Family has a small business- radio shack intercom in several rooms- lately we are getting a crackle noise on one intercom- traced it to front entrance room- that room has 3 “troffler” drop in fluorescent 2×4 ft light fixtures. If you turn off these lights in this room with the wall switch the intercom noise stops. whats causing this? – ballast or bulbs? – and any easy way to find out which overhead fixture? They are wired above the ceiling in conduit.
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Ballast, probably old style magnetic. Troffer light are generally not recommended for home applications for this very reason. Have a lot of experience with people complaining about electronic noise with basement home theaters, usually turns out to be fluorescent lighting related. If you upgrade to newer fixtures with electronic ballasts you will not have the problem. Generally these use the smaller T8 bulbs. In the near future the manufacture of T-12 bulbed fixtures will be outlawed. Don't worry boys and girls you'll be able to buy the bulbs for some time.
"If you upgrade to newer fixtures with electronic ballasts you will not have the problem."I've seen the opposite. The lights with electronic ballasts seem to generate more RF and powerline noise, especially when they start to fail.
Edited 6/17/2008 5:37 pm ET by TJK
Could be you're right I'm just quoting form the manufacturers, I don't reccomment anything fluorescent near electronics unless shielded which is much more $$$