Worthwhile $5 Tweak

Stehno: I am actually in agreement with you on the floating/disconnecting of grounds. I run my system off one grounded receptacle, with two grounded power conditioners plugged into that receptacle. One conditioner is dedicated totally to my integrated amplifier which has the ground floated as a result of me removing the ground on its male plug. I found though that my DVD player (which has only a two prong plug) sounds and looks slightly better with the chassis grounded (I tried this on the suggestion of a power cord manufacturer who posts at Audioasylum) directly to the receptacle. Perhaps I should disconnect the ground on the outlet that powers the stereo and see what happens.

The interesting thing is that the TV (which is on a different circuit, and also grounded receptacle) seems to be offering a slightly improved picture even though it is also a non-grounded, or internally grounded piece. My thought is that the improved ground connection at least improves things in some minor way by improving the electrical system's ability to dump off the noise inherent in the ground of the total system more effectively, thus limiting garbage getting back into the live line. But I concur with you that, in general, the ground is the source of a lot of garbage and sonic degradation.

I got your non grounded amps---Ever get a static shock on a dry windy day;when touching your non grounded amp??

Hdm: To take your comments one step further, i would recommend applying some type of weatherproof sealant to the ground rod / point of connection once it is all cleaned up and re-connected. If you don't do this, you'll be right back where you started from in a matter of months due to corrosion from being exposed to the elements.

Coax Seal is the best product that i've found for this type of work. You can use it as a semi-permanent sealant on just about any type of connection that you can think of. It is highly moldable, so it fits just about any shape or contour that you're working with. It is also waterproof when properly contoured, so it keeps corrosion from finding a way into the connection. On top of this, it is easily removed should you ever have to get to the connection to make repairs or do general maintenance. You simply take some type of a blade, make a slice in it, peel it off and have at the connection. When you are done working on the connection, you can simply slap the old Coax Seal back on and mold it back into position.

Rat Shack used to sell this stuff, but i don't know if they still stock it. I haven't been able to find it on their website, but if i can find a part number for it, i'll post it. This stuff is very handy and once you use it, you'll understand why i think so highly of it. Sean
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Sean- followed your link to RS, found part #278-1645 $2.99 for 5'. I've had real problems with cable TV quality deteriorating over time, this should help that as well as my house ground. Great idea. Thanks.

Swampwalker: Thanks for making me aware of that. I just provided a link to their website and didn't even know that they had further info as to part numbers to purchase it from Rat Shack.

As to your cable tv signal degrading over time, corrosion seeping into the connectors might be part of it, but my guess is that it has more to do with the cable itself decaying. Unless manufacturers use what is called a "Type II" jacket, the plasticizers in the jacket of the cables leech into the dielectric between the center conductor and the shield. This causes signal degradation due to altered impedances, increased dielectric absorption and higher levels of signal leakage. Using some type of a 100% foil shield between the dielectric and outer jacket can drastically reduce the situation, but it is not a cure all. Short of using a cable with a Type II outer jacket, a foil shield and waterproofing all of the connections along the way, the only solution is to replace the coaxial lines every couple of years. Good luck telling this to your Cable Company : ) Sean
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