USCG Safety Alert on LED Interference

[Captain Smollett]

Apologies if this has already been posted; did a quick search and did not find a reference.

Not surprisingly, Craig was ahead of the game and mentioned this basis of this issue in an earlier post from 2017.  Sailfar remains ahead of the curve.  :)

In August of 2018, the USCG Issued a Safety Alert referencing potential VHF, DSC and AIS interference from LED lighting.

The interference can impede these radio systems and represents at least the possibility of a safety hazard.  The article references a simple test boaters can perform to determine if their installed LED lighting equipment is causing interference.

The test is highly technical: set the VHF squelch with LED's off, turn LED's on and see if the radio detects a signal from the lights.