Latronics LS-2012 - OTHER ITEMS; How to reduce Radio Frequency Interference

OTHER ITEMS
Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) is a phenomenon that exists in modern society in many
areas of electronics. For inverter users, RFI normally presents itself in the form of static and/
or interference when listening to an AM radio and in unusual cases may interfere with TV
reception. In order to comply with the appropriate International and/or Australian standards,
Latronics has continued to invest signicant time and eort into the reduction of RFI related
emissions from the entire product range.
However with this compliance, there are situations where RFI may still be a cause for concern,
and can dier greatly from installation to installation. Accordingly, the following is a list of
recommendations made to assist in the overall reduction of RFI.
How to reduce Radio Frequency Interference
● Separate d.c. and a.c. wiring: Avoid running d.c. and a.c. cables in the same conduits and/
or cable trenches. It is strongly recommended that d.c. and a.c. wiring be separated by the
greatest distance possible. In extreme cases, the use of shielded conduit may be necessary.
● Minimize length of d.c. cabling: d.c. cables can act as an aerial, therefore all such cables
should be kept as short as practicable. For best performance minimize d.c. cable length to
inverter and batteries and if possible avoid the use of auxiliary d.c. loads.
● 240V a.c. earth: For household installations, it is recommended that a “good” earth stake is
located as nearby the inverter as possible.
● AM and HF Radios: These types of radio equipment inherently suer from all forms of RFI,
especially when the received signal level is weak. In such cases reception can sometimes be
improved by relocation of the radio itself, alternatively the use of an appropriate external
antenna and co-axial cable may be necessary. External antennas should be located in
a manner that ensures maximum signal strength whilst aording the greatest possible
distance away from the inverter and batteries.
● Televisions: TV signals are transmitted as FM waveforms. This type of signal fundamentally
reduces the eects of RFI, therefore the use of a good antenna and feeder cable is normally
sucient to ensure quality reception. Locating the television as far as possible from the
inverter may also improve picture clarity.
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