[sdiy] Hum Problem Kaput

[harry bissell]

Hi ho...

Removing the ground will increase the risk
slightly.

A ground loop means there are more than one ground
path... in your case they are through the line cord
(3rd wire) and through the audio cables.

The fault current (in a catastrophic failure) would
like to take the lowest impedance path... usually the
3rd wire.

Since that is no longer there... it will go into the
audio system, which may or may not be able to handle
the current without additional damage.

i.e. the failed computer might fry your mixer as well.

IMHO its a fair trade. I'd take the risk of the
additional damage... knowing that
1) The risk to life is probably nil...
2) There's a good chance that the audio system will
survive until a fuse or circuit breaker clears
3) with hum in the system, its broken (useless) now.
If you can't record with it, why worry about keeping
it "not working" anyway.

One problem is that any of the surge suppression and
line filtering components in the computer power supply
will be eliminated with the third wire removal. So I'd
use a surge suppressor and line filter on the wall
outlet side... before you use the ground lift plug.

No Manufacturer will recommend what I just told you..
for liability and regulatory agency problems.

Its like buying an off-road vehicle... the owner's
manual will not recommend you actually drive it
"off-road"

H^) harry



--- Moho Disco <moho at mohodisco.com> wrote:
> Well, this is for the benefit of anybody who
> would like to know how my hum problem
> got resolved...
> 
> I got my Echo Layla24 laptop adapter, and
> the hum reduced by a good 60%.  And then
> after that I plugged the laptop's power supply
> into a two-prong adapter disconnecting the
> ground plug, and bingo, all the rest of the
> hum was gone.
> 
> So I have a question.  Does getting rid of
> the ground plug expose me or my laptop
> to any kind of electrical danger?  What
> exactly does removal of the ground do?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Lava
> 
> 
> 


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