Monday, January 26, 2026

Working on an interesting problem this evening ...

There's a 60Hz hum in the audio when I'm listening to tunes.

Comments

A new source of electricity?
en.wikipedia.org

... Single-wire earth return (SWER) or single-wire ground return is a single-wire transmission line which supplies single-phase electric power from an electrical grid to remote areas at lowest cost. The earth (or sometimes a body of water) is used as the return path for the current, to avoid the need for a second wire (or neutral wire) to act as a return path. ...

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-01-26 11:10 PM

OK, on my property, which is definitely not "rural electrification," I am subject to this single-wire earth return (inducing hum into the audio I listen to).

One thing I note, if I place voltmeter probes in the dirt of my yard twenty or thirty feet apart and in parallel with the power wires on the street, I see a significant voltage on the voltmeter. Single digit voltage.

Can I take advantage of that earth return? Maybe to charge batteries?

#2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-01-26 11:12 PM

Probably not. I would suspect it's high impedance and any load would drop the voltage significantly. Just my guess, tho.

#3 | Posted by Charliecharles at 2026-01-27 01:33 AM

I haven't had to fight 60 Hz in a while. When I did, it usually meant something wasn't plugged in all the way.

Your question about the dirt. If you're talking about harnessing an inductive load to the the current going through the underground wires down your street.

No, don't do that.

#4 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-01-27 02:44 AM

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