"Dave" writes:

wrote in message
ups.com...
Basically is it normal for TVs to output 50V AC from core and sheild
to ground only when the TV is turned on?

Here is my long and drawn out story but I hope someone can help me.

Cable company shows up at house to try and figure out what is going on
with the cable in my area. When they guy was disconnecting the cable
from the main splitter in the house he said he felt a current over the
line and then proceded to test the line he said he was getting 65V AC
from the core and the sheild. He said I would need an electrician to
test the grounds and fix it. I personally wasn't home when he was
there this is just what he said when I called him.

Electricians came and tested all the grounds and all were fine. We
hooked up the TVs 1 at a time and each TV was outputing around 50V
from the core to ground and from sheild to ground. So to elimiate
cable issues I tested the RF connector on the TVs directly. I tried
from the inside of RF connector to ground in plug and got about 50V AC
then from the outside of RF connector got 50V AC as well. I called
back eletricians and told him this was happening and he said this was
normal (thats how tv's work) and that cable guy should have know this.

I tried that same test with a TV from my buddy's house at my house and
at his house so I assume this is normal for cheaper TVs, since neither
of our big screen didn't do i.

Called back cable guy and he stood by what he said that, that isn't
normal can if he came back to check and was still outputting voltage
he would disconnect it all.

Any help would be great

I don't know the voltage but ever since I was a youth and tinkered with tv's
and videos, I have always had a tingle off any tv I've had and also at every
house I've had.

I used to work in a tv shop selling tv's too and they all tingled. Someone
said it was the static building up from the screen but I guess it could just
be the way they work.

It's not static buildup (at least the 50 or so VAC isn't).

It's probably the RFI filter caps in the front end of the power supply.

Put any sort of load between those points and the voltage will pretty
much disappear. But the high impedance of a multimeter allows it to
register.

If a non-polarized plug, reverse it and the voltage will probably go away also.

Where the plug is polarized and plugged directly into an outlet (no
extension cords that may not be polarized), it's possible one
or more of your outlets are miswired (Hot-Neutral interchanged).

Note that on equipment with 3 prong plugs and properly grounded outlets,
this should not be present.

For the most part this isn't dangerous but if in doubt, have it tested.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.