Have you ever noticed your radio making crackling noises when your cell phone rings? Or have you ever seen waves and strange noises on your television when your mobile is near, and it receives an SMS? What you’re seeing and hearing is electromagnetic interference (EMI).
EMI is a disturbance generated by electrical or mechanical equipment, which can include ignition systems, cellular networks, lighting and many others. EMI in our daily lives is more of an annoyance than anything else, but it can cause problems, such as when your garage door opens when you try to change the TV channel with the remote. In extreme cases it can degrade the performance of an electrical circuit or even stop it from functioning altogether – such as disrupting the functioning of critical equipment like pacemakers.
To ensure that electrical and mechanical components don’t cause any EMI, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) have set standards that electrical equipment must adhere to. This is in line with international standards on Electromagnetic Compliance (EMC).
EMC standards regulate the electromagnetic emissions from equipment to ensure they don’t interfere with other equipment. The standards are also designed to ensure that equipment is reasonable immune to this type of interference, although one can’t judge what the interference strength of non-compliant equipment may be.
All lamps and lighting products sold in South Africa, must be “EMC Approved”. Unfortunately, in South Africa these standards are not always followed, and many lamp and lighting products are not EMC Approved, which means they may interfere with other equipment, or be subject to interference.
When purchasing these products, buyers are advised to check that their chosen devices are labelled as EMC Approved. It’s also a good idea to make sure the company that manufactured your products is a reliable and trusted brand. You may find a cheap product that looks great, but if it hasn’t been EMC Approved you could be in for a surprise. More importantly, if the product you like is not EMC Approved, it may be worthwhile asking “Why?”.
All lamps from Major Tech have been through the approval process to ensure they meet the EMC Approved standards and can be used anywhere in the world. The same applies to Veti products. Before any lamp and lighting products are made available to the public, they all go through the compliance process and are certified as EMC Approved, allowing customers to opt for Veti and Major Tech products with confidence.
For more information contact Major Tech at 086 162 5678, [email protected], or go to www.major-tech.com