Electronic and Electircal people inside (Ground loop Hum)

I am having a hard time with this "ground hum" in my new TV set up. Basically there are 2 scenarios and neither are great.


1. When everything is connected snugly on the coax equipment (cable splitter and tv) there is a LOUD ground hum coming from my audio amplifier.
2. When I barely insert the cable (Figure 2) by inserting just the thin conductor without touching the cable screw connector to the splitter block, the hum goes away but I lose signal on the analog channels and it goes pretty fuzzy and sucks to watch.

I understand this is most likely due to a difference in ground potential between my AV gear and the coax cable.




What I have done:

*Traded cables (audio and video) ON EVERYTHING

*Unplugged devices one by one from the surge protector. Did not help and the hum got worse when certian things were unplugged.

*Ungrounded the coax cable from the ground strap attached to the power meter box outside. It got MUCH worse when I did this.



Cable Layout from left to right:

Coax to Splitter to modem to cable box.
HD component from Cable Box to TV
RCA from TV to Amplifier
HDMI from PS3 to TV



HALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!

Ground the splitter - it should have a ground tab

Make sure the gound outside is clean and tight

Try bypassing the splitter and going directly to the cable box?

Quote: Originally Posted by Jizz... Ground the splitter - it should have a ground tab

You may be on to something here. How in the smurf would I do that though? This is inside the house after the wall outlet.

How can I tie it into the ground that everything is plugged into? Maybe stick a bare wire into the ground of the AC mains outlet on the wall and attach it to the splitter?

Quote: Originally Posted by Jizz... Make sure the gound outside is clean and tight

Did that when I unhooked the ground from the cable service box on the side of the house. I pulled the ground wire off the power meter box and re attached, scrapped the copper clean and a clean contact area on the box where it touches. Tightened down snugly.

IM sure my neighbors called the cops on me for trying to steal power or cable or something

Quote: Originally Posted by VeritasGT... Try bypassing the splitter and going directly to the cable box?

Even if that worked, I need the splitter there for the router and internet stuff.

check your major grounds first (elec. service) and work your way from there.

Ok...

It there any splitters in the cable box or anywhere else in the house? Make sure they are also grounded.

If you have a splitter in the cable box and it is grounded you should be ok.

BE CAREFUL messing around the electrical boxes and such. Ok that said...

If you have access to a outlet you can tap off that ground. It is the green bolt on the side of the outlet. My splitter is in the wall and that is what I used.

Quote: Originally Posted by loudvegas... Even if that worked, I need the splitter there for the router and internet stuff.

Yeah, but it will narrow the issue down.