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whine/static noise from ipod classic. UPDATE problem solved!

post #1 of 12
6/4/09 at 7:36pm
Thread Starter 
In my car, my ipod exhibits a lot of digital high pitched whining, fluctuating in volume and tone, and which is actually audible at listening volumes, and is just loud enough to be really annoying. It's there with the turbodock LOD as well as when using the headphone jack. The noise disapears if I unplug the jack from my ipod, so I'm thinking it is the ipod picking up something? It seems worse in my glovebox, if I rest it on the seat some of it goes away. Any ideas? If I cover the inside of my glovebox with aluminum foil, or maybe make an aluminum foil hat like the kids wore in the movie Signs? At least then the aliens couldn't read my mind...

Thanks!
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post #2 of 12
6/4/09 at 7:37pm
Thread Starter 
maybe I shoudl mention that I have RCA cables going into the back of my stereo via AUX input.
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post #3 of 12
6/5/09 at 8:15am
sounds like you are picking up the electrics, perhaps the spark plugs or engine management system. that combined with an improperly grounded cable would be my bet. I doubt it actually has anything to do with the ipod at all and is the cable acting as an aerial of sorts and picking up RFI EMI
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post #4 of 12
8/27/09 at 11:09pm
Thread Starter 
this has gotten really bad lately.

The noise almost disapears when I place the ipod on my lap in the car, then when i put it into the glove box between the seats, the whine is pretty bad sometimes, and cuts in and out, and the whole signal is quieter then when the ipod is on my lap.

Would getting a better set of IC's help? If they were shielded better? What's a good budget cable that is well shielded?
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post #5 of 12
9/10/09 at 3:07pm
Thread Starter 
no ideas? hmmmm
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post #6 of 12
9/10/09 at 6:29pm
I have no clue but my old classic and mini do exactly the same thing with the radio connector thingy in the truck.
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post #7 of 12
9/11/09 at 3:12am
Thread Starter 
that would make sense for a radio signal, but this is via the line out dock and right into the back of my alpine deck. Well, it does the same thing if i plug it straight into the headphone out. Weird. Maybe my car's jynxed?
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post #8 of 12
9/12/09 at 4:54pm
Here is a cheap test, take some aluminum foil and cover as much of the cable as you can. Take the car for a spin while playing music from the iPod. If the noise goes away the cable is acting like an aerial and picking up the noise.
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post #9 of 12
9/15/09 at 6:22pm
Thread Starter 
The cable is running into the glovebox, and under the E brake and then under to the back of the stereo, so I can't do that too easily. I'm wondering if this is part of the problem though, maybe it is touching a chunk of metal that is helping make the noise.

But if I take all that apart, I want to have a good cable ready. Anyone have any recomendations for a cheap cable that's well shielded? blue jeans? Or maybe S2 audio?
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post #10 of 12
9/15/09 at 6:41pm
I don't think it's your iPod causing the noise, take your car to a good car stereo installer and ask them to "look in to it". I bet my old iPod on that's the cable and AUX on the car stereo...
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post #11 of 12
11/22/09 at 10:48pm
Thread Starter 
I had enough a couple weeks ago, and ripped the car apart and swapped cables. Noise was gone instantly! Yay! The new one is a DIY'er's cable, and the old was a ratshack cable. I terminated the ratshack cable with extreme prejudice.

I thought I'd share this on teh forums in case anyone else ever has the problem. I tried tin foil around the ipod, didn't do anything. So what do you think the problem with that cable was? not shielded well enough?
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post #12 of 12
11/22/09 at 10:56pm
The iPod's dock also is a point of RF interference with an amp. Like Qusp said (and he should know), lack of a proper ground can mean anything is trying act as ground and get in the way. Good to see the problem is solved.
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