ve aux noise while charging

[SimonH]

Hi all,

I have a series 1 ve Calais V with the standard problem of alternator whine and noise noise through aux while charging and playing ipod. Originally I was charging through the cigarette socket, I then bought a dc-dc converter with usb out and hooked it up to the blank plug next to the stereo on the drivers side but the noise is as bad as ever.

What's next?
Should I try a ground loop isolator and hook that up between the blank plug and DC-DC converter?
Should I just get a 3.5 aux in line noise filter? (I am worried this will degrade audio quality?)
Should I try grounding my dc-dc converter somewhere else?
Any other suggestions?

I don't want an iPod connection kit through rear aux because I have the rear DVD entertainment system, and I also listen to music through my phone (android).

Is there a cost effective way to add Bluetooth a2dp to the stock unit? Something like the parrot asteroid mini I guess but cheaper?

Has anyone had this problem and fixed it?

 

[Tasmaniak]

it's an inherent problem with many cars and chargers.

A noise filter on the DC-DC should fix it up no sweat. Your right in thinking that an audio ground loop isolator will destroy audio quality. Attempting to reground the dc-dc convertor may work... may not. You could atleast attempt in running an extra ground wire from the chassis of the stereo (not the earth wire but the actually chassis of the stereo) to the dc converter as well as it's current earth. Thats a quick fix that will bring the most joy if any is to be had.

Failing that... this will definetly solve it.
10A DC Noise Filter (Improved) - Jaycar Electronics

 

[Tasmaniak]

2nd point... Kanex AirBlue is about $45. Plugs into the Aux Input of your headunit and streams from your phone to itself and then in through the aux input.
Kanex AirBlue - Portable Bluetooth Music Receiver

 

[SimonH]

Tasmaniak,
Thanks for your response I will try moving the ground on the dc-dc to the radio chassis, otherwise I will head out to jaycar and give the DC noise filter a shot.

I actually have a cheap kogan Bluetooth adapter but the problem with it is while it's charging it won't turn on so because I forget to charge it I can't use it most the time, I need something that can charge and stream at the same time, I will have a look at the kanex, thanks again.

 

[Tasmaniak]

Getting a BT to AuxIn unit thats hardwired is not as easy as it looks... spent the better part of an hour having a search for you and nadda!

 

[Tasmaniak]

I remember now!!!! This is aimed at being an FM Transmitter but if you look closely you can see that there is a pair of RCAs labelled Audio Out. So what we have done in the past is wired this unit, run the rcas into a 3.5mm plug out the dash and into the front panel of some radios (do the same in the VE) remove the switch in the power line and just wire the unit directly to the accessories and and hide the rest behind the dash. Job done.
Isimple ISFM21 Tranzit BLU Bluetooth Enabled FM Transmitter A2DP Audio | eBay

 

[xadz]

In my VE I had the same problem, fiddled with a few wires and ended up actually re running the 12volt in glove box and the AUX port wire with some better quality stuff, still with the same issue. Then we ran a new ground cable from the head unit to chassis and that cleared it up.

Not sure what it is with the VE's as my mates car has no noise at all.

 

[StoneX]

I'm usually anti-ground loop isolators but someone on another Commodore forum was adamant that the one they bought from Jaycar worked... Since it was $9.95 I gave it a go and it actually worked :dance: I'd tried all different cigarette socket to USB chargers but they all still had the whine, this was all that fixed it.

Ground Loop Isolator (Stereo) 3.5mm - Jaycar Electronics

 

[SimonH]

Wow everyone, I wasn't expecting many (any) responses to this, thank you.

So today my plan is to have a quick try changing the DC DC ground to the stereo chassis, if that doesn't work then I will head out to jaycar and get a DC noise filter that Tasmaniak suggested.

Xadz thanks that's good to know, but for $15 if the DC noise filter works I think that will be worth it, I don't really want to have to remove the stereo(assuming I have to remove stereo to access the ground wire?)

StoneX thanks for the suggestion, I'm not sure how they work but I think it would just filter out certain frequencies that are common to ground loop noise but it can't discriminate between ground loop and music so I will lose quality. Saying that it is definitely an option if I can't sort it out using the above.

Thanks again everyone, I will try to remember to post back my success/failure

 

[SimonH]

OK, so I went out this morning (in -6 degrees weather, thank you Canberra) and tried grounding the DC-DC converter in various places without success.

Went out to Jaycar and bought the DC Noise Filter as Tasmaniak suggested above: 10A DC Noise Filter (Improved) - Jaycar Electronics.
Gave it a quick try by just hooking it in between the dc-dc converter and the power+ground wires, without much care in the quality of the work and although it might have reduced the noise slightly it was still loud and unacceptable, I then changed the ground of the noise filter to a nice solid piece of metal and screwed it on tight, that did make a difference, but I still had audible alternator whine and noise from about vol 16 and up, I then changed the ground of the DC-DC converter to the solid piece of metal and that made more of a difference, no noise until about vol 20, 20 is pretty loud for my speakers so I was pretty happy with that. Whipped out the soldering iron and drowned it all in solder (especially the ground) and threw some duct tape over all the connections and gave it a try.. No audible whine or noise below 30 and even then that is with no music playing and I can't listen to it at vol 30 without it hurting my ears. So very happy with the results in the end

Thank you all for your help, much appreciated.