY suggest an alternate approach.
RF Choke
Ferrite Isolators
"Magnets"
Etc.

As other riders have suggested.
My personal favorites are Ferrite Isolators or RF Chokes.

AJ

I have added two USB power ports to supply power to two cameras and they are getting power from battery through a FZ-1. The USB's are causing RF interference.
It was suggested to me that I put a 25 ohm 5 watt resistor on the positive side. Local Radio Shack is going out of business and does not stock. Anyone know where to get this resistor?

 

[eddieshep999]

I am getting Radio interference on My Spyder Radio when I apply apply the brake otherwise it's fine
I have the HMT brake light fitted and the front fender LED's which are both running lights and function as an extra brake lights
what do I need to do/fit to stop this happenig

UPDATE

Took my Spyder RT SE6 2015 Model for the 3,000 Service explained the radio problem and they sorted it out
It was the Sidecase LED's they had been set up as both running lights & brake lights via an interface. It was the braking function that was causing the interference, they changed it so the Sidecase LED,s would only function as running lights and Radio reception is now working without interference when the brakes are operated I am happy with the outcome

 

[Peter Aawen]

I know it's a bit odd for this to occur, but are you sure the interference wasn't there before you fitted the LED's?? My 2013 RT has exhibited similar radio interference whenever the radio has been tuned to any AM station since delivery; no LED's at all; earths, etc all present, correct, & sound.... but whenever I press the brake pedal, harsh static from the radio, ONLY if it's tuned to an AM station?!?

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I think this issue of radio static deserves more attention. I've had static, i.e., poor reception, on FM ever since I got the bike. If I turn the engine off with the kill switch so all the other power stays on, the static disappears and reception is good. Just recently I noticed an increase in static noise. Because of the comment above about LEDs today I turned off my LED foglights and the new static quit. I turned them on and off several times and sure enough, the static disappeared every time I turned them off. These are LED auxiliary lights from SuperBright LEDs and are connected into the OEM foglight connectors with an OEM type switch in the OEM switch location. There must be something in the LED circuitry that emits an RF noise and it's gotten more intense in the past few weeks.

I'll be sending SB LEDs a question about this.

 

[Magdave]

Hi Bob,

If you ground both ends of a shielded cable you create a current loop and that is not good. You only ground one end of a shielded cable so it drains. I've been working with analog signal cables (twisted pair shielded) for years and every time someone has a signal problem I find that they have grounded the shield on both ends.

JT

:agree:100%

 

[styck]

Radio interference with fog lights on

I have the same problem after I recently installed LED fog lights and LED trm rings. Turn on fog lights, radio volumn decreases with static. Turn off fog lights, radio goes back to normal. Others have installed these with nothing but great reviews. Will work with seller to try and fugue out a solution.

 

[h100250]

LED Fog Lights causing interference with F3T Radio

I realize this is an old thread but I seem to have the same problem on my wife's 2017 F3T when turning on the fog lights the radio reception stops :shocked: and all that can be heard is a hiss, turn them off and radio plays as expected :dontknow:. I have read about the RF chokes and other recommendations and will pursue that if that is the consensus of canceling out the noise.

Thanks for any help on this matter.

 

[stevencovert]

Cheap parts?

Thanks for the replies. It is nice knowing there are some electrical savy spyderriders around.

I get the radio static whenever I plug into the rear usb power plug to get power to the rear camera. The usb plug has several feet of +wire and -wire. The Garmin Virb camera works fine.

Should I use both the magnets and the resistor?

HARDWARE: The Chips in the USB module that convert 12V to 5V is called a "switching supply", meaning it oscillates around 20KHz or so. This acts like a little antenna of noise if they go cheap on parts. If you can replace the USB part itself, I would look into it. I got mine at: http://spyderstore.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=61

I have no noise at all. I got the cigarette plug and the dual USB. Easy install, I'd try to fix the source of noise first!

EDIT: I also have ALL the LED's from spyderpops: High brake, rear turn signal kits, bumpskid, etc. No noise at all. Noise being injected into a harness can appear as almost anything. I may be wrong, but regular LED strips are just LED's and the current limiting resistors (one per LED). This is a DC circuit, shouldn't give noise unless it is drawing too much power (which I have yet to see on mine). Little power supplies (say for LED headlamps) are notorious for noise, it shows up on all harnesses. I have read where people had to unplug LED's to fix some Can-Bus issue (throwing a code, etc.), IMHO these probably had some little supply to convert voltages; or more than likely a bad connection. Bad connections would draw more power. Since all the products I installed from SpyderPops have the inline adaptors (plug and play), I would feel confident those should never interfere. Something you splice in, I use the same plugs and make my own inline adaptors. Splicing can get you in trouble.

Steve

 

[h100250]

RF Interference & Chokes

HARDWARE: The Chips in the USB module that convert 12V to 5V is called a "switching supply", meaning it oscillates around 20KHz or so. This acts like a little antenna of noise if they go cheap on parts. If you can replace the USB part itself, I would look into it. I got mine at: http://spyderstore.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=61

I have no noise at all. I got the cigarette plug and the dual USB. Easy install, I'd try to fix the source of noise first!

EDIT: I also have ALL the LED's from spyderpops: High brake, rear turn signal kits, bumpskid, etc. No noise at all. Noise being injected into a harness can appear as almost anything. I may be wrong, but regular LED strips are just LED's and the current limiting resistors (one per LED). This is a DC circuit, shouldn't give noise unless it is drawing too much power (which I have yet to see on mine). Little power supplies (say for LED headlamps) are notorious for noise, it shows up on all harnesses. I have read where people had to unplug LED's to fix some Can-Bus issue (throwing a code, etc.), IMHO these probably had some little supply to convert voltages; or more than likely a bad connection. Bad connections would draw more power. Since all the products I installed from SpyderPops have the inline adaptors (plug and play), I would feel confident those should never interfere. Something you splice in, I use the same plugs and make my own inline adaptors. Splicing can get you in trouble.

Steve

Thanks for the confirmation, I will purchase a few chokes as suggested and put them over the power leads to the LED fog lights and see what becomes of it.ray: