Dedicated Circuit with Two Prong Plug?

I have plugged two prong plugs into my conditioner in similar circumstances , I could tell no ill effects, I can't think of what they would be theoretically. I have often used cheater plugs to reverse 3 pin plugs to deal with grounding problems or because they sounded better that way. Still have a direction finder that is suppose to tell you which orientation is better. I stopped using my conditioner after I got dedicated lines and compared my system with and without, but results will vary.

Thanks Stanwal. My electrical knowledge is limited, but from other threads on the subject, I've gathered that most folks have either a single dedicated line plus conditioner, or multiple dedicted lines with no conditioner...lots of in-between too.

There seems to be an issue regarding ground potential that can produce hum with multiple lines. For example, the different circuits using different guage wire, recepatacle/breaker ratings, and/or grounding techniques.

So, I'm wiring three lines with 20 amp breakers, 20 amp receptacles, and 10 guage wire. I'll then decide whether or not to use my conditioner somewhere. Anyway, that still leaves me wondering if my two prong tuner upsets something?

I don't see any problem at all using a 2-prong device with your conditioner and other devices that have 3-prongs. As Stan indicated there may be better results in terms of hum and noise using one orientation rather than the other.

You can assess that either by trial and error, or with a polarity direction finder as he mentioned, or, if you have a voltmeter, by measuring the ac voltage between the tuner chassis and ac neutral (the wider of the two parallel prongs on the outlets of the conditioner). Whichever orientation gives the lowest reading will ordinarily be best. That reading MUST be taken, though, with no interconnect cables connected from the tuner to any other components, just with its ac power cord connected. Otherwise the reading will be meaningless.

As you've probably read, the key to avoiding the problems you mentioned with ground potential differences between multiple dedicated lines, if you are using single-ended interconnects, is to use interconnects which are both high quality (specifically with respect to having low shield resistance), and as short as possible. Components with balanced interfaces are much less susceptible to that kind of problem.

Regards,
-- Al

Thanks Al...good info.

Kennythekey: If you are running more than one dedicated line make sure that they are on the same leg in the breaker box, otherwise you may have different ground levels. Don

Thanks Don. Same leg?...as in the same line into the panel box?

Look up On oneleg or two legs in Tech talk. You want all your dedicated outlets to be in the same phase. Usually this means the same side of the breaker box. Don

Thanks Don, I was planning to do just that.

IIRC, the MR71 has a line-to-ground capacitor from each of the AC line, and a high-value resistor (4.7 Meg?) from one side of the AC line to ground as well. I've never understood exactly what the thinking was for the resistor . . . but all of this old stuff generally has higher levels of AC leakage than modern stuff.

But there will definately be less leakage current with the AC cord plugged in a certain direction, even though it's non-polarized. The classic way to determine which way is best is to connect ONLY the power (no interconnects), and (while there are no metal racks, etc. touching the MR71 chassis) measuring from the tuner chassis to the chassis of one of your other (three-prong grounded) components with an AC voltmeter. Try the tuner's AC plug both ways in the socket . . . and the one with the lower reading is preferable.

Great info Kirkus..will give a try.