Re: A techie question

["Aaron 'Bishop' Read" <aread@speakeasy.net>]

At 10:34 AM 12/20/2002, Sven Franklyn Weil wrote:
>On Fri, 20 Dec 2002, A. Joseph Ross wrote:
>
> > I recently discovered that for some reason, when my stereo system is
> > turned off, there is still a hum coming out of the right-channel
>
>Do you have any power cords or cables anywhere near the speaker wire?
>That could induce some sort of current.  There could also be a loose
>connection somewhere.
>
>Audio/phone cables and electrical cables should always be separated and if
>they must cross, they should cross at right angles.
>--
>Sven


Most stereos do not actually "power off" when "turned off" these 
days...they simply go into a "standby mode" with power still flowing 
through a lot of the system, including the amplifiers (which require the 
most juice anyway).   If you live in a high RF environment, you can often 
faintly hear the RF's audio over a "turned off" stereo speaker, esp. in a 
mini-system which probably has cheap components and little-to-no RF 
shielding or capacitors.

The hum itself Mr. Ross is mentioning is probably either from a power cord 
near the speaker wire, or near a component's audio cable, as Sven 
describes...or is coming from a ground loop somewhere (are components that 
are connected via audio cables plugged into different AC circuits?).    Try 
plugging as much as is safe into one single AC power strip.

Or perhaps you're just getting some RFI, too...a simple ground lead from a 
water pipe to your stereo might solve the problem.   Failing a water pipe, 
the little screw that holds on the coverplate to any lightswitch or AC 
power outlet might work, too.



_________________________________________________________
Aaron "Bishop" Read       aread@speakeasy.net
Fried Bagels Consulting   www.friedbagels.com
AOL-IM: ReadAaron         Brighton, MA 02135