Reloading Room Lighting

[AHart76]

I built a gun bench about a year ago in my unfinished basement. It’s pretty dark but it has been okay for just basic cleaning and such. I designed the bench with intention of starting to reload for my 6.5 Creedmoor and probably will spend my Christmas bonus check on equipment. I bought an 8ft dual bulb High Output fluorescent light to hang above the bench since that’s what we have in our shop and we get bulbs in bulk. I then read that fluorescents can mess with digital scales and powder throwers. If I got LED bulbs(slowly switching my whole house) for this fixture, would it still mess with the electronics? Is it the fluorescent bulbs or the ballast that messes with them? I would like to use what I bought if possible, but will get something different if needed. Just need some advice!

 

[Schroedernd]

I am actually wondering the same thing right now! Getting into reloading and have 8ft fluorescents above the work bench, but want to know if just swapping to LED bulbs is enough to not mess up the Chargemaster I am hoping to get for Christmas...

 

[mdmp5]

I believe the interference comes from the igniters which cause a strobing effect. I have LED and I don’t observe any interference nor strobing

 

[Mike Casselton]

I put LED can lights above my loading and cleaning area

 

[mojavejim]

Use LED lights & a line conditioner for your scales, it will make things easier.

 

[BLKWLFK9]

What exactly do fluorescent bulbs do to scales and powder throws?

 

[arm017]

What exactly do fluorescent bulbs do to scales and powder throws?

It can cause a bit of interference and give a wondering zero on some precision scales. I agree w/ above of running an APC type setup to mitigate this. I have under cabinet mounted LED lights and overhead LED lights and do seem to get a mild bit of shifting zero, but this was minimized w/ making sure scales are level and I put them on a bit of a neoprene base and plugged in to an APC w/ no interference.

 

[BLKWLFK9]

I've recently switched to a redding beam scale so I guess it won't matter for me.

 

[bruddah]

LED lights should be fine for digital scales.

If you have a shelf over the bench, grab some led strip lights with 3M adhesive on the back and stick them to the underside of the shelf. Works great on my work area!

 

[AHart76]

Good to know I can still use my current fixture! Can someone please put a link to one of these line conditioners though? What is the purpose of this conditioner and is something that is hardwired or do you plug it into the outlet then the scale/throw into the conditioner?

 

[Deleted member 10043]

The ballast/transformer and not the lights is the problem. Take a small AM/FM radio and listen for interference or lack of stations away from and then on the bench . Industrial grade are the worst. They should are marked consumer or industrial. In either case if they are inadequately shielded it may or may not be a problem. Just depends on your own and blah blah blah. LED will put a lighter load and may mitigate.

 

[the m700 project]

I lucked out when I moved in that I have a high traffic type semi finished basement. Cheep carpet/sheetrock/drop ceilings. Room is conditioned and lit with florescent and I added a flat panel led over my bench. I havent noticed an issue with florescent and my chargemaster. But I can check it out.