Bit off topic but I just discovered wool dryer balls.
How did no one ever tell me about these?
Short in my system?
I keep getting shocked when walk across the room to touch the system, which then pops really loud through the speakers.
I have a McIntosh 352 tube amp plugged into a Niagara 1200 power conditioner, which is really like a giant surge protector.
I live in cental NC, and wSo I don't know if theres an electical problem with the house or with the system, or if this just happens sometimes. It also happens sometimes when I touch the floor lamp, just a static spark. Its just so much worse when I touch the amp because its amplified so loud and I'm afraid its going to short out the whole system, or at least blow some tubes.hile its been a cold dry winter, I live on a lake and it rained a couple of days ago so I don't think its the dry weather.
Showing 4 responses by erik_squires
It’s not a short!! It’s static electricity, the bane of technicians and electronic assembly. You need more humidity or go barefoot. I do encourage you to avoid touching sensitive electronics like that as they can cause dysfunction or damage. I have a DAC which I used as a preamp and whenever this happened the volume would shoot up to maximum. Ouch. These shocks have very little current, but just enough voltage to damage sensitive electronics. One trick is to hold on to a key when you touch something that’s grounded (besides your gear). That will let you discharge the static your body has built up using a large surface area. Won’t lessen the discharge, just the pain of the zap. In case you are curious, you can get a humidity monitor like this one. I like Govee because their phone apps are really solid. Put it next to your rack so you can see how dry your room is before you go adjusting something. |
