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Boiler/cooker/light switches cause my projector to lose picture


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Old 03-01-2017, 10:55
rewind
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I posted a thread about this when I first purchased my BenQ W1400 projector earlier last year but the amount of things that seem to cause it seem to be increasing! If I am watching my projector and any of the following happens:

- Turn the cooker on
- The boiler comes on
- Turn a light switch on

The projector loses picture for a few seconds (it basically does the same as when you change input on the projector). Why is this? I have bought a surge protector that is in the wall socket and then I have a 3 way extender going from this which the projector is plugged into. There's nothing else I can do as there isn't a plug socket close enough to the projector.

Thanks
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Old 03-01-2017, 11:18
chrisjr
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The switches concerned are arcing, ie generating a spark as the contacts operate. The best way to fix this is replace the switches. Second best is to fit suppression devices across the contacts to reduce the effects of the arcing. Third best is to fit a mains interference filter on the projector mains input.

The surge protector you have fitted is not really designed to filter out this type of interference.
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Old 03-01-2017, 11:24
rewind
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The switches concerned are arcing, ie generating a spark as the contacts operate. The best way to fix this is replace the switches. Second best is to fit suppression devices across the contacts to reduce the effects of the arcing. Third best is to fit a mains interference filter on the projector mains input.

The surge protector you have fitted is not really designed to filter out this type of interference.
Thanks.

Option 1 wouldn't work as it isn't just switches - i.e. boiler and cooker. Would something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tacima-Cond.../dp/B000PS5700 be suitable?
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Old 03-01-2017, 11:33
chrisjr
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Thanks.

Option 1 wouldn't work as it isn't just switches - i.e. boiler and cooker. Would something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tacima-Cond.../dp/B000PS5700 be suitable?
They are switches, just not the type you use to turn the lights on and off. And maybe a bit more difficult to get at to replace them or fit suppression devices to.

That mains block may well do the trick, or the newer version

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tacima-6-Wa...dp/B00UB0G4DQ/

Not so sure why they thought it necessary to fit a transparent cover over the filter components though.
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Old 03-01-2017, 12:00
rewind
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Thanks. I might give that a go then. I don't really need 6 plugs though! 3 would do!

Do you know why this is only becoming apparent now? I moved into my apartment 12 years ago and it was a new build. I had a Panasonic AE-100 (or something like that!) projector beforehand and never experienced this issue. Is it a bad wiring problem with the apartment?
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Old 03-01-2017, 12:31
chrisjr
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Switches can deteriorate over time. That includes things like the thermostat in the central heating or a cooker for example. I've taken switches apart where the contact surfaces are blackened and pitted as a result of years of arcing.

It could just be wear and tear or poor quality components used. Only a thorough inspection of the wiring and all it's component parts will determine that. Depends how paranoid you are about such things, as getting a sparky in to give the system a good looking at could be expensive.

Some kit may be better protected against noise on the mains wiring by having decent filtering built in. Which might explain why your old projector didn't seem so troubled by this issue.
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Old 03-01-2017, 17:13
anthony david
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As usual with these threads the answer lies in something you haven't told us. The chances of every switch and thermostat in the house being faulty are nil, so what else did you change when you replaced the projector? You haven't told us what the projector is connected to and if all the sources are affected. If you only changed the projector, and the previous one worked perfectly, then it could well have a fault or incompatibility issue with your other equipment and therefore you should have returned it to your supplier at the time. Are you now feeding it via a long, cheap HDMI cable, does the HDMI cable run next to mains wiring?

If you connect a TV to the HDMI o/p feeding the projector does it show the same problem?
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Old 03-01-2017, 18:04
rewind
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As usual with these threads the answer lies in something you haven't told us. The chances of every switch and thermostat in the house being faulty are nil, so what else did you change when you replaced the projector? You haven't told us what the projector is connected to and if all the sources are affected. If you only changed the projector, and the previous one worked perfectly, then it could well have a fault or incompatibility issue with your other equipment and therefore you should have returned it to your supplier at the time. Are you now feeding it via a long, cheap HDMI cable, does the HDMI cable run next to mains wiring?

If you connect a TV to the HDMI o/p feeding the projector does it show the same problem?
I have a Sony HDMI receiver so all of my equipment is fed through that, therefore the projector only ever uses one input. The TV is also connected to this receiver and does not exhibit the same problem.

For the projector, I am using a long, cheap HDMI cable yes and it will run against some mains wiring at points. The previous projector was not an HDMI one so was only fed by a component lead.
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Old 03-01-2017, 19:37
anthony david
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I have a Sony HDMI receiver so all of my equipment is fed through that, therefore the projector only ever uses one input. The TV is also connected to this receiver and does not exhibit the same problem.

For the projector, I am using a long, cheap HDMI cable yes and it will run against some mains wiring at points. The previous projector was not an HDMI one so was only fed by a component lead.
Connect the projector to the receiver using a short, good quality, HDMI lead, perhaps the one feeding the TV as it seems OK. Yes, you will have to move the projector but that's life. If the fault disappears you will need a good and probably expensive HDMI cable not the usual Poundland junk. Hopefully someone here will be able to advise you on a suitable purchase. If it doesn't contact your supplier but I have been unable to find any similar complaints on line about this product. I suspect that poor quality screening, together with high signal loss, inherent in cheap cables, is your problem.
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Old 03-01-2017, 21:13
Tassium
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The key bit of info here was "long cheap HDMI cable"!

HDMI has a copyright handshaking thing going on when the cable is inserted.

A blip of electrical interference caused by appliances going on/off is probably equivalent to the cable being removed/reinserted.

Such a blip goes through the air, like radio waves. Cheap HDMI cable is not shielded enough.

As for why it's gotten worse I don't know.
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Old 03-01-2017, 22:28
chrisjr
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I have a Sony HDMI receiver so all of my equipment is fed through that, therefore the projector only ever uses one input. The TV is also connected to this receiver and does not exhibit the same problem.

For the projector, I am using a long, cheap HDMI cable yes and it will run against some mains wiring at points. The previous projector was not an HDMI one so was only fed by a component lead.
Cheap, or perhaps inexpensive, doesn't always have to mean crap quality.

In our boardroom at work we have a projector in the middle of the ceiling. The cable run above the false ceiling goes alongside several fluorescent light fittings and a large air con unit plus several other cables hanging around up there. Probably a fairly electrically noisy environment. I ran a fairly cheap 15m cable across the ceiling and down the wall for people to plug into their laptops for presentations. It is this one

http://cpc.farnell.com/pro-signal/ps...15m/dp/AV14778

It is absolutely rock solid. I've used similar type cables in various other situations and never had an issue with them. They are relatively inexpensive but seem to be good quality and work well.
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Old 04-01-2017, 12:54
rewind
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Thanks all. I don't think the cable has gotten worse per se, it's just that I am using different items recently - i.e. the boiler wasn't used much up until now.

I will have a look at that cable.

EDIT - this was the cable I purchased: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/White-10m-...item20d433cde4 and it says in the listing "Super High performance shielded cable".
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Old Yesterday, 01:38
Tassium
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That cable might be all right...

I would have spent £20 on a 10m cable. £10 is a bit cheap dare I say.
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