cmoy wire question.

Different coloured wires are not necessary. It just makes life a little easier to help you to connect the wires to the correct places. Black is traditionally used for ground, but once again, it doesn't really matter.

a phrase I use in my shop atleast once a week: Electricity doesn't care what color the insulation is.

One thing you should, however, keep in mind:

If you need your build debugged and want help from the community..

Those who are going to try to help you out will greatly appreciate different colored wires.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordgtlover 

Black is traditionally used for ground

...except when they use green. Or white. Or don't follow a convention at all. 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by samsquanch 

a phrase I use in my shop atleast once a week: Electricity doesn't care what color the insulation is.

Yup. I say "electrons don't care" instead, though: it's easier to assign agency to individuals.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangent 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordgtlover 

Black is traditionally used for ground

...except when they use green. Or white. Or don't follow a convention at all. 

 

I guess you don't really understand what "traditionally" means

Here's some help: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/traditionally

Maybe. It may instead be that there are common color schemes where green and white indicate which wires are connected to ground, which have been in use longer than you've probably been alive.

Seriously? Does anyone still use that?

Anyway, just annoyed me how you completely ignored how he the OP specfically stated that TRADIOTIONALLY they used that convention, and yet you had to say "yeah well sometimes they don't". It's like saying my headphones are good but I've heard much better ones and then you storm in saying "DUDE WTH MINE ARE MUCH BETTER"

Okay, forget it then. That way you will be nice and surprised when you electrocute yourself on AC line wiring by mistaking the black wire for ground.

The rest of you, take heed: black ain't always ground.

<rant>

I was reading an interview today from a well know person to the DIY community who

was commenting on how, on another DIY board, there used to be several noted, experienced

designers who used to help those less experienced out. Then things got a little out of hand

and some of the younger designers started to send pointed jabs at the "old hands" questioning

there designs and ideas. The end result? These valuable, experienced, wealths of knowledge

decided to take their toys and play elsewhere, much to the loss of that community.

The moral..? Even if you don't like the other fellows ideas, try not to piss in their pot or they

just might decide it's just not worth it anymore and we loss more people like PRR,

Morsel and Sijosae.

In different industries, different standards are followed.

Electricians follow different color codes from Electronics Designers.

The reply to the OP should have been what we, as DIY headphone amp builders,

commonly use for our color codes.

Example:

The signal wires are commonly red for right and white for left.

Black is often used for signal ground.

The positive battery wire is usually red and the negative wire black.

In my designs with dual rails I use Yellow as the negative rail color.

I'm sure the OP doesn't care that Electricians use Black as "Hot" and White as "Neutral" and Green as "Earth".

</rant>

For what it's worth, I treat all red and black wires with great respect, we have 220volt in Aus and a dose of that gets your total attention

cheers

FRED

Quote:

Originally Posted by LizardKing1 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangent 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordgtlover 

Black is traditionally used for ground

...except when they use green. Or white. Or don't follow a convention at all. 

 

I guess you don't really understand what "traditionally" means

Here's some help: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/traditionally

Tangent made a very valid point. My response was ambiguous in that I should have said signal ground rather than just ground, and it was still a generalisation. Regardless, Tangent was simply offering useful DIY advice that signal ground won't always be black, and when dealing with AC it will most likely never be a black wire.

Maybe you should have a read of Avro_Arrow's rant post. Tangent has done more for the DIY community here than almost anybody else. Everyone should be respected, but people like Tangent have demonstrated time and time again why they deserve our respect.

Posts like yours will simply make them question why they bother... it's our loss...

BTW - I have edited this post because the first version was not nearly as polite.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avro_Arrow 

there used to be several noted, experienced

designers who used to help those less experienced out. Then things got a little out of hand

and some of the younger designers started to send pointed jabs at the "old hands" questioning

there designs and ideas. The end result? These valuable, experienced, wealths of knowledge

decided to take their toys and play elsewhere, much to the loss of that community.

I've been a member of online communities since 1989, and I can tell you from personal experience that this is the normal pattern.  New kids come along, annoy the old hands, who then eventually go away. Some of the reason for that is the annoyance, but it's also because the old hands are ready to move on to the next thing.  Wishing for any golden age of yore to return is foolishness.

EDIT: squished unfortunate misunderstanding

"Black is ground" is dangerous misinformation that should be stamped out wherever it appears.  I make no apology for referencing AC line wiring in a DC-powered amp thread.  I won't let topic rules get in the way of safety.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordgtlover 

I guess you are just rude and arrogant.

Oh, me probably, too, but we're here to talk about wiring, not about me. :)

More broadly, you should get away from the idea that there is a universal "ground" concept at all, not even this ball of rock we're all stuck on right now.

Thank you kindly.  But please, let's drag this thread back on topic, or end it.