For the first time in at least five years, November 1st—Samhain, the natural year’s first day of winter—dawned clear and crisp. What an excellent way to begin a new season! I appreciate the irony of starting the dark, introspective, even spooky season with invigorating sunshine and bracing wind (see Samhain Welcomes Winter).
An early winter’s day (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger).
Back in March of this year, I mentioned on the blog that our radio had developed interference when we turned on some of the cabin lights. A reader asked if we’d tried ferrite chokes. His question sent me on a rather interesting quest which has recently concluded happily for us.
It took me this long because none of the people I asked had ever heard of ferrite chokes, also known as ferrite beads, choke cores, and a handful of other terms. I researched them as well as I could on my own, and eventually ordered some from out of town. Hopefully, my newly gained education and experience in this matter will benefit others as well.
Apparently, LED lights can cause radio frequency interference, commonly referred to as RFI. It seems that cheaply made LED bulbs can cause havoc with radio reception.
The antenna takes a couple wraps through a ferrite choke (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger).
