Baby Monitor = Mains Tester???

Posted by: Greg Beatty on 14 February 2003

Since the l'il one's arrival (our new baby boy - not the Nait 5!), we've had a baby monitor hooked up most of the time.

Naturally, I am finely attuned to its sound quality Wink It runs "quiet" off of batteries but the background hiss and other noise goes up dramatically when its plugged in to a wall outlet. My wife was complaining about the noise just as she turned off the living room light - viola! Mucho quiter. The light is through a dimmer switch tho I don't know for sure if this was the culprit or if any light would have had the same effect.

Anyone else use a baby monitor to check for mains quality and mains polluters in the house?

- GregB

Insert Witty Signature Line Here
Posted on: 14 February 2003 by Dobbin
Fine idea - I'll be giving it a whirl over the weekend!
Posted on: 14 February 2003 by syd
Hi Greg

I remember reading years ago that dimmer switches was one of the worst things you can have in your domestic power supply. It might be a good idea to remove them and fit standard switches.

Yours in Music

Syd
Posted on: 14 February 2003 by Wolf
I have all my light switches on dimmers as I hate bright lights at night. I do not hear much hiss in my system.
Posted on: 15 February 2003 by Andrew L. Weekes
quote:
I remember reading years ago that dimmer switches was one of the worst things you can have in your domestic power supply. It might be a good idea to remove them and fit standard switches.


Standard dimmers are usually very bad news for Hi-Fi and mains noise, but I'm now using an IR remote controlled unit by Smiths that has, as far as I can tell, no measurable or audible impact.

It's really cool having remote dimming too.

Andy
Posted on: 17 February 2003 by John Channing
Standard dimmers are usually very bad news for Hi-Fi and mains noise, but I'm now using an IR remote controlled unit by Smiths that has, as far as I can tell, no measurable or audible impact

Cool! Where can I get one?
John
Posted on: 17 February 2003 by Eric Barry
At the Stereophile show last year, one of the freebies in the Press Kit was a dimmer.

--Eric
Posted on: 17 February 2003 by David C
John,
You can get the IR dimmer in B&Q. I think that Andy and I are using the same unit and I have not noticed any bad effects from it either.
David
Posted on: 17 February 2003 by Andrew L. Weekes
Maplin sell them too.

L09AB Infra-Red Dimmer Kit 29.99
Posted on: 17 February 2003 by Andrew L. Weekes
quote:
as long as I run from a new consumer unit I am assuming my dimmer issues will be completely negated??


Improved, not necessarily negated.