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APM Tweak (lamp cord wrapped around ferrite) WOW!

Posted by Allan Moyse on June 16, 2000 at 11:42:17

I read about the APM tweak from a link on a prior post:

http://www.AudioAsylum.com/audio/tweaks/messages/14223.html

I had some extra lamp cord and a plug lying around, so I decided to give it a try. I live in an apartment complex with VERY bad noise on the AC lines, and I really want it gone!

I bought Radio Shack's part number 273-104 "Snap on RF Chokes". this is a two-pack and costs about 8 bucks. The chokes are rectangular and ringlike, and the idea is that you wrap the wire toroid-style around the ferrite. They're also designed to snap together, so you can use more than one core for more attenuation. I bought these so I could try the tweak sooner than ordering parts by mail.

I snapped both the cores in the pack together, and made six loops of regular 16-ga generic lamp cord through the cores (the wire passed through the center of the core six times), and wired one end to a regular lamp-type AC plug. I covered the exposed ends of the wire (opposite the plug) with electrical tape and heatshrink to prevent possible shorts, etc.

I plugged the unit into one of the surge-protector power strips in my bedroom. I have TONS of computer hardware, lamps, phone, alarm clock, etc. plugged in up there, so I figured it would be a good place to put it. I then drove off to do some errands, which killed the "45 minuite stabilization time" mentioned on APM's site about this tweak.

I just now got back from my errands after about an hour and a half. I had totally forgotten about the tweak, but I was astounded to notice that I could barley hear my computer anymore. I thought a breaker had blown or something--I have a very large server-type computer, which has several fans in it and is very loud. Not anymore! I was downright shocked.

I went back downstairs and turned on my system to hear if my background static had decreased any--and bingo, it had. Not a whole lot, but certainly an easily noticeable amount, even with the A/C running, etc. And, that improvement was noticed even when placing the device on a totally different circuit than my system!

This was DEFINATLEY worth the $8 it cost to assemble. In fact, I'm about to head out to Rat Shack again, and snag some more ferrite parts to make a few more of these bad boys. I'm going to try and put one on each major circuit in my apartment--one in the kitchen, my roommate's bedroom, and in the living room where my system is. I'll keep you posted on how it works later on this afternoon.

Allan

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