RCA plugs

[wickedmooch 10+ year member]

do all rca plugs have a negative comming off of them.... i have a rca wire with a red and white that plug into the amp but then it also has a thin black wire sticking out of it on both ends... do i need these or not?

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[MxRacerCam 10+ year member]

thats an amp turn on lead. they put them on there so you don't have to run a seperate wire from your head unit to your amp(s) for the turn on lead. if you don't need it, don't worry about it! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

actually no its not a turn on lead ...its a ground to help reject noise from entering via the rcas...thing is sometimes it works like an antena for noise

 

[MxRacerCam 10+ year member]

really? well color me stupid!! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif i kinda always assumed thats what they were (but never used them b/c of potential noise issues). learn somethin new everyday huh?

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

lol you ar e right i thought the same thing......and for as often as i actually ground them i might as well use them as a remote lead lol

 

[wickedmooch 10+ year member]

what do u mean as a remote lead? whats a lead? and should i ground them?

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

only if you hear your alternator in your speakers

 

[SuckMikeHawk23 10+ year member]

how does an alternator whine sound compared to engine noise? i think i have this problem, so if i was to ground it, would i go from chassis of car to chassis of car? or the head unit ground to the ground of the amp making the noise? thanks

 

[zane 10+ year member]

Well, and engine goes vroom vroom......... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

Nothing through the speakers though.....

Alternator whine appears as a high pitched whining noise that plays through your speakers and sometimes increases or changes frequency with different engine RPM's.

A way to check for this is to set your volume control to its lowest position with the unit on and listen for this to occur. If it does not- then you are in good shape.

take it easy,

-zane

 

[SuckMikeHawk23 10+ year member]

well, then i have a problem here, i do get that whining noise. my car is apart right now. i used that wire on my rca plugs and grounded one end to the amp, and the other end to the head unit ground, but the noise is still there. am i doing this right? or do i have a different problem? let me know asap please, so i can go put my car back together //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[MxRacerCam 10+ year member]

ya know.... i get a high pitched whining noise in my truck too! but it's only on the passenger side of my truck. come to think of it, it's only when my girlfriend is riding with me. hmmmm........... what can i do to eliminate that noise? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

tie a leash around her neck and drag her from your bumper....whinning will stop within 2 miles i bet lol jk

 

[wickedmooch 10+ year member]

^

 

[Jeff 10+ year member]

Alternator noise in your speakers usually comes from power influence on your signal wires, where it is then amplified and sent to your speakers. Avoid routing RCA's near your power leads. If they must come in contact, only cross them at 90 degrees, minimizing the influence.

 

[pioneer 10+ year member]

hi i got that same alternator problem...but i disconnected the "turn on leads' that came with the RCA's and the noise went...i think those wires on the RCA's are one of the main causes of noise and shoudl be the first thing to check before taking your car apart.

if the noise still doesn't go...u can try using a Ground Loop Isolator...although it might deprive your amp of some gain voltage.