A Question About HUM

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What could they have done that would explain 100Hz hum?
Try to have the start of the beginning of a theory.
WA could have chosen to put too few turns on the secondary of their mains transformer in an effort to not overheat their DC voltage regulators. Under low-line conditions (rural setting, long AC mains feeder, high-draw neighboring farms, etc.), the post-rectifier regulators may not have enough voltage overhead to suppress the 100 Hz ripple. There are photos of the insides of this unit on the WA site. It has a standard IEC fused inlet with no EMC filter, a toroidal mains transformer, and a dual FWB DC supply with what look like standard linear regulators on minimal heatsinks and no air flow. Very standard but thermally suspect. OP's first post reports that the unit hums enough to be audible in phones even with the unit totally isolated and its ground lifted. That rules out any earthing issues, IMO. And it has tested okay at two repair shops which rules out failed PSU caps, etc. OP also reported that the hum varies, which would be the case if the line voltage was fluctuating from, say, a neighboring farm's varying AC load. This is why we want OP to check the mains voltage. If this low line theory proves true, a mains boost transformer of some sort would be a viable fix.
 
The OP states this is the only equipment he has that does this.
So either it is faulty or not fit for purpose.

Why would you want to modify your mains supply to accommodate this?
 
Yes, if (and only if) the low-line theory proves true, I was suggesting a booster for this particular unit only. It would be the cheapest solution to OP's problem. I assume they like the sound of the unit else they would be using something else anyway.

BTW, if anyone out there is curious and has a WA273EQ, a scope, and a Variac, please measure the mains voltage at which the regulators fall out of regulation. That will tell us if it meets the usual +/- 10% AC line input requirement. I'm guessing that it does, else it would be a well known issue.
 
@NoisyIndividual: I don't disagree with you. However to preserve OP's investment, this boost transformer looks like it could help. This is if OP's mains voltage indeed measures low and the WA's poor design makes it susceptible to low AC line voltage:

https://www.vigortronix.com/wp-cont...TX-182-xxxx-Isolation-transformer-D0029-2.pdf

The 250VA unit has taps for 4% and 8% boost.

WA's site does not list the unit's power requirements (further evidence of poor design?) so OP would need to inquire about that to choose the proper transformer. Then it would be best to have a qualified tech build it into a box with its own line cord, fuse, and output receptacle. Of course this is a Band-Aid fix, but sometimes they are warranted.
 
Yes, but I suspect the problem is nothing to do with the power supply voltages being too low, it just hums anyway at 100 Hz.

It would be interesting to find out.


Simplest way to do that is to run it on a Variac.
 
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It doesn’t hum on two technician’s benches according to the first post. But a Variac test would indeed confirm the low line theory. Maybe one of those techs could retest at low line.
 
I'm not sure two techs prove anything.

There could have been a hum so low they didn't consider it an issue, or they realised it was it was a design problem they were not willing to take on.
 
The hum was apparently bad enough for OP to take the unit to the shop. Twice. And both techs report “no hum” with their test equipment whereas OP can hear it with phones, which is not a particularly sensitive test method compared to what the techs likely have. It points to a problem specific to OP’s studio and not its earthing. Low line voltage seems the only possible cause that is consistent with the reported facts.
 
WA could have chosen to put too few turns on the secondary of their mains transformer in an effort to not overheat their DC voltage regulators. Under low-line conditions (rural setting, long AC mains feeder, high-draw neighboring farms, etc.), the post-rectifier regulators may not have enough voltage overhead to suppress the 100 Hz ripple. There are photos of the insides of this unit on the WA site. It has a standard IEC fused inlet with no EMC filter, a toroidal mains transformer, and a dual FWB DC supply with what look like standard linear regulators on minimal heatsinks and no air flow. Very standard but thermally suspect. OP's first post reports that the unit hums enough to be audible in phones even with the unit totally isolated and its ground lifted. That rules out any earthing issues, IMO. And it has tested okay at two repair shops which rules out failed PSU caps, etc. OP also reported that the hum varies, which would be the case if the line voltage was fluctuating from, say, a neighboring farm's varying AC load. This is why we want OP to check the mains voltage. If this low line theory proves true, a mains boost transformer of some sort would be a viable fix.
I fully agree with that. What I disagree with is that the problem would be due to an unwanted leak between Neutral and PE.
 
The OP states this is the only equipment he has that does this.
So either it is faulty or not fit for purpose.

Why would you want to modify your mains supply to accommodate this?
If the crux of the problem is low line voltage, then it's what needs to be fixed. Because other equipment may suffer from this. Low voltage is detrimental to motors that have to start under load.
 
If the crux of the problem is low line voltage, then it's what needs to be fixed. Because other equipment may suffer from this. Low voltage is detrimental to motors that have to start under load.
I've had the power company come out here before because our power sags and the transformer in front gets pretty loud. Guess it's on the edge of acceptable. Was told when the neighborhood was built, the transformers were specced for the number of houses not the number of houses that would add pools and electric vehicles.
 
... Without tripping the GFCI / RCD...
When did GFCI become mandatory? Would older rural property in Ireland necessarily be retrofitted if it was built before RCD was required?

But agree, equipment connecting neutral to earth at the chassis seems unlikely to be involved.
 
There are a few versions and interpretations of GFCI depending which country you are in. The UK (generally) should have had 'earth leakage' breakers that trip if there is more than 30milliamps of difference in the live and neutral (return) conductorswhich trips the propertys 60 or 80 Amp incoming feed. The return (neutral) is joined to protective earth at the 'fusebox'. Cabling inside the property should be suitably sized so that measuring Neutral to ground is never more than 10 Volts. Accidentally linkimng Neutral to ground at a remote part of the installation may or may not trip the 'earth leakage breaker' depending on how much DIFFERENCE there is betweem live and neutral. This can lead to bizarre tripping when a combination of loads are switched on as I discovered at a house in France and in Abbey Road Studios in London. Studio on ground floor hummed only wnen a certain amount of gear was switched on on the 3rd floor. OP hasn't replied for a while and no report of actual testing done.
 
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