How Does a Ground Loop Isolator Work?
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DC Current
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Your car's electrical system runs on DC current that is generated in the battery. The alternator also generates DC current to recharge the battery and to generate additional power. There is a little residual AC current generated in the alternator. One problem is that there are voltage drops and rises depending on what is drawing power from the battery. This causes a disruption in the power system.
Noise
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The residual AC voltage generated by the alternator also causes "noise" on your car's audio system, a high-pitched hum. The frequency of the noise will change with the RPMs of the engine. The variations in voltage in your car's electrical system will also cause noise.
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Ground Loop Isolator
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According to Basic Car Audio Electronic.com, "The ground loop isolator contains an isolation transformer for each channel that blocks the transmission of DC (and AC) signals from one circuit to another." Isolation transformers serve to protect a circuit from dangerous current. They generally have a 1:1 ratio, meaning that 1 volt in equals 1 volt out. This particular transformer will not allow the AC or DC voltage through, although it will allow the audio signal through, thus eliminating noise.
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