Ground loop issue (external monitor flickering)

Hi!

I have the same ground loop issue as some people have had here. My external monitor flickers when connected to my hp pavilion via a VGA cable.

I wanted to know how safe it is to unground my hp charger.
I have no problems with my asus netbook connected to the monitor the same way. I live in Estonia. I looked at the asus charger and it looks like it has no grounding at all and it has a slim plug compared to hp laptop charger. So why doesn't a netbook charger have grounding? If it's not important is it safe to just tape out the grounding pin with insulation tape as suggested?

Thanks!

 

It could be a lot of things, have you tried to run on battery and see if it happens. That would be the first thing I would try if you were going to try and cut ground from your power from the wall.

 

No problem while running on battery. So it must be ground loop problem. The question is why do some chargers have grounding and some dont. I read i could just tape the ground pin. Is it safe to do so. There must be a reason for this. My hp laptop is a few years old, though. So i am pretty confused as my new eee pc charger does not have grounding.

Thx

 

Each notebook is designed, tested and delivered with a specific power supply in mind. These are not interchangeable.

Using a charger from different systems will ensure that you either fry the charger, fry the notebook or fry both.

Doesn't necessarily happen from the first time you plug it in, over time though, using a charger that is not designed for the notebook is putting both at unnecessary risk.

 

Yes, I know that. What I was trying to ask was, whether the ground pin is necessary for the charger because my Eee PC does not have a ground pin. But I guess it is. Am I right?

 

It is necessary if the system was designed to be necessary.

I don't know if you're right... But I do know that you're using the wrong power supply on your old notebook.

Take your chances and pay the price...

 

Jesus Christ. Is my english really that bad... Ooooops. My bad, but you didn't get what I was trying to say. I compared my HP charger with my Eee PC charger. One is grounded, other is not. I was thinking if there was a particular reason why my hp charger does have grounding. And I am using my HP charger with my HP laptop and My Eee PC charger with my Eee PC. So I am using the right psu. I'm not that stupid lol

I read about the flickering problem here. It is indeed the same old ground loop issue. Googled a bit more. So the fix was to tape out the grounding pin or sth with insulation tape. So I was concerned whether it was safe to do so. But it seems it is the only fix. So what should I do. Is it safe to disable grounding or not? I hope this clears this up. Thanx!

 

It is never 100% safe to disable grounding. This should be evident by the fact the loop even exists electrically. Do people do it with out instant disaster, of course they do. When done it is a disaster waiting to happen. I would say akin to removing the face plate off a wall light switch, every once in a while you could get bit in the dark.

Now if your house burns down and you have that tape there insurance will most likely not cover you..........................

 

Ok, thanks. Is there any other workaround to get rid of the loop?

 

Maybe something like;
Amazon.com: Ebtech Hum X Voltage Hum Filter: Musical Instruments

Or maybe;
http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Is...4968&sr=8-6&keywords=AC+ground+loop+isolators

 

Okay, thanks again

 

NP; for those doing the "at your own risk" of removing the ground do not use tape. You are better off using a 3-2 prong converter designed to alow your own ground connection etc..........................