Thread: Line Driver for Amp or Ground Loop Isolator?

hi

When i was competing in caraudio i installed a Crystalline driver that both isolate the front ground from the rear and it put up the singal level to 3V... (this was 1995 .. )....

If u compared the line driver with the head units that gave 4,5V at that time. The linedriver was much better.

But it all depends on what kind of noise u have....
If u have noise that comes through the signal wire then a lineamp will do the trick. But if u have different potential in the front or rear of the car then u need a isolator. Belive it or not but u can have a few milli volt between the front and the rear of the car. Thats a lot of noise after the amplifier.

Actually, since the computer is gonna be in back and that is where my laptop has been lately, there is no run from front to back, except 4awg power.

I'm assuming all of the noise is coming from the source's weak voltage output..

Ok, so I stopped by Rat Shack and picked up a "Ground Loop Isolator". That thing is such as POS. I'm returning it today.

It didn't touch the noise, it was still there, but furthermore it added alternator whine!!! AAARGH!!

Originally Posted by sq_geek

Ok, so I stopped by Rat Shack and picked up a "Ground Loop Isolator". That thing is such as POS. I'm returning it today.

It didn't touch the noise, it was still there, but furthermore it added alternator whine!!! AAARGH!!

Ic.. often there is very hard to get rid of noise that comes in to the system. But u can always try to put the signal wires some other place, move around the ground cable and test little here and there... And often there is no cheap way to get rid of noice. The line driver i bought cost me about 300$.... and it worked perfect... but thats a little over kill if ur not gonna compete with your car..

Well I'm confident it isn't the undo noise from the RCA signal wires, because they have been moved away from everything (only 3' long anyways). I'm pretty sure it's just from amplifying the voltage output from the laptop (soon to be M10000 motherboard) and that is what is causing it to amplify the system noise, too.. ??? Do you agree?

Originally Posted by sq_geek

Well I'm confident it isn't the undo noise from the RCA signal wires, because they have been moved away from everything (only 3' long anyways). I'm pretty sure it's just from amplifying the voltage output from the laptop (soon to be M10000 motherboard) and that is what is causing it to amplify the system noise, too.. ??? Do you agree?

Yes... probaly a bad powersource in the laptop, or some strange ground loop.
Try to put a big cap parallel over the power wire, that can help sometimes to... if ur lucky and hit the right frequens it will short circut the noise to the ground.

SO ur planning to get a m10000 u two, i bought a laptop that i planned to put in the car at first but it got some strange motherboard problem. Now i planning to order a M10000 to.
Do u know if theres any raise up cards that puts the pci card over the motherboard.

Like this
_________ <- Pci card
|
---------- <- motherboard

I have only found raise up card that put the pci car on the outside...

//Peter

Originally Posted by mrzigzag

Yes... probaly a bad powersource in the laptop, or some strange ground loop.
Try to put a big cap parallel over the power wire, that can help sometimes to... if ur lucky and hit the right frequens it will short circut the noise to the ground.

Cap? Hmm, this kind of scares me... Not really an electrician..

Originally Posted by mrzigzag

SO ur planning to get a m10000 u two, i bought a laptop that i planned to put in the car at first but it got some strange motherboard problem. Now i planning to order a M10000 to.

Mine shipped yesterday along with 512MB PC2100 DDR..

Originally Posted by mrzigzag

Do u know if theres any raise up cards that puts the pci card over the motherboard.

Like this
_________ <- Pci card
|
---------- <- motherboard

I have only found raise up card that put the pci car on the outside...

//Peter

Yeah, like Rob Withey said, they make 'em. The Casetronic case which I bought came with one actually. Kind of weird since you'd think that kind of thing would come with a motherboard or separate..

Why do you need it? Getting an Audigy2 or some other sweet Sound Card??

Kevin