A Ground Isn't Just Rods

[Kingrex]

...and you know the connections and terminals in that meter are an abomination too. Sobering pics for audio folks with expensive systems, cables and "ground boxes."

I told this guy he was in a crisis state. Don't worry about audio. Not only is the socket dumping water on the bus, the mast is held in place with a single 2 hole strap with screws into plastic anchors. The mast is the support for the drop. There is a lot of load on it.

Add to that he has an aerial 100A feeder to a garage that was run with THHN. The casing is rotting away and hanging to about 7 feet above ground.

His MBL system is fed by a 15A romex. At least he has his front end in another room and it ended up on a separate branch from the amps. When the service is changed, I will spec 10 AWG dedicated circuits.

 

[Atmasphere]

Being so adamant about the neutral and ground having no bearing on sonics if the equipment is built well, what is your take on music sounding better when all equipment is on the same phase? Is this an equipment power supply issue.

I am adament about the ground. Less so about the neutral since it does carry current. The phase shouldn't affect things either, but if you have grounding problems in the equipment it certainly will! I've had to advise people about that in the past.

 

[MarkusBarkus]

...that is actually an amazingly bad infrastructure for such a nice system. You have to think things will sound better afterwards...safer too. Yikes!

 

[Folsom]

Not all ground problems are solved by changing gear. TV’s for instance are shitty pass throughs for common mode noise and there isn’t a great solution for it. I’ve fiddled a lot with one and there is a chance a lower impedance ground rod could help because of the satellite.

 

[Kingrex]

Not all ground problems are solved by changing gear. TV’s for instance are shitty pass throughs for common mode noise and there isn’t a great solution for it. I’ve fiddled a lot with one and there is a chance a lower impedance ground rod could help because of the satellite.

What do you mean, you want a better ground to your data network.

 

[Folsom]

I have no idea what you’re talking about. Data network?

 

[Kingrex]

I am adament about the ground. Less so about the neutral since it does carry current. The phase shouldn't affect things either, but if you have grounding problems in the equipment it certainly will! I've had to advise people about that in the past.

In the field, getting hit with the hot was one think. Getting between 2 neutrals was another. You have the load passing through you. This was particularly dangerous with banks of lights.

 

[Kingrex]

I have no idea what you’re talking about. Data network?

Are you saying you have satellite programming for your TV. That requires some sort receiver box, or a TV with integrated receiver. Were you trying to ground that equipment to shed noise? Have you done an A/B with and without your TV to know if it impacts the audio system. If it does impact it, would you share what type of TV is it?

I don't hear impact from TV, solar or car chargers. Customers don't complain about that. Dimmers was the largest direct offender I have run into. Followed by motors. And a poorly integrated generator. Computers can be put on a decent UPS if someone wanted. Eaton PX is a good line. A good UPS should not backfeed noise.

 

[Folsom]

The Vizio TV feeds an amp from RCA’s. TV’s have no common mode rejection it seems. The satellite passes noise directly through it.

I’ve fiddled with making sure grounds where as good as they’ll get without too much work. Tried some coax transformers that no longer work with sat boxes… Only fairly effective thing is the diodes on ground (HumX), but it isn’t great. And yes, a nearby dimmer causes a lot of noise as well.

 

[Alrainbow]

Tv cause common mode noise lol .
They use multiple switching psu s and many to process video to panels.
If you get hum from tv to amps direct meaning no preamp , then im guessing the hum is from the tv not an interaction .
The best tv video improvement to me was done by a ps audio regen
It made any video from source to tv much cleaner .
Now this is a few years back so things maybe better now

 

[Folsom]

You’re simply wrong. Unplugging the satellite cuts noise. Not all, but huge drop.

 

[Kingrex]

Does the satellite have a ground wire from the dish to some decoder box or to earth. Or is is just a coax. Is the decoder box effectively grounded and on the same phase as the TV and audio. Is the TV and any associated components plugged into the same phase as the audio.

Maybe the satellite power supply can be filtered.

 

[Folsom]

Satellites are grounded to safety ground, since they’re a shitty lightening rod.

And yes they’re all on the same socket. Believe me, I’ve been through it all. TV’s suck.

 

[Kingrex]

Why can't use use the isolator on the RCA from the TV to amps. A Mini DSP

 

[Kingrex]

Send your satellite power supply to someone who can hot rod it.

 

[wil]

My Direct TV satellite signal connects by coax cable and then transforms into ethernet which feels into my internet modem. I haven't found this to influence the audio network. Maybe because the ethernet connection for TV gets isolated by a link of fiber and the audio stays all ethernet?

 

[Kingrex]

My Direct TV satellite signal connects by coax cable and then transforms into ethernet which feels into my internet modem. I haven't found this to influence the audio network. Maybe because the ethernet connection for TV gets isolated by a link of fiber and the audio stays all ethernet?

Exactly. Some equipment needs to be isolated. Al was trying to isolate the power with a UPS type device. I do this too but I find the signal to be very important in some circumstances. That is why I said a mini DSP on the RCA or rebuild the power supply in the cable modem. Converting the coax to Ethernet sounds to be effective. How did you convert Wil. Do you have a stand alone box?

 

[Alrainbow]

If you can be so kind to make a simple diagram from dish to each device in the chain .
Also what else is attached to the chain .
Make and brand of satilite rec as well.
I have a few simple ideas but need the above to make suggestions
One might be optical out to rec if the rec has a dac inside

 

[Folsom]

Why can't use use the isolator on the RCA from the TV to amps. A Mini DSP

Didn’t work with the transformer. Others have found they can increase noise too (cheap units).

 

[Folsom]

Send your satellite power supply to someone who can hot rod it.

The thing is, I am that guy.

I may try a bunch more filters. But the fact that a loop forms with the dish itself sucks.