"I think you guys have totally lost your minds."
That's because you've done a similar thing again ... you've mistaken the posts on this forum for some sort of empirical knowledge and logic, whilst in reality it is obviously all just so much smoke escaping into the ether.
Retain your sanity (and smoke) while you still can ... send an SOS and run awaaaay, run awaaaay!! ;-D
Rich,
For awhile this evening, I thought I found my mind. But, no; No such luck. So, if anyone sees a derelict mind running amok give a holler. It will have a slight hint of smoke smell. How do you whistle in text anyway? Here mind, here boy. LOL. 😉
....this guy who has a Rangemaster AM1000, and he hooked the power feed to the audio input, and the audio feed to the power input.
Now it don't sound right, and he has to send it in for repairs.
Well I should have the transmitter back by tomorrow.. Keith said he found no problem with it and that it sounded great there, and he sent it back..
I just don't get it though. It was a very basic connection going directly from the audio source to the transmitter, and tried from several audio sources; pc, tv, and cd player, and I double checked that the polarity was right. Just 4 wires.. 2 for power and two for audio, That's it.
Regardless of which audio sources I used, they all resulted sounding a little muffled and distorted. I even tried using different wire feeds.
Before I sent it back for him to look at, I disconnected ALL connections completely - and reconnected everything again giving thorough attention, following the manual to every step, did it twice, on two different nights right before I sent it back.
I assumed I must have burnt something up when I crossed wires that first day I received it.
Keith told me it sounded fine to me and said there must be something in the wiring and perhaps I should have a tech help me out.
But, the connections were so basic -- audio source output to transmitter with nothing inbetween except the audio/power interface module. What could a tech do different about hooking up 2 wires?
I know what this transmitter should sound like, I had one before and was extremely impressed with it just hooked to a dvd player and no other equipment involved.. Big, bold, clear.. That's not the results I'm having this time so far.
I've installed my prior unit - basic installs, and full installs at four different locations in the past and it ALWAYS sounded excellent.
All I know to do is to try this one outside this house.. away from it.. I guess it must be some kind of interference in the house.
Keith said it sounded great to him
I am really worried about this
Any comments?
RichPowers
I understand your uncertainty, because your own checks seemed to indicate a problem and you became convinced there was one.
But now, Keith has found the transmitter to be in good shape, and what better authority could there be than the inventor and designer of the transmitter? From everything everyone always hears about Keith, he knows his art. So I would trust him totally.
Now, have you hooked everything back (correctly) and listened again?
O.K. If it still sounds wrong to your ear, what if the crossed wiring actually sent high voltage through some path back to your audio equipment? Maybe your audio equipment is damaged.
Carl, I don't mistrust Keith. I didn't mean to insinuate that.
I haven't received the unit back yet. He emailed me today and said I should have it back today or tomorrow - so I guess it will be tomorrow.
..what if the crossed wiring actually sent high voltage through some path back to your audio equipment? Maybe your audio equipment is damaged.
The only audio I had it hooked up to at the time of the cross wire episode was the laptop (which plays fine still). Since then I also tried hooking to the dvd player audio out, and the tv audio out and also tried the headphone jacks.. I tried several audio sources.
As of yet I have at no time hooked the transmitter to any processing equipment, I was holding off to do that till I moved everything to the permanent installation location on the south end of the island.
But I know how a Rangemaster sounds with no processing and no other equipment, and it sounds spectacular. I have not got anywhere near that quality this time.
If Keith says he checked it out and it sounds great to him, then I believe him. But I am bewildered as to why I'm not getting the same results.
I'm was using a single cable directly connected to the audio source,; that was it, one cable. And I did try using another cable.
I've had a Rangemaster before. I know what I should be hearing.
Rich,
I have a couple of questions:
1) Are you combining stereo channels with a "Y" patch cord to produce mono for the transmitter?
2) Have you tried to reduce the output level of the computer audio output to the transmitter?
If you were to combine the stereo output of the computer with a home-brew "Y" cord, you could get the leads flipped causing distortion and the conditions you mention. Sometimes when left and right channels in a laptop audio circuit are combined (unbalanced audio) you have make sure the tip and ring are connected together and feed the high (+) side audio of the transmitter. The shield is connected to the low (-) side of the audio input. Because the level of audio with the channels combined is greater than the output of one channel, the output audio of the computer must be decreased (by about 3 db or 1/2). By adding 1000-5000 Ohm resistors in the High side leads you might be able to run the computer output levels near normal.
To me, it sounds like your over driving the audio input to the transmitter. This is specifically why the new Hamilton transmitters come with a stereo combiner and an impedance matching load to connect between the audio source and the transmitter. If you have one and are not using it yet, I would suggest you do. The transmitter audio input impedance is 600 Ohms. The transmitter will be much happier.
Best of luck; hope this helps.
Hi Marshall, I had tried several connections. Initially it was a earphone jack that I cut off an earphone belonging to a portable radio. Later y-cable from the rca jacks of an external usb soundcard (from laptop) with the otherside of the y being a 1/8 jack going into the audio adapter supplied with the Rangemaster (I used the audio adapter in all connections).
After that, y jack from dvd to audio adapter to xmtr
Then y jack from tv rca's out
Then ear/headphone jacks of dvd
I had tried a high and low volume all all sources, and no volume provided satisfactory sound. I tried reverse polarity of the audio feed as well. I also changed my laptop settings to mono output.
I do have a RBL stereo/mono adapter, but did not use it yet. but years ago I didn't use one at all for about two months and it sounded fine.
I never thought during this time to try the transmitter at another location completely out of the neighborhood, but I will this time. However it really doesn't sound like an external interference... It sounded more like my radio speaker was covered with a blanket and the speaker was partially blown but you could still understand it.. My radio is fine on other stations.
I've wondered if it could possibly be the supplied audio adapter or the power supply.. Keith told me when I get it back to try it without the audio adapter.. as for using another power adapter, I probably have a suitable one around here someplace to try.
Keep in mind I used a Rangemaster extensively years ago at several different locations for about 6 months or so, both full installs and makeshift installs, and I had no help whatsoever in any of the situations (other than via forums or phone calls), and I never had such a problem, with exception to the time when it sustained lighting damage, the audio quality deteriorated as well as the range - and Keith had to replace the gas tube in it.
Maybe I am panicking over nothing, and it really is something in the immediate area, but it just didn't seem so.
Well, the transmitter should arrive back today.. maybe it was just all a bad nightmare that I get to wake up from today.
Hello Rich,
I have had the same problem in the past. If you are using a stereo patch cord out of the headphone jack from your laptop it can distort (overload the signa. I noticed if Ipulled the patch cord halfway out (it was then only making contact with one side of the audio) that the distortion went away. I think your ok, it's just feed. I change my feed and the problem went away. (got rid of the stereo input patch cable)
Mike
Mike is "dead on" with his experience. It is my experience also. Read my previous post carefully. The answer is there. I never use the headphone output out of the sound card. Use the line out instead.
I will re-read and give full attention to your comments when the transmitter arrives. (It did not come in today).
Thanks for your input guys.
Well, I was SO SURE something was wrong, and there was.
When I got the transmitter back, I still had that disruptive feeling in my stomach.. I knew I had everything hooked up right the first time, and had rechecked it several times - like looking in the refrigerator over and over again - even though you just opened it, and already know exactly what's in there... you explore it again.
Ok.. anyway, I hooked it back up again directly to the laptop earphone jack (it doesn't have a line out jack), this time eliminating the y-jack, the external usb sound card, and the audio adapter.. and it still sounded like crap.
Then tried a portable tv earphone jack... crap.
Line out flat screen tv... crap
Back to connecting to the laptop, I try adjusting the volume again, and I turn it waaaay down.. to only half a notch above off, it's lowest possible setting, I can't hear anything, so I turn the radio up.. not way up, just around halfway and it sounds pretty good!
The distortion is gone and it no longer sounds muffled - it does sound like maybe the treble could stand to go up a little and maybe the bass down a tad, but my Sony radio doesn't have such adjustments, but once the source is introduced into my air chain I think it can be adjusted.
While still not quite exhibiting that big bold fresh sound the way I recall it 5 years ago with my last transmitter, it does sound good and clear.. and it may very well be that my memory is overestimating the fidelity produced.. or perhaps it just is that I'm remembering the quality AFTER I had introduced processing to the transmitter.
But the bottom line is this; The transmitter is hooked up directly right now with no processing equipment whatsoever and it sounds good! I would not object to publicly putting programing on the air as it sounds right now, and feel confident that once the airchain is added it will sound even better.
All I had to do is turn my volume down.
I feel so much better now.
and also a little foolish.
Sometimes it is the humble little things that teach the greatest lessons of life....despite the embarrassment of it.
RFB