# Radio Shack Ground Loop Isolator ?



## Guest (Mar 31, 2008)

Anyone have any experience with this?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...=ground+loop&kw=ground+loop&parentPage=search

I had one lying around from an older car stereo installtion...When I first hooked up everything to run REW I was getting a hum thru my speakers and sub whenever the PC soundcard output was connected.

I put this in line between the Soundcard output and AVR input..it did remove the hum.

But I am curious if this product will cause problems with the measurements from REW.

I ask because at $15.00 it is WAY cheaper than the other "hum" illimination devices I have seen referenced on these forums.

Thanks,


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## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

Cheaper isolaters tend to have poor low frequency extension and can have high distortion. Try connecting it in a loopback on your soundcard and make a measurement to see what effect it is having, can also use the Spectrum analyser to see what effect it has on distortion measurements.


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## superchad (Mar 7, 2008)

I would never put a choke filter in the signal...just float the ground with a cheater plug.


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## Trekari (Jan 3, 2008)

superchad said:


> I would never put a choke filter in the signal...just float the ground with a cheater plug.


Using a cheater plug is a great way to kill someone should you ever have an electrical short and go to diagnose the problem without remembering that your chassis is no longer grounded.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...at-solution-do-folks-use-dreaded-bfd-hum.html

The above thread should resolve any buzzing/hum you have that is being caused by ground loops - in a far more safe manner than cheater plugs.


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## superchad (Mar 7, 2008)

The use of a cheater plug is cheapest and best way to limit hum without signal loss, I suppose anything could happen but out of thousands and thousands who have used these I have never heard of any death or even injury..... any unit should be fully unplugged for any connection or service projects.


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2008)

Althought a loopback measurement using the Isolator did not look any different than without.. I just got some cheater plugs instead...needed one for the PC and Monitor that I was using to run REW on. No hum...and no questionable device in the loop.


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Fortunately this is just a temporary thing to get some REW readings...

Regards,
Wayne


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## superchad (Mar 7, 2008)

It is nice to see you didnt spend money you didnt have to...cheers


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## Guest (Apr 5, 2008)

Wayne A. Pflughaupt said:


> Fortunately this is just a temporary thing to get some REW readings...
> 
> Regards,
> Wayne



Well I had to use a cheater plug with the BFD cause it caused a really bad hum.


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## superchad (Mar 7, 2008)

Dont worry about it.....there are tens of thousands of these in use this very minute and I have never heard anyone have a major tragedy because of these units.


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