Kind of a different question...

[EasyGoing1]

I'll try to describe this as best as I can ... but ...

My laptop is a MacBook Pro and therefore, the casing is made of metal ... aluminum I believe ... but when it's plugged into the charger and I rub my fingers ... or glide them ... across the metal by the trackpad, I feel like ... an electrical vibration? I don't know what to call it other than that, but when it's just running on the battery and not plugged into the charger, it doesn't do it.

Anyone know what that is or how I can make it stop? I want to say it's a bad ground maybe?

Thoughts?

[stj]

Re: Kind of a different question...

lol
2pin charger is it?

welcome to modern switching psu design.
the mains input is connected to the 0v lead to the laptop via a ceramic cap!!!
i'v said in a lot of threads that these fucking supply's should have a ground-pin on them!

if you think that's bad, i was almost thrown off a ladder by this bs design,
i was working on a tv antenna and the coax was live from a tv with a switching psu and 2pin power cable.

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Kind of a different question...

lol
2pin charger is it?

Why as a matter of fact ...

welcome to modern switching psu design.
the mains input is connected to the 0v lead to the laptop via a ceramic cap!!!
i'v said in a lot of threads that these fucking supply's should have a ground-pin on them!

So is there any way to fix it other than trying to find a power supply designed to work with a MBP that is properly grounded?

And why am I feeling that buzzing sensation? Is it because I'm more grounded than it is?

if you think that's bad, i was almost thrown off a ladder by this bs design,
i was working on a tv antenna and the coax was live from a tv with a switching psu and 2pin power cable.

.... and because you were on the ladder or touching the antenna mast which was touching the ground, your difference of potential was severe enough to feel that? Assuming of course that's the problem ...???

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Kind of a different question...

lol
2pin charger is it?

welcome to modern switching psu design.
the mains input is connected to the 0v lead to the laptop via a ceramic cap!!!
i'v said in a lot of threads that these fucking supply's should have a ground-pin on them!

if you think that's bad, i was almost thrown off a ladder by this bs design,
i was working on a tv antenna and the coax was live from a tv with a switching psu and 2pin power cable.

I just did a test and was rubbing the metal then I took my feet off the carpet and it stopped ... so I think I answered my own question as to WHY ... but as to how to fix it???

[stj]

Re: Kind of a different question...

you need to ground the psu or the laptop

because here 340vdc hurts more than your 168v!

[petehall347]

Re: Kind of a different question...

if its 2 pin mains plug try it the other way .

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Kind of a different question...

if its 2 pin mains plug try it the other way .

That didn't work

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Kind of a different question...

you need to ground the psu or the laptop

because here 340vdc hurts more than your 168v!

I've always been curious as to why the UK and Australia and so many other countries use 240 as their standard voltage.

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Kind of a different question...

you need to ground the psu or the laptop

OK, grounding the PSU would be easier I would think, since its plugs are millimeters away from the ground port on the outlet ... but where would I connect it to? The internal shielding?

[eccerr0r]

Re: Kind of a different question...

You need a three prong plug from the wall to the PSU and change the coupling internal to the PSU from the ground output of the laptop wire to the ground pin you just added...

A lot of work, yes. And more wire.

[stj]

Re: Kind of a different question...

I've always been curious as to why the UK and Australia and so many other countries use 240 as their standard voltage.

simple,
when you have a real man's electrical supply you run everything at half the current for the equivelent wattage.
so your cables, switches, breakers etc are cheaper and more compact.
you just need to be more carefull with the design of sockets etc in relation to clearances and insulation.

at 230v a KW uses about 4A, you need 8A for the same power.
so i have a 2.4KW kettle that boils real fast.
you would need about 20A for that - and very thick heavy cable.

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Kind of a different question...

simple,
when you have a real man's electrical supply you run everything at half the current for the equivelent wattage.
so your cables, switches, breakers etc are cheaper and more compact.
you just need to be more carefull with the design of sockets etc in relation to clearances and insulation.

at 230v a KW uses about 4A, you need 8A for the same power.
so i have a 2.4KW kettle that boils real fast.
you would need about 20A for that - and very thick heavy cable.

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Kind of a different question...

simple,
when you have a real man's electrical supply you run everything at half the current for the equivelent wattage.
so your cables, switches, breakers etc are cheaper and more compact.
you just need to be more carefull with the design of sockets etc in relation to clearances and insulation.

at 230v a KW uses about 4A, you need 8A for the same power.
so i have a 2.4KW kettle that boils real fast.
you would need about 20A for that - and very thick heavy cable.

In case you missed it ...

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Kind of a different question...

You need a three prong plug from the wall to the PSU and change the coupling internal to the PSU from the ground output of the laptop wire to the ground pin you just added...

A lot of work, yes. And more wire.

Could you ummm ... elaborate a little on this ... "change the coupling internal to the PSU from the ground output of the laptop wire to the ground pin you just added"

Sounds like you're saying that all I need to do is connect the ground pin from the outlet to the ground of the laptop via the PSU... did I interpret that correctly?

I mean that seems like the logical thing to do ... where else would one connect the earth in a circuit?

[eccerr0r]

Re: Kind of a different question...

Ultimately whichever pin, most likely the negative pin output, needs to be connected to earth ground. The capacitor that currently sits there should be disconnected from the power rail that it's currently connected to.

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Kind of a different question...

You need a three prong plug from the wall to the PSU and change the coupling internal to the PSU from the ground output of the laptop wire to the ground pin you just added...

A lot of work, yes. And more wire.

So I did a little poking around and apparent Apple makes ... or use to make ... a three prong extension cable that you would swap out with the two prong attachment on the PSU and apparently this metal round disc is where the ground wire would connect to



My PSU has that on it... I'm thinking this might be a real simple fix... time to fire up the 3D printer.

[eccerr0r]

Re: Kind of a different question...

As always, devil's in the details...

[stj]

Re: Kind of a different question...

but is that stud actually earthed, or just for strength?

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Kind of a different question...

but is that stud actually earthed, or just for strength?

Well, Hre is a photo of the extension cables that I guess Apple use to sell ... notice there are metal contacts where it would be straddling that metal disc ...



I don't have a USB-C breakout board or cable or I'd check to see if there is continuity between it and the ground on the cable.

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Kind of a different question...

Either way, thats going to be my point of entry for my custom cable connector that im working on...