dedicated line

JoshK · « **on:** 28 Feb 2005, 01:16 am »

I just finished putting in a dedicated line for my system (had started a few weeks back). Quite simple really to do, didn't take long at all (quite unlike these CDpro kits).

Anyway, I knew that my system could be improved with this, because the circuit it was on fed nearly my whole house (all in series!). The outlets were not grounded before, they used really old cotton wrapped BX with aluminum housing. I ran some 10awg romex w/ground and wired in some Hubbel cryo'd outlets.

My fears were that I was going to give a more immediate path for the grid noise to my system. I knew there were some gains to be had even so but I didn't think they were going to be very large. I am surprised by how much it did improve details. Less noise for sure, it is one of those things you don't know until it is gone. Unfortunately it didn't do anything for my acoustics.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #1 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 09:45 am »

Hey Josh...did you do a 15A or 20A line?

Jay S · « **Reply #2 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 12:57 pm »

Congrats Josh. Glad to hear that it made a nice, easily noticeable improvement and that you didn't need to use exotic / expensive cable.

I'm moving to a new flat / condo at the end of the month ... maybe I can look into a dedicated line...

JoshK · « **Reply #3 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 03:20 pm »

I used a 15A breaker for a few reasons. #1 with digital amps there is absolutely no chance I will ever trip the 15A breaker without severe malfunction of gear which is when you want it to trip. 20A is really only necessary if you are running large Class A monoblocks or kilowatt class AB amps. My video is on its own dedicated line on the same phase, also 15A.

Reason #2, is that I only had a few open slots in the breaker box so I used a tandem 15A breaker, to get 2 lines off one slot. I didn't have a tandem 20A.

I am still considering putting in a dual phase 220 line for the amps so all the common mode crap on the grid can be filtered out.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #4 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 03:27 pm »

Cool...

Another question...when you say "Romex w/ground", is this an isolated ground? Or is this something else?

JoshK · « **Reply #5 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 03:31 pm »

I am not sure what "isolated ground" means in this context. You can get Romex as 10/2 or 10/2 w/ ground (then there is 12/2, etc), I got the later. It is really freakin stiff and not easy to leave 6" in the box as code requires.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #6 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 06:35 pm »

Quote from: JoshK

I am not sure what "isolated ground" means in this context. You can get Romex as 10/2 or 10/2 w/ ground (then there is 12/2, etc), I got the later. It is really freakin stiff and not easy to leave 6" in the box as code requires.

Here's the best description on it I could find:

http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=tweaks&n=57405

JoshK · « **Reply #7 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 07:30 pm »

According to that description, my implementation is IG but also not implemented correctly because I didn't use metal housing.

However, I am going to need to investigate further because this contradicts the info I had looked up prior on electrical code, or I misunderstood one or the other explanations.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #8 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 07:47 pm »

Quote from: JoshK

According to that description, my implementation is IG but also not implemented correctly because I didn't use metal housing. However, I am going to need to investigate further because this contradicts the info I had looked up prior on electrical code, or I misunderstood one or the other explanations.

This guy Glen B seems to know what he's talking about...here's another thread on another forum I found with him:

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=11938

beat · « **Reply #9 on:** 9 Mar 2005, 06:57 pm »

Awesome Josh,
congrats. I hope to do that soon someday.
Beat

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #10 on:** 9 Mar 2005, 08:02 pm »

Well, since I really don't know anything about wiring...thought I would post anyway....