Signal Interference from UV phone cleaner

[brobin]

My wife bought me a USB powered UV phone cleaner as a stocking stuffer.  You open the lid, put your phone in, close the lid and turn it on.  A UV light then theoretically kills all the cooties on your phone in a few minutes so you won't get covid from your phone.   I thanked her for the thought and told her that she should keep it on her desk and use it and I'll pop mine in from time to time (still talking about the phone here ).
 
She has a mini controller on her desk to control a few lights in her office.  Today she told me that she couldn't control her office lights even though the mini controller and one of the lamps are plugged into the same unfiltered power strip.  "Show me," I said and she pressed a button on the mini and the light worked.  On-off-on-off... no problem.  "Now turn on the UV thing and try again," I said.  No go.  I pulled the USB cable from the USB hub and asked her to try again.  BINGO!  It worked.

In this case it wasn't the 6 port USB charger hub causing the problem but the UV light itself sending interference back through the charger hub and UPS to the powerline.  The charger hub is plugged into a UPS which is plugged into an X10 filter at the wall.  Even a second filter on the USB hub itself doesn't help.  Not a big deal as the UV filter isn't used often or for very long but interesting that the filters don't help.  When I have more time perhaps I'll take some readings with my XTBM.

[petera]

I imagine X10 will be around a little more longer than Covid19 but who knows these days.

[HA Dave]

I myself also received a UV phone cleaner for Christmas. Not only good for the phone but the car keys too.

I plugged the USB cord into an old Apple wallwart and only plug it in during use. I guess I could use a filter... but for the 8 minutes or so any interference is generated while working it doesn't seem worth it. My problem is I stick my phone in the cleaner.... then an hour or so later... I can't remember where my phone is.

[brobin]

Actually, I see no value to these UV cleaners at all unless maybe the items being cleaned are for public use.  As far as my phone and keys are concerned, I'm the only one who touches them so any cooties are my own.  A quick wipe with the same wipes I use for my hearing aides is sufficient.  Other than a tanning bed for Barbie I think they're worthless.

[HA Dave]

Actually, I see no value to these UV cleaners at all......... As far as my phone and keys are concerned, I'm the only one who touches them so any cooties are my own.

At the beginning of the pandemic.... I had paid cash for some "supply" at the drug store. The cashier... had a wet, snotty-sounding cough. When she went to hand me my change.... I generously told her to keep the change.

We touch more than we realize when we're out and about.... then we touch our keys and phones.

During this pandemic... my wife's position forced her (and by extension ME) to have established protocols. BUT the pandemic and politics involved has nothing to do with Home Automation. You may be right about the usefulness of sanitizers. I really don't know and I hope this is all behind us soon.

[dave w]

I agree with brobin, Cell phone, keys, etc are only handled by me, but I do wonder when I receive change. However everything I read says (contrary to the initial reports) that COVID 19 virus does not do well on hard surfaces.

We keep little spray bottles of 91% isopropyl in our pockets and spray our hands frequently when outside, at work, in stores - restaurants, etc.  Personally I think the "UV sanitizers" are mostly hype. UV LEDs that TRULY generate mid UV C wavelength at any useful strength are large LEDs that suck a lot of current. I doubt that is what comes in these little AAA powered devices.
$ 0.02.

I get my second dose of Pfizer vaccine next week. Still have cold feet after reading how the Messenger RNA vaccines work. Didn't work anywhere it had been tried before.   

[brobin]

Got my first dose of Moderna yesterday - felt like I got punched in the arm last night but OK now.  I'll probably get a J&J shot too when supplies are readily available to all.  The J&J one works more like a flu shot.  I wonder if the microchips from both would confuse the NSA. 

[dave w]

I wonder if the microchips from both would confuse the NSA. 

No, silly. NSA and Homeland has VPs at Pfizer and Moderna.

[brobin]

I wonder if the microchips from both would confuse the NSA. 

No, silly. NSA and Homeland has VPs at Pfizer and Moderna.

Since I got the vaccine on Friday, every time I pass by the RR501 all the lights start flashing and the UV phone cleaner beeps. 

[dave w]