I got the GL Isolater, so far so good!
Many thanks folks.
Nice to know there's help out there.
Happy 2010. I love the even years.

But wait, I'm odd.

And Retired.

Did a stint as Asst. Chief then Chief Training Officer.

Then retired.

But I know what to use with what and when. The 2 prong to 3 prong gizmos are illegal here, I've got an old one with a green wire meant to go to the screw on the cover of the 'lectric box. Somewhere.

I used to love the hit and runs on Raves. They get some kid, tap into a panel, (hot) and run a cable over the floor, leave the front panel off, people wandering by going to the bathroom. Good enough for a 'close' order. Tape the doors, while the cops, who had to protect me would gaze at bottles of water with green dots on the lids, opened, go for the warrant, and seize the x.

I did find a HUGE electrical sound system at a Gay pride venue. Illegal. Wrote the guy up Friday at 5. English gear, probably OK but no stickers, no listings. He screamed like a wee girl. Hilarious. Threatened calling the mayor the prime minister suing me for discrimination etc..I said, look says there I'm coming back Tues. a.m. with the electrical inspector..he says "We'll be gone by then!"....I roll my eyes.
Don't electrocute yourselves..have a nice day.

Next I hear him on the phone to some guy in Toronto saying he's gotta use the stuff but he's not PAYING for it. LOL..

Now the whole 3 unit apartment building that was wired with electrolux vacuum cleaner cord in the walls...that was the best...80 feet of it overheated a stereo and burned most of the place down. Western European guy says to the electrical inspector I called, "so vat..all like em at my home country ok dot vay..."

I once found 16 AWG zipcord inside the walls of an old house in the northeast of the US, too. It was daisy chained to four outlets in two rooms that way, no lessm with the feed coming from the kitchen lighting. The brown rubberoid insulation on the wire was dried and cracked from years of baking under the load.

Don't know why the place didn't flash and burn.


--Mac

I forget the formula they used but the loss of amperage to the transformer? caused it to overheat? Or voltage? I do remember the fact it was 'undersized' and 2 wire, and 80 feet to 3 outlets and a light.

I've seen way worse in Mexico...lol.

Hot tapping from a pole, just anyone does it.

I've seen pics of India, WAY WORSE!

I'd expect Voltage Drop on the wire to be the source of any problem.

Luck of the draw whether the heat happens high enough on the wire itself first -- or localizes at the appliance. Well, not luck, exactly, but dependant upon appliance design. The designers could not be blamed in this instance, they did not design the appliance to be used in that manner, of course. Presuming a "proper" AC hookup, the appliance itself was likely a fine design.

That said, I've seen very few internal consumer equipment transformers that could actually start a fire. Most are enclosed in steel or at least well wrapped in fish paper and copper shielding and placed well away from other components in the chassis.

But you know the drill.

Feces occurs.

Right?


--Mac

It was a very easy investigation. Anyone with 10 minutes of training would see it started on the stereo stand, the guy was returning from the bar and his 3 cats were dead and he was crying his butt off, lost his pictures, albums etc. Place was locked, he was gone 45 mins.

Plywood walls, nice V pattern, lowest point over the stereo. 2 hours to take the ceiling and insulation off the floor, dig out the debris. Remember it like yesterday.

I think there were newspapers all over the stereo, were the heat vents were on the top, but that evidence was just a bit of paper embedded in melted plastic you cut apart and go 'hummmm'....

According to the government electrical inspectors there are almost no electrical fires. If they inspected it......could not happen.

There's one huge difference between the US and here. I studied Fire Engineering at Cinci, and the US inspectors have no power at all. On the other hand you cannot stop a Canadian Inspector from going anywhere at a 'reasonable time'. A rights issue. Good sides and bad sides to that argument, I was always glad I didn't have to get a search warrant to prove some guy had the back doors of his bar locked with chains.

That's why we were all trained as first line electrical inspectors for existing buildings. I did 3 strikes and then used the authority to say, pull an electrical permit within 24 hours and fax it to me, or I order a $100 inspection and the inspector will tell you the same thing, I'm just saving you $100 bucks...

Some days I miss working...I still have my bag with flashlights, electrical testers, and a laser heat tester that works great on panels and outlets, point and shoot. I use that on compressors in bars now, $30 bucks and I record everything once a month. Do the heating and cooling vents too. Those things are like $40 now.

I miss the job as well but not the politics involved.
Don't even get me started on this one.

I left both inspections / investigations then training over Politics. New Chief NO enforcement. New Boss, change the program on Monday at 8. Pension plan says 'want 3.6k a month cash and I go 'bring that on NOW'.

Well, here the Fire Marshall literally owns the scene after a fire.

Note however that it is after the fact of the fire...


--Mac

Safest and cheapest thing in the end is just to buy the groundloop eliminator. It will outlast your laptop, so you can use it on the next....

Well, it ain't the cheapest but I'll go along with it being safer...

When you're charged with the bill after the fire it is

I don't think a lifted ground is a fire hazard. That would take some pretty incredible circumstances.

By "safety hazard" I was referring to the possibility of electrical shock.


--Mac

I know, but I always get nervous whenever people without any electrical background start to mess with equipment. Ever seen a fuse replaced by an iron nail? Or a 50 meter, coiled-up extension cord to power an industrial electrical heater?

A lifted ground can however present a singer who is close up to the mic with an unpleasant surprise...

Mike makes a good point, but here's a thought...

The purpose of removing the ground is to open a ground loop - by definition that means there is another path to ground already connected.

Now, that is all very well while said alternative path is still connected, electrical safety shouldn't be an issue as there is still an intact ground connection, BUT, as soon as you disconnect the equipment that is providing the alternative ground connection THEN you may be at risk.

Thus, from a safety perspective, my preferred advice would be a ground lift in the audio signal path, NOT the mains. If I was the only user and I could guarantee that no one else could possibly come into contact with anything I might consider lifting a mains earth, but I would make damn sure that the audio gear that is providing the alternate ground stayed connected.

And that is why devices like the Ground Loop Isolator are being sold.

They are relatively inexpensive, stop the hum and noise problem cold, and do not lift the safety AC ground at all.

This should be a no-brainer.


--Mac

Get yourself a Wattgate 381 Gold Plated Audiophile Grade Outlet.


Don't leave home without it.






--Mac

Do they sell them with XLR also?

I read in the review that you can connect any old CRT television and get digital TV and even HD- channels for free !!! Got to have this one, even though we have different connectors here

I can sell you the adaptor for use in your country.

For a small fee, of course.

A mere pittance compared to the cost of the outlet itself.


--Mac

Golly, gee, wow.