ok so heres a few different versions of the article...
Many of us audio enthusiasts have experienced noise a time or two. It usually comes unexpected and has no warning signs. This problem can drive a man insane as it is usually difficult to solve and can cause you to buy items you dont need in order to fix it.
Here are the three main types of noises and some suggestions on how to eliminate them:
1) Alternator whine - The high pitched whine or whistle that changes pitch with the vehicle's RPM.
Cause:
Noise induction through low quality unshielded RCA cables or running the RCA cables along with the amplifier's power wire. The alternator produces A.C. current which is then rectified or changed over to D.C. current. Some of the A.C. current remains within the charging system and is picked up by the RCAs.
Solutions:
- Use higher quality shielded RCAs. they don't cost much more, and not only will they preserve the quality of your music, but they will insulate the signal wires keeping noise out. - Be sure to run your rca cables on the opposite side of the car from the power wire. If you have to cross power wires and RCA wires, do so at a 90 degree angle. Noise is induced when they are running in parallel with one another. The same goes for speaker wires.
2) Ground Loop - Also manifesting itself as a high pitched whine or steady hum is caused by two or more components that differ in their resistance to ground.
Cause:
Poor grounding of equipment.
Solutions:
- Give all of your audio equipment an independent ground.
- Do not link grounds between amplifiers as this could cause the unwanted noise.
- Use the same size wire as your power wire to ground your amplifier.
- Keep your ground wires as short as possible. 3 feet is the common guideline.
- Ground to clean bare metal.
- Make sure to ground your aftermarket headunit to the chassis instead of using the factory harness ground wire.
- Be sure that your antenna has a good ground as well.
3) Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) - All conductors that have a current passing through them create an electromagnetic field. This radiated field can be picked up by sensitive electronics like your head unit causing interference or noise.
Cause:
Immovable electronics or wires near aftermarket electronic components radiating interference.
Solutions:
-Most of the time these wires are factory wires, and can not be rerouted or moved. In this case, a shield is needed around the head unit to insulate it from interference. A simple sheet of tin or aluminum foil can be used in most cases where the radiated noise is not that bad; lead will block more of the noise, and in severe cases Mu-Metal can be used. Caution should be used when installing any type of shielding. Not only will it slice into your fingers, but it will also cut into the wiring.
Other causes for noise:
Cause:
Some aftermarket headunits can lose ground at the rca preouts. This is caused by poor quality internals on the unit.
Effect:
Same as alternator whine.
Solution: Most of the time you can create your own ground for the preouts. Run a ground from a bare metal spot close to the head unit. Solder the other end to the ground terminal on the rca cable. (The ground terminal is the outer ring that surrounds the center post) Try to pull back the sleeve on the cable just a tad and connect it there. Protect the connection with electrical tape to prevent it from coming loose or touching anything else.
If you want to upgrade or add to your car's audio setup, know your electrical system. Make sure all of your power and ground cables from your altenator and battery are in good shape. Find out the specs on your vehicles charging system to ensure that it can keep up with the equipment you are using. This includes your battery, altenator, and the size of wire used to connect it all. It is crucial that you use the proper size wire for your install. If your are upgrading piece by piece, then you should upgrade to larger wire that is able to support future additions.
One more thing. Noise filters are helpful in some cases but try to avoid using them if possible. They can filter the unwanted noise but they can also filter out your music. So use them as a last resort.
Using these important guidelines can prevent a lot of headache and wasted money.
Remember, if you cant figure out the cause of the problem, find an experienced installer to take a look at it
Replies (8)
trunkisloud on 10/17/2007 20:27:56
this may seem a little long for ya swez but its got detail like victor asked for...let me know what you guys think as i have other versions....
swez on 10/17/2007 23:55:25
The ideas here are solid and it's more a matter of formatting and content. Lenth is not the main issue. (Content and being newbie reader friendly are) We all have our few favorite ways to format and then fill in the context/details. None are absolute, just different... but still effective.
Pick one Gold you wish to work with on this project and then go "Mano-a-Mano" , (One on One, Man to Man) until both agree. Otherwise, this will go on forever and never get done.
Swez
PS I would be pleased to help you if that is what you want. However, we don't wish to "dis"- miss key thoughts from others either. If you want to pick one primary Gold and run w/ his format, that's fine.
PS If you solicit my comments/helps:
swezdp@yahoo.com
Victor on 10/18/2007 03:00:24
lemme give u guys a very good reference for a "noise" article...
http://www.termpro.com/articles/noise.html
Hope this helps...
Victor...
trunkisloud on 10/18/2007 23:30:48
ok so i have recently had a good idea put into my head..so heres what im gonna do...i will shorten this to one or two causes and solutions...that being the most common.....the reason for this is that i want the reader to read the whole thing without getting fatigued but still be able to post all of this info because it needs to be done.. if it is accepted..i will make it a series...splitting the rest into parts 2 and 3....it is in the works...no stopping me now. word.
swez on 10/19/2007 00:20:10
That's a great idea Trunk! hehe
This will help take the pressure off a bit and focus on several small bites at a time. (Reader fatigue is a concern to be sure) So is "Writer's Block" or being overwhelmed with a larger project in the beginning.
Gee, wish I thought of that comcept a long time back in some earlier writings... SMILE
Word.. it's all good! CLAP
Swez
Victor on 10/31/2007 07:31:35
Hey there trunk...
are you still working on this one????
trunkisloud on 10/31/2007 19:30:19
well i have been in the process of locating new housing....and starting the move so i havnt had much time to really mess with it....i apologize...i will try to squeeze it in soon
swez on 11/1/2007 19:28:11
Hey, Rome was not built in a day right? This is a case of putting first things first.
When you are ready, then pull the trigger and we'll all watch to see how it hits the target. (Your initial post is actually pretty good already. (Not to long, not overly vague and probably very helpful to our average reader and then some)
Good luck on your move.... but don't call on me to help OK? I gave that one up earlier this year when we packed up our Florida home.
Swez
Many of us audio enthusiasts have experienced noise a time or two. It usually comes unexpected and has no warning signs. This problem can drive a man insane as it is usually difficult to solve and can cause you to buy items you dont need in order to fix it.
Here are the three main types of noises and some suggestions on how to eliminate them:
1) Alternator whine - The high pitched whine or whistle that changes pitch with the vehicle's RPM.
Cause:
Noise induction through low quality unshielded RCA cables or running the RCA cables along with the amplifier's power wire. The alternator produces A.C. current which is then rectified or changed over to D.C. current. Some of the A.C. current remains within the charging system and is picked up by the RCAs.
Solutions:
- Use higher quality shielded RCAs. they don't cost much more, and not only will they preserve the quality of your music, but they will insulate the signal wires keeping noise out. - Be sure to run your rca cables on the opposite side of the car from the power wire. If you have to cross power wires and RCA wires, do so at a 90 degree angle. Noise is induced when they are running in parallel with one another. The same goes for speaker wires.
2) Ground Loop - Also manifesting itself as a high pitched whine or steady hum is caused by two or more components that differ in their resistance to ground.
Cause:
Poor grounding of equipment.
Solutions:
- Give all of your audio equipment an independent ground.
- Do not link grounds between amplifiers as this could cause the unwanted noise.
- Use the same size wire as your power wire to ground your amplifier.
- Keep your ground wires as short as possible. 3 feet is the common guideline.
- Ground to clean bare metal.
- Make sure to ground your aftermarket headunit to the chassis instead of using the factory harness ground wire.
- Be sure that your antenna has a good ground as well.
3) Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) - All conductors that have a current passing through them create an electromagnetic field. This radiated field can be picked up by sensitive electronics like your head unit causing interference or noise.
Cause:
Immovable electronics or wires near aftermarket electronic components radiating interference.
Solutions:
-Most of the time these wires are factory wires, and can not be rerouted or moved. In this case, a shield is needed around the head unit to insulate it from interference. A simple sheet of tin or aluminum foil can be used in most cases where the radiated noise is not that bad; lead will block more of the noise, and in severe cases Mu-Metal can be used. Caution should be used when installing any type of shielding. Not only will it slice into your fingers, but it will also cut into the wiring.
Other causes for noise:
Cause:
Some aftermarket headunits can lose ground at the rca preouts. This is caused by poor quality internals on the unit.
Effect:
Same as alternator whine.
Solution: Most of the time you can create your own ground for the preouts. Run a ground from a bare metal spot close to the head unit. Solder the other end to the ground terminal on the rca cable. (The ground terminal is the outer ring that surrounds the center post) Try to pull back the sleeve on the cable just a tad and connect it there. Protect the connection with electrical tape to prevent it from coming loose or touching anything else.
If you want to upgrade or add to your car's audio setup, know your electrical system. Make sure all of your power and ground cables from your altenator and battery are in good shape. Find out the specs on your vehicles charging system to ensure that it can keep up with the equipment you are using. This includes your battery, altenator, and the size of wire used to connect it all. It is crucial that you use the proper size wire for your install. If your are upgrading piece by piece, then you should upgrade to larger wire that is able to support future additions.
One more thing. Noise filters are helpful in some cases but try to avoid using them if possible. They can filter the unwanted noise but they can also filter out your music. So use them as a last resort.
Using these important guidelines can prevent a lot of headache and wasted money.
Remember, if you cant figure out the cause of the problem, find an experienced installer to take a look at it
Replies (8)
trunkisloud on 10/17/2007 20:27:56
this may seem a little long for ya swez but its got detail like victor asked for...let me know what you guys think as i have other versions....
swez on 10/17/2007 23:55:25
The ideas here are solid and it's more a matter of formatting and content. Lenth is not the main issue. (Content and being newbie reader friendly are) We all have our few favorite ways to format and then fill in the context/details. None are absolute, just different... but still effective.
Pick one Gold you wish to work with on this project and then go "Mano-a-Mano" , (One on One, Man to Man) until both agree. Otherwise, this will go on forever and never get done.
Swez
PS I would be pleased to help you if that is what you want. However, we don't wish to "dis"- miss key thoughts from others either. If you want to pick one primary Gold and run w/ his format, that's fine.
PS If you solicit my comments/helps:
swezdp@yahoo.com
Victor on 10/18/2007 03:00:24
lemme give u guys a very good reference for a "noise" article...
http://www.termpro.com/articles/noise.html
Hope this helps...
Victor...
trunkisloud on 10/18/2007 23:30:48
ok so i have recently had a good idea put into my head..so heres what im gonna do...i will shorten this to one or two causes and solutions...that being the most common.....the reason for this is that i want the reader to read the whole thing without getting fatigued but still be able to post all of this info because it needs to be done.. if it is accepted..i will make it a series...splitting the rest into parts 2 and 3....it is in the works...no stopping me now. word.
swez on 10/19/2007 00:20:10
That's a great idea Trunk! hehe
This will help take the pressure off a bit and focus on several small bites at a time. (Reader fatigue is a concern to be sure) So is "Writer's Block" or being overwhelmed with a larger project in the beginning.
Gee, wish I thought of that comcept a long time back in some earlier writings... SMILE
Word.. it's all good! CLAP
Swez
Victor on 10/31/2007 07:31:35
Hey there trunk...
are you still working on this one????
trunkisloud on 10/31/2007 19:30:19
well i have been in the process of locating new housing....and starting the move so i havnt had much time to really mess with it....i apologize...i will try to squeeze it in soon
swez on 11/1/2007 19:28:11
Hey, Rome was not built in a day right? This is a case of putting first things first.
When you are ready, then pull the trigger and we'll all watch to see how it hits the target. (Your initial post is actually pretty good already. (Not to long, not overly vague and probably very helpful to our average reader and then some)
Good luck on your move.... but don't call on me to help OK? I gave that one up earlier this year when we packed up our Florida home.
Swez
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