I installed the SNHOND3 adaptor last night and hooked up a portable MP3 CD player to it just to confirm that it works. However, I get a lot of ignition noise when I use the 12v socket inside the console bin to power the unit. When I disconnect the power (use only AA batteries), the noise goes away.

Those of you using portable MP3 players (i.e. iPod, nomad, etc.) that use 12v power from the car... do you get any ignition noise? I'd like to know if I will need to get a ground loop isolator if I use the 12v power socket with an iPod/Belkin autokit or if the problem is just my cheapie MP3-CD player.

Thanks.

 

Yeah, you really don't want to connect the audio ground to the car ground.

 

There is only one ground in a car.

Try grounding the unit to a real metal piece, it's not a good idea to chain grounds together.

 

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I know that. Typically what we do in PWB layout is have two separate grounds connected at ONE place with a copper tie. This allows all the control circuitry that is noise sensitive to be a little more isolated from the power switching noise.

Personally, I would recomment using the ground attached to the headunit as long as you aren't driving too much power to overheat the power line.

 

I'm confused... Are you saying that you shouldn't use the 12v socket in the armrest bin to plug in a portable audio device (such as an iPod)? If not, should it be hard-wired?

What do you recommend as a solution?

 

That's not necessarily true - at the front of the car (passenger side) - there are about 7 wires that come to a grounding screw. or are the Honda engineers cooky?

 

That's not necessarily true - at the front of the car (passenger side) - there are about 7 wires that come to a grounding screw. or are the Honda engineers cooky? [/QUOTE]

Tapping them to one point is ok (parallel), grounding one thing to the next is a bad idea (series).

 

Uh, OK, that's good information and all, but how the heck do you connect a portable MP3 player to the 12v DC socket without getting ground loop noise? I was hoping I could just use one of these:



Do I need to ground out the socket to the body or something?

 

Where did you get the ground and power for the SNHOND3 from? That should be the source of your problem. If the ground on the SNHOND3 is not good, then it will cause a ground loop back through your audio player and to the cigarette lighter plug, and cause your noise.

This would explain why the noise is gone when you play with batteries, there is no backwards loop for the ground to take.

 

The SNHOND3 didn't need a ground. I just plugged it into the bottom of the radio, then attached my RCA-to-minijack cable to it. The adapter doesn't appear to need power, or at least it didn't come with any additional wires/cables to which +12vDC or ground would attach.

Here are the connections:

RADIO---SNHOND3---RCA---minijack---audio device

12vDC socket---car adapter---audio device

Are there more parts to the adapter than I received? I didn't see any instructions about how to ground it or power it.

 

XPLORx4, have you had any luck with your setup, I am using an iPOD and have the same problem, I have heard that the GLI (ground loop isolator) works with other set ups, havent heard anything specific to the SNHOND3. let me know, I will probably be buying a GLI tomorrow.

 

virus7- no luck with my setup yet. So far I have attributed the noise to my cheap MP3 CD player. I do not yet own an iPod, but I'll be getting it soon, so I'll see what the result is.

It's possible that the solution to this problem would just be to ground the 12v socket to the body, but I'd rather not have to remove the entire center console access a good ground point.

 

FIXED!!!!!!!!!!

I just installed my GLI (ground loop isolator) from Radio Shack $14.99 and all of the noise has stopped completely. Now I can turn it up as aloud as I want, even though the TSX is cooler just listening to the engine whine.

 

virus7- where did you install the isolator? Does it fit behind the console bin under the radio?

 

yes, I used double sided tape and attached the gli (it is pretty small, like a 'D' battery) to the snhond3 and placed both back behind the bin up against the back. the gli just plugs right into the rca's on the snhond3 and then run the gli cable out to the console by the drivers foot well and then used the adapter that come with the gli to attach it to my ipod, I actually attached it to my ipod remote which I have sitting on the cup holder cover and then it runs into the console were I keep my pod.