Why do you need an audio grounding box for your car stereo system? Listening to music while driving is undoubtedly cool and makes the ride enjoyable.
But have you ever had a car stereo that has scratchy output? An audio grounding box is handy in rectifying such an issue.
Generally, a grounding box blocks signal interferences. Read on to find its roles in a car system and how to build one from scratch in this comprehensive guide.
Table of Contents
- What is a Grounding Box?
- Why You Need a Grounding Box
- How Does a Grounding Box Work?
- How to Make a Grounding Box Yourself?
- Summary
What is a Grounding Box?
As highlighted earlier, it is an essential component in the signal grounding of audio equipment.
It helps refine the output quality by further filtering the interferences in the signal path.
Notably, there’s always some lingering noise from any signal transmission. Examples include:
- Power supply electronic noises
- Electromagnetic interferences (EMI)
- Cable pick-up noises
Such interferences will distort the output signal quality. Therefore, the essence of ground boxes in the signal path is to eliminate the noises. The best layout is to set it at the equipment source.
Then, you can have others on the transmission path to deal with noise along the route of signal travel.
Why You Need a Grounding Box
Typical filters like capacitors and transformers don’t fully prevent EMI
Conventionally, passive filters would be sufficient to deal with signal noise. These include components such as AC capacitors and isolation transformers.
Nonetheless, they don’t truly cleanse the interferences in the ground path. Then, the grounding boxes come into the equation.
With a ground box, it is possible to eliminate all the signal noises on the ground path, thus refining the overall signal quality.
But does this mean they’ll help clear the audible noise of sound output systems/audio signals?
That is not precisely true, as the component is fundamentally responsible for dealing with the transmission noises we highlighted earlier. Thus, it doesn’t suppress the literal noise in the sound, but its presence improves the clarity, timbre, and tonality.
How Does a Grounding Box Work?
Grounding eliminates signal noise.
First, it’s important to note that a grounding box is essential in sound systems whereby, it helps lower the noise floor.
In most power networks, you’ll encounter a protective ground without the capacity to deal with different types of interferences.
These include interfering magnetic fields and high-frequency noise in the signal transmission path.
The overall effect of this shortfall is a dip in the sound quality of audio systems.
Therefore, a grounding box fixes the issue by acting as a barrier.
It cushions the interferences from affecting the audio system’s output by ensuring seamless transmission.
How to Make a Grounding Box Yourself?
A cardboard box for making a simple grounding box.
You can make a simple DIY ground box from scratch using locally available parts such as the following:
- A wire
- Aluminum foil
- A 20cm by 17 cm cardboard box (carton box)
- Electrical tape
- 100k Ohm Resistor
- A three-pin plug
Procedure
- Cover one end of the carton box with aluminum foil and wrap tape around it to ensure it fits perfectly.
- Run a wire from the outside into the box from the other end and ensure its conducting surface is in contact with the foil. Link the resistor to the open end of the wire. Connect another wire (from the open end of the resistor) to ensure the resistor is in series with the circuit. Ideally, you can have the resistor inside the box so it’s firmly secured onto the system.
- Connect the three-pin plug to the free end of the wire, but ensure you remove two pins. Note that the grounding pin is the one on top. Therefore, when removing the two pins, spare the top pin, which connects to the earthing terminal on the socket.
- Now, your grounding box is ready for testing. Plug the pin onto the socket and place your palm on the surface of the aluminum foil. Most importantly, ensure you include the resistor in your setup, as highlighted in the procedure. It’s a critical part of the safety ground, ensuring you’re unhurt if there’s a short circuit.
- Also, don’t fail to remove the two plugs, as if they contact the electrical system, and there will be an electric shock. Finally, don’t touch any other thing when holding the grounding box.
- During use, ensure that the aluminum foil-wrapped part stays in contact with the ground plane. It’s the earth’s ground, so it’ll ensure the flow of the excess charges from the system.
Summary
A grounding box is arguably one of the most ignored yet essential components, especially in audio systems.
The signal ground cancels out common transmission interferences such as EMI, ensuring a smooth signal reaches the output.
You don’t have to buy a commercial ground box for your DIY project; you can create one, as highlighted in the article. Contact us if you need wires for your DIY projects.
But we advise purchasing a quality factory-made one for your car stereo system. It’ll significantly improve your audio system.
