Memshield 2 RCBO's tripping when using two way radio's

[Toneyz]

We are going through a building (now unoccupied) to identify from old drawings and what circuit charts there are to prove what does what before safe isolation to do alterations and remove. We are doing this for the ground floor however the boards are in the roof area. To do this we are using 2 way radio's however when we started using the 2 way radio's (my mate at D.B.) he said that some of the RCBO's randomly started tripping out answers on the back of one of Tel's smoke packets.

 

[snowhead]

Who says Radio signals can't trip RCDs / RCBOs.

Smart Meter Tripping RCD - in - UK Electrical Forum

, Smart Meter Tripping RCD, UK Electrical Forum, ElectriciansForums.net Est.2006 | Free Electrical Advice Forum and page_number.

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[Toneyz]

These PMR 2 way radios are on unlicensed radio freqency as standard so I would of assumed this would have been something that would have been known that would happen unless the frequency has been available by deregulation since the design and manufacture of Memsheild 2?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Many electronic devices can be upset by nearby radio transmitters. Only last week one of my customers discovered that keying up a PMR near his video editing system caused the hard drive to unmount from the Mac and I have seen dozens of similar effects. Manufacturers try to make things as immune as possible, but on small, low cost items that don't have the benefit of a comprehensive shielding system it can be difficult to keep the RF out.

Near the transmitter antenna, an inverse cube law applies. Double the distance between TX antenna and sensitive device, and the interfering field strength is reduced by a factor of 8. I habitually step away from equipment racks when transmitting, a few feet is usually enough to prevent problems. It would be interesting to know the distance in your case.

 

[Toneyz]

Many electronic devices can be upset by nearby radio transmitters. Only last week one of my customers discovered that keying up a PMR near his video editing system caused the hard drive to unmount from the Mac and I have seen dozens of similar effects. Manufacturers try to make things as immune as possible, but on small, low cost items that don't have the benefit of a comprehensive shielding system it can be difficult to keep the RF out.

Near the transmitter antenna, an inverse cube law applies. Double the distance between TX antenna and sensitive device, and the interfering field strength is reduced by a factor of 8. I habitually step away from equipment racks when transmitting, a few feet is usually enough to prevent problems. It would be interesting to know the distance in your case.

A thought-provoking answer I will have to try to remember to ask my mate tomorrow.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

It’s quite a common occurrence.
Though it doesn’t seem to be confined to a single make of RCBO, and doesn’t always occur.

I recently had to test two buildings which had the same make of switchgear (Schneider).
One building the walk-in talkies would cause the RCBOs to trip, in the other building they wouldn’t.

 

[Strima]

Who says Radio signals can't trip RCDs / RCBOs.

Smart Meter Tripping RCD - in - UK Electrical Forum

, Smart Meter Tripping RCD, UK Electrical Forum, ElectriciansForums.net Est.2006 | Free Electrical Advice Forum and page_number.

www.electriciansforums.net

We never did get any further with that.

 

[snowhead]

We never did get any further with that.

This post reminded me we didn't.
Would be nice to know the outcome, I'll post on the original, it might notify the O.P

However it looks like older MEM RCD / BO at least may be affected by radio signals, if not other makes.

 

[Toneyz]

My mate was standing about 1mtr away from the D.B.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

That'll be the inverse cube then

 

[jay sean]

We had it once at a refurb of a Tesco store the old Bill/MEM 2 pole RCDs would trip when we were talking on our radios

 

[paul larratt]

You need to install RF MCBs if you are going to use radios near the consumer units but they are not cheap