Strange Noise in Stereo

kyle f · Addict Joined: 14 Aug 2008 Posts: 835 City: Norris Lake

So, there is a repetative popping sound in my stereo. Isn't too loud and the music covers it up, but while changing radio stations, switching between CD Tracks, or waiting to get sound from my MP3 Player you hear it. This is with the Engine off or on, and doesnt change if you switch the batter switch.

This is a Clairion Head Unit, JBL 6 Channel Amp (Factory wired) Polk Momo Sub, and 4 6.5" Speakers.

JeffreyCH · Posted: Apr 02, 2009 7:40 am Post subject:

Check all of your ground and positive cables , amp, head, batteries, isolator switch, ect. I had the same problem a few years ago in a car, the power and ground cables had been run through the same conduit, after a few years of rubbing together the insulation got thin enough to allow them to arc through it.

kyle f · Addict Joined: 14 Aug 2008 Posts: 835 City: Norris Lake

I will check them, but the Ground and Power wires are all brand new.

Skywalker022 · Outlaw Joined: 25 Mar 2009 Posts: 205 City: Tuscaloosa

Check every conection you have! RCA's , fuses, power wires. You could even have a short in an RCA wire.

JeffreyCH · Posted: Apr 03, 2009 3:38 am Post subject:

kyle f · Addict Joined: 14 Aug 2008 Posts: 835 City: Norris Lake

All speakers, but all speakers are powered by the amp.

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

Same amp or multiple amps?

JeffreyCH · Posted: Apr 03, 2009 8:43 am Post subject:

Ok, so 1 amp running all speakers, here's a few trouble shooting tips you can use.

Start with the RCA'a, unplug all but the sub channel, power up, then do that for each channel, just don't plug or unplug while the system is live. I wrap a piece of masking tape around the wires and mark them frt/bck/sub to be sure to get them back into the right place. If the noise goes away at any point then you know one of your RCA's is bad, replace.

If that produces no results, do the same thing on the output side of the amp.

If you still have the noise, check power supply. Make some short jumpers out of batt. cable, pull one battery or use a different one and power up your amp that way. Remember to disconnect the amp from the batt. first.

If that doesn't do it, check the head unit. Get an old/cheap car speaker, and make some jumpers for it. Hook that up to the high level outputs on the head unit, again one at a time ,powering down to reconnect, and have RCA's disconnected during this time.

Hope that helps.

Matthew Edler · Newbie Joined: 09 Sep 2005 Posts: 39 City: St. Peters

I think what your hearing is the depth sounder creating a feed back through your system. Try disconnecting the transponder (the device that is mounted to the bottom of your hull) to see if the noise goes away. If this is the source of your poping noise you can try improving the ground. If it's a constant on rythum noise its probly not an RCA, this noise is being generated. Whining whistleing or huming then maybe an RCA.

kyle f · Addict Joined: 14 Aug 2008 Posts: 835 City: Norris Lake

Never thought about that. I have an Air temp, Water Temp, and Water Depth all in one gage on the dash.

It is mounted above the radio, possibly I might just need to shield the wires going to it or get them away form the radio wires. I will give this a good look nex ttiem I am in the boat, and also see if I can locate the transponder for a quick test

kyle f · Addict Joined: 14 Aug 2008 Posts: 835 City: Norris Lake

OK, so here is what I found so far.

Checked the radio by pulling different RCAs, nothgin changed so I turned my attention ot the Amp

Amp has 6 channels for imputs, they had it switched to read off 2... that is fixed to all 6 now that I will be getting tower speakers, this is important.

the Low Passfilter was turned all teh way up to as high a frequency as you could pass through it. Now that is fixed and turned down to about 100hz.

Tower will now be rear Channel and Inside of boat will be front.

Still, repeatative popping still there. So I got under the helm and started moving wires around to see if I could get anything to change. Nope Nothing.... Checked all wires for any exposed areas, etc. Nope Nothing.

Turned off Depth/Water Temp and Air Tem gage... no more popping sound.

So, as mentioned above, it is the depth gage. So, where do I go from here? I don't think shrowding anythign under the helm is goign to help. Though, I don't want the depth gage to be turned off all the time either.

I had one in my Sea ray and it didn;t do this to the stereo.