Thread: Sound Problems with Carputer Setup

I tried the ground loop isolator from Radio Shack with same problem. I also tried a $70 set of Monster Cables figuring it may be cheap cables and still same problem. I've sense grounded the Inverter to the car and to no avail.

HELP

I had no noise except for a ground loop when I was temporarily using an inverter. Then I switched to an M1-ATX (and then Opus because I got a deal) and I immediately had massive ground loop and RF noise. I wasn't too concerned because I'm not on the final motherboard yet so I figured I'd wait to start debugging problems. Well I finally realized it was mostly RF noise when I used my laptop in the car yesterday and could hear RF noise from the laptop through the car audio system. Grant you, the cable I was using from PC to Aux was pathetic.

I went to RS and bought the ground loop isolator, and a nice set of shielded cables. Plugged in the ground loop isolator (not using the shielded cable) and BAM....silence. It fixed the RF noise and the ground loop.

I would say lose the inverter, get a DC-DC power supply, and then worry about troubleshooting. You have a nice EPIA-M setup, why use an inverter at this point. The M1-ATX is tha shiz-nit.

Best place to start, I agree, is a new power supply. Chances are good that your noise is coming from the invertor. If a proper PSU doesn't remedy the issue, then the RCA cables may be picking up noise somewhere, though that is generally more a problem with the engine running than with the car off. You can run an extra RCA from the computer to your source unit without routing it through the car and if the noise stops then you have a bad cable or have routed the existing cable through a noisy area. Wires carry an electromagnetic field around them which can introduce noise into a system if signal cables are routed near, the issue worsens near high current wires (i.e., amplifier power). If that still doesn't fix the problem, then try to ground all the components to the same location on the chassis - a paint free, solid steel location to bolt the ground terminal. Sometimes system noise can be a real hassle to track down... Good luck!

I pulled by car up close to the house and used the outlets on the side of the house and there was no noise whatsoever. I wish I could get this damn inverter to work at least for the time being until I can order an opus or M1. I've opened up the inverter should I ground the metal chasis inside the case or should I run a wire straight from the ground on the power plug itself inside the inverter?