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AUDIO FORUMS >> General Discussion and Support >> Hot socket
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Message started by JBzen on 07/31/22 at 13:03:50

Title: Hot socket
Post by JBzen on 07/31/22 at 13:03:50

I found some vinyl last week at a local flea boutique and been listening to my system. Not a regular occurrence during summer months but wanted to hear what was purchased. Found some good albums for great prices while one of the albums so far might as well be pitched!

I also been upgrading my interconnects with some home made OCC braided shielded ones as time/weather permits being when it is nice outdoors that is when I roam. It seemed the more ICs that were replaced that other problems were surfacing with the system. It seems the pinpoint accuracy was taking a hit. Also depth and tack had diminished somewhat. I was a bit puzzled and thinking deeper into the system seemingly going in circles.

A couple of weeks ago our master bathroom lights started to occasionally flicker. There are four individual lighting fixtures on top of the mirrors that face down. LEDs always had a problem inserted in the down facing globes. I thought that another one of the bulbs needed replaced again but procrastinated because of the time needed to pinpoint the one bulb that needs replaced.

Then it was noticed that other lights were also flickering throughout the house. Not all the lights were joining in this light show only some. Talking to the neighbors hooked to the same transformer on the light pole thinking that there might be a problem with the utility, one said his lights were OK and another said his always flicker. This was even more confusing! Checking my circuit panel inside all was tight and cool. Checking the service cable it was noticed that the cable entering and exiting the meter box was a warm.

A call was placed to the utility and 2 trucks showed up in short order(yea it was a nice couple of days without any storms). I explained the trouble shooting performed. They looked above at the connections on the pole and house and saw all was good. Next step was to pull the meter and look at those connections. The connections looked good but one leg looked to be overheating and the smell of hot vinyl was present. Bingo!

The utility workers thanked me for the troubleshooting and left me a spare tamper proof tag. I installed a new meter box yesterday and did some listening this morning. Another bingo! The Chariot system is back at its full splendor and then some!

That one leg that was overheating is connected to the home run circuit for the Charoit system. The neighbor that has a flickering problem informed me that his whole service is on the short list to be replaced. He also said that his buddy is going to do it which was a relief for me to think of some excuse not doing it for him. Unless he wanted some guidance while I sat sipping his beer!

Title: Re: Hot socket
Post by will on 07/31/22 at 19:18:13

Thanks for the story John!

Title: Re: Hot socket
Post by BicycleJoe on 07/31/22 at 19:40:18

Your hot socket story is pretty cool.
I live in a apartment building with over 100 apartments with Wi-Fi surrounding me so I ordered the ZLC line conditioner isolation transformer.

Title: Re: Hot socket
Post by Earthbound on 08/01/22 at 01:33:39

Good investigative work JBzen. Glad your system is back to perfect listening form. Enjoy!

Title: Re: Hot socket
Post by Same Old DD on 08/01/22 at 03:18:31

That is a very interesting tale, JBzen!

... and your Sherlocking the trouble out for the utility guys is almost like an X-Men thing.

Great job!

Title: Re: Hot socket
Post by JBzen on 08/01/22 at 12:06:51

Thanks guys. I do have AC filtering in the system. A transformer is used for balanced power and capacitor banks to decrease noise in neutral to ground loops. Also capacitor banks for transient surges/noise in-between hot and neutral. The fluctuations in voltage apparently transmitted right through. I guess a power regenerater might have eliminated the effect but that is a whole other approach to mains cleansing.