Grounding to shell?
Greg, when I install a shure CM, do I have to ground the negative side to the shell as wel? I read that that's a good idea with crystal elements to cancel hum. Or is it also done against getting shocked when something shortens out?
And another question : how should a switchcraft 2501F be soldered to a miccable? I've tried to find a walkthrough-description on the web but could not find one. As you might have guessed, I'm not really a whizzkid when it comes to electronics ;-)
Thank you Greg. Concerning grounding a micshell. In this situation I'm talking about the shell of my Astatic T3 with the swivel still in tact. So there's no metal connector mounted to the shell. ( I use an adapter that goes from a 3 pins plug to a switchcraft screw on connector with the T3 ) I guess I better ground the shell as well then.
My amps all have 3 prong cords so no worries there.
There's nothing wrong with grounding the shell - it might even improve noise immunity. But the original T3's (as well as other Astatic mics with the swivel mount, both dynamic and crystal) were wired straight through to the element. The shell wasn't grounded.
Ah, thanks Greg.
So I won't get fried if I don't ground the shell when somewhere something shorts out in my amp? ( 3 prong cord )
THAT would make no difference. If your amp has a properly wired 3-wire grounded plug you don't need to worry. If not, a short in the amp can place 120VAC on the ground/shield.
/GH
Allright thanks. Guess I'll don't ground the shell then and find out if I get hum problems. If not then there's no need to ground the shell as I allways play amps with a 3 prong cord. Thank you Greg!
Hi, Jack
Now you're into trade secret territory!
When you have a metal shell it is a good idea to include the shell in the ground circuit. With any metal connector mounted to the shell that is automatic. If you have any amplifier that still has a 2-wire power cord, you should have it converted to 3 for safety no matter what. Relying on a mic to insulate you from shock is a bad idea. Better to prevent it in the first place.
As for the 2501F - the soldering part is easy. The key is to recognize that the cable can spin inside that spring, so the spring is worthless as a strain relief. If the cable is allowed to spin, it will surely short the center conductor and shield in short order, or simply sever one or the other. So it is important to find a way to mechanically lock the cable to to the spring and/or connector.
But I have literally made MILES of cable and I continue to learn how to do it even better. I'm sure you will learn by doing too!
Cheers
/Greg