Most of the turntables I have seen have had a separate earth wire that needs to be fastened to the earth connector on the amplifier body.
Some others had their earth wire fastened to the shield of one of the RCA leads - sometimes at the TT end, and sometimes at the RCA end.
A few tables had no earth wire, and did not seem to need them.
Some had 2 - one coming from the tt body and another one running from the tonearm.
My questions:
1. If the turntable has only a 2-prong mains plug (no earth) and one connects the tt earth wire to the amp, but the amp also only has a 2-prong mains plug (no earth)(as do my NAD amp) - is the turntable earthed? Or will there be a hum? And how does one fix this - can I fit a 3-prong plug and a 3-strand mains cable to the TT, and fasten the green earth from the mains lead to the metal body of the tt? I looked at the amp, and converting that to a 3-strand mains cable will be more difficult (for me).
2. Should the metal of the tonearm pillar touch the metal of the tt top plate? I am looking at a tt where, using fibre washers and a plastic pillar lock nuts, they seem to have tried to avoid this (but I may be wrong). However, an earth wire coming from the body is connected to an earth wire coming from the tonearm, effectively connecting them, and negating the isolation mentioned before (if indeed that is what it was). What is the right answer?
Any thoughts appreciated. Yes, my Connie still hums...
Some others had their earth wire fastened to the shield of one of the RCA leads - sometimes at the TT end, and sometimes at the RCA end.
A few tables had no earth wire, and did not seem to need them.
Some had 2 - one coming from the tt body and another one running from the tonearm.
My questions:
1. If the turntable has only a 2-prong mains plug (no earth) and one connects the tt earth wire to the amp, but the amp also only has a 2-prong mains plug (no earth)(as do my NAD amp) - is the turntable earthed? Or will there be a hum? And how does one fix this - can I fit a 3-prong plug and a 3-strand mains cable to the TT, and fasten the green earth from the mains lead to the metal body of the tt? I looked at the amp, and converting that to a 3-strand mains cable will be more difficult (for me).
2. Should the metal of the tonearm pillar touch the metal of the tt top plate? I am looking at a tt where, using fibre washers and a plastic pillar lock nuts, they seem to have tried to avoid this (but I may be wrong). However, an earth wire coming from the body is connected to an earth wire coming from the tonearm, effectively connecting them, and negating the isolation mentioned before (if indeed that is what it was). What is the right answer?
Any thoughts appreciated. Yes, my Connie still hums...
