Neons interfering with radio

[NICK2506]

Ive had neons in my footwells wire up to the cigarette lighter for ages and theyve been fine.

They were however wired in a bit of a botch job with just electrical tape holding the neon wires to the wires of the cigarette lighter.

So the other day i decided to re wire them in using bullet connectors. So i cut the + and - into the cigarette lighter, and then re-bulleted them back together with the neon + and - in the bullet connectors as well.

Since ive done this, if i have the radio on and turn on the neons it interfers with the radio and i get lots of noise through the radio as if its untuned. It only occurs with the radio, not the cd or ipod.

Whats causing this?

[mikey362vtr]

whilst messing with wiring you havent knocked the airel out or unlodged it from the HU have you? coz i cant think of a reason for neons to cause to cause that kind of interferance theyre not high powered enough to my knowledge

[NICK2506]

hmm, but if i had dislodged the ariel lead surely it would always be fuzzy reception. Mine only goes fuzzy when i switch the neons on, and if im parked with them on the radio isnt affected that much, but if im driving when i turn them on it interfers alot.

[mikey362vtr]

does the interferance get worse with the more revs you put on?

[NICK2506]

hmm, dont think so. cos if i have the car parked in neutral theres no interference. when i rev in neutral i still have no interference. so i assume when im driving it doesnt interfer more as the revs increase.

[McBain]

Neon lights can some times generate a lot of electrical and inductive noise, during the course of you adjustments you have probably moved one of the wires supplying the neon light closer to the ariel wire causing induced interference, try moving the neon and ariel wires as far away from each other as possible.

[NICK2506]

cool, i did find that if i pushed the wires around whilst driving along the noise would decrease and increase. so i'll have a go. the only annoying thing is, that i only get noise when driving, so i would need to move the wires around whilst driving...or else i would have to move them, go for a drive, move them, go for a dirve, which would take forever.... lol
i'll let you know how i get on.

[McBain]

Alternatively you could take power from somewhere else, taking the wires further away again.