Constant Static noise when power on
07-08-2009, 10:55 PM
#11
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 103
I'm not convinced there is much you can do to shield your RCA's if they have to cross power. Wrapping stuff in foil could do as much harm as good.
I would say, just route the RCA's as far away from other wires as possible, making high current cables first priority, then low current, then speakers. If you are forced to run cables near wires you can also find what they are for. If it is a wire carrying an intermittent source, like a small overhead light that is only turned on when the door is open or a power trunk release. Voltage may be present, but if there is no load on the wire it is going to put out little to no interferance. Use this to help decide the lesser of the wire running evils.
On that note, anything you can do to limit the amount of current flowing through those wires the better. For example, using LED tail light bulbs instead of incandescent. These use far less current and would make the wires that power them emit less interferance. Please keep in mind that is just a point, don't run out and spend $200 on LED tails thinking it will solve you noise woes. If that is you sole purpose than that $200 could be better spent.
BTW, nice ride! That sucks about the RCA, I hope you can fix it and it won't cause you problems with your troubleshooting. Some of the cable brands make there RCA's so tight, I've heard of this a few times before. Mostly with Monster Cable home audio stuff though. It's rediculas... nothing needs to be that tight. Well maybe some things...
Lyle
I would say, just route the RCA's as far away from other wires as possible, making high current cables first priority, then low current, then speakers. If you are forced to run cables near wires you can also find what they are for. If it is a wire carrying an intermittent source, like a small overhead light that is only turned on when the door is open or a power trunk release. Voltage may be present, but if there is no load on the wire it is going to put out little to no interferance. Use this to help decide the lesser of the wire running evils.
On that note, anything you can do to limit the amount of current flowing through those wires the better. For example, using LED tail light bulbs instead of incandescent. These use far less current and would make the wires that power them emit less interferance. Please keep in mind that is just a point, don't run out and spend $200 on LED tails thinking it will solve you noise woes. If that is you sole purpose than that $200 could be better spent.
BTW, nice ride! That sucks about the RCA, I hope you can fix it and it won't cause you problems with your troubleshooting. Some of the cable brands make there RCA's so tight, I've heard of this a few times before. Mostly with Monster Cable home audio stuff though. It's rediculas... nothing needs to be that tight. Well maybe some things...
Lyle
Last edited by Lyle's GTP; 07-08-2009 at 11:01 PM.
07-09-2009, 03:09 PM
#12
0 Watt CAFz'r
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 10
Alright little status update.
Did the test of removing speaker wires and it felt as though regardless of which channels were used or how high the input sensitivity on those channels is there is still a static present.
Did the tests with the RCA's to find that static is still present but discovered something frustrating. The Rear channels only allow low frequencies from the HU but when I plug in the Ipod touch boom the rear channels pass all frequencies. Does this mean my head unit is bunk?
Also how does the HU test go? I got two sets of pre-outs.
Did the test of removing speaker wires and it felt as though regardless of which channels were used or how high the input sensitivity on those channels is there is still a static present.
Did the tests with the RCA's to find that static is still present but discovered something frustrating. The Rear channels only allow low frequencies from the HU but when I plug in the Ipod touch boom the rear channels pass all frequencies. Does this mean my head unit is bunk?
Also how does the HU test go? I got two sets of pre-outs.
07-09-2009, 04:15 PM
#13
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 103
Well I did some reading of your manual and it seams that your HU's two pairs of RCA's are switchable. The rear can also be used as a subwoofer preout as well. So I'm pretty sure what has happened is that rear preout is set to subwoofer mode, and as such has its low pass crossover engaged.
So, what you'll need to do is change that setting to front and rear only and that should fix that problem. I have attached a the address to the PDF of the manual for your quick reference. I believe the settings to change the preout configuration is on pg. 24-26.
http://www.pioneerelectronics.ca/Sta...Manual1029.pdf
Outside of that it sounds like you need to reroute your RCA's and possibly purchase better RCA's. Is the static when you connected your MP3 player at the HU RCA end the same as with the HU connected? Also, is there noise when you only have the RCA cables connected on the amp side and disconnected at the HU? You mention earlier that you had noise even with the RCA's disconnected altogether, but is the noise worse with the RCA's connected? Sound's like you're still dealing mainly with an amp issue/speaker issue. Did you try a totally external speaker as I mentioned before?
Let us know and we can go from there.
Lyle
So, what you'll need to do is change that setting to front and rear only and that should fix that problem. I have attached a the address to the PDF of the manual for your quick reference. I believe the settings to change the preout configuration is on pg. 24-26.
http://www.pioneerelectronics.ca/Sta...Manual1029.pdf
Outside of that it sounds like you need to reroute your RCA's and possibly purchase better RCA's. Is the static when you connected your MP3 player at the HU RCA end the same as with the HU connected? Also, is there noise when you only have the RCA cables connected on the amp side and disconnected at the HU? You mention earlier that you had noise even with the RCA's disconnected altogether, but is the noise worse with the RCA's connected? Sound's like you're still dealing mainly with an amp issue/speaker issue. Did you try a totally external speaker as I mentioned before?
Let us know and we can go from there.
Lyle
Last edited by Lyle's GTP; 07-09-2009 at 04:20 PM.
07-09-2009, 06:14 PM
#14
0 Watt CAFz'r
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 10
Lyle thank you for the continued guidance.
Just for ***** and giggles I quickly made up a High Level Input line and used that for the rears instead of the RCA and boom everything was gravy. The rears were chugging along with the fronts. As per your recommendations I replugged the RCA's and checked in the control menu of the HU and effectively the AUX 2 was off so turned that back to on set the pre-out to fullrange. Even then there wasn't anything comming out of the rear speakers.
So I have concluded that the wiring to the rear speakers is ok because it works on the high level inputs, that the amplifier channels are ok because when using the RCA with the Ipod I can hear different music Fronts playing HU and rear playing Ipod. Also when switching the RCA sets the other set doesnt work ergo I switch the sets now rear only works and front doesn't work. This can only lead me to the conclusion that one set of my RCAs are scrap.
I went back and relistened to the static and now it is not that bad and I think it is at a livable level however, I will be once again taking apart all of the interior to reroute signal wires away from the power wire to the amp in an attempt to reduce the static. My question to you is, is it bad to use an RCA for my fronts and then the High Level Input for the rears?
Cheers,
Alex I.
Edit: Forgot to mention there is static whether the RCAs are disconnected from the amp or whether they are disconnected from the HU.
Just for ***** and giggles I quickly made up a High Level Input line and used that for the rears instead of the RCA and boom everything was gravy. The rears were chugging along with the fronts. As per your recommendations I replugged the RCA's and checked in the control menu of the HU and effectively the AUX 2 was off so turned that back to on set the pre-out to fullrange. Even then there wasn't anything comming out of the rear speakers.
So I have concluded that the wiring to the rear speakers is ok because it works on the high level inputs, that the amplifier channels are ok because when using the RCA with the Ipod I can hear different music Fronts playing HU and rear playing Ipod. Also when switching the RCA sets the other set doesnt work ergo I switch the sets now rear only works and front doesn't work. This can only lead me to the conclusion that one set of my RCAs are scrap.
I went back and relistened to the static and now it is not that bad and I think it is at a livable level however, I will be once again taking apart all of the interior to reroute signal wires away from the power wire to the amp in an attempt to reduce the static. My question to you is, is it bad to use an RCA for my fronts and then the High Level Input for the rears?
Cheers,
Alex I.
Edit: Forgot to mention there is static whether the RCAs are disconnected from the amp or whether they are disconnected from the HU.
07-09-2009, 07:04 PM
#15
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 103
Hmmm... No that isn't bad, if that works for you. It's just typically the SQ from high level inputs is pretty poor.
If the noise is the same with the RCAs unplugged at the amp as it is plugged into the amp, then it sounds like an amp issue. Rerouting may not do much.
When you get a chance try hooking up a bookshelf speaker to your amp and see if it's still noisy. Also, try borrow an amp that you know works just to see. That will be the tell all of weather or not your amp is pooched.
Right now, that seams like the most likely senario. Could just be those RCA's too, I'm concerned that one connector pulled out. That is an easy fix to resolder a new one on to the board. Have you noticed a change in the sound if you wiggle the RCA inputs on your amp? This would indicate a poor connection or a short.
Lyle
If the noise is the same with the RCAs unplugged at the amp as it is plugged into the amp, then it sounds like an amp issue. Rerouting may not do much.
When you get a chance try hooking up a bookshelf speaker to your amp and see if it's still noisy. Also, try borrow an amp that you know works just to see. That will be the tell all of weather or not your amp is pooched.
Right now, that seams like the most likely senario. Could just be those RCA's too, I'm concerned that one connector pulled out. That is an easy fix to resolder a new one on to the board. Have you noticed a change in the sound if you wiggle the RCA inputs on your amp? This would indicate a poor connection or a short.
Lyle
07-12-2009, 07:43 PM
#16
0 Watt CAFz'r
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 10
Alright little update.
Took the whole interior apart redid everything. One side of the car has the power and the power on switch cables the other side has the speakers and the RCA's.
The static is still the same so I guess I am just going to have to suck it up and live with it. I even added a second ground to the HU, shortened my AMP ground by 50% applied copper paste and seperated the wires so that nowhere do RCA's or speaker wire touch power.
I tested also plugging speakers directly into the HU and they still exhibit the same static.
I was able to use the RCA's instead of the line, everytime I would take the negative off the battery the HU would reset itself to non-default settings
Could it be a problem that I don't have an antenna, or is it just that my car generates alot of noise?
Took the whole interior apart redid everything. One side of the car has the power and the power on switch cables the other side has the speakers and the RCA's.
The static is still the same so I guess I am just going to have to suck it up and live with it. I even added a second ground to the HU, shortened my AMP ground by 50% applied copper paste and seperated the wires so that nowhere do RCA's or speaker wire touch power.
I tested also plugging speakers directly into the HU and they still exhibit the same static.
I was able to use the RCA's instead of the line, everytime I would take the negative off the battery the HU would reset itself to non-default settings
Could it be a problem that I don't have an antenna, or is it just that my car generates alot of noise?
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