Another ground hum question..actually more of a clarification

[semi-hollowbody]

After searching "ground" I read a bunch of threads and want to make sure I came to the right conclusion...
If I have a furman or monster power strip/conditioner...I plug my 2 amps, AND plugs from 2-4 pedalpower 2's into the strip...here is the question...as long as the power strip has a grounded plug (3 prong), can I lift the ground on the amps and pedalpowers and still be safe??

Basically the powerstrip is grounded into the wall outlet, but EVERYTHING plugged into the strip has the ground lifted (3-prong to 2-prong adapter)
Is this as safe as NOT lifting the grounds??

[teleharmonium]

Originally Posted by semi-hollowbody

After searching "ground" I read a bunch of threads and want to make sure I came to the right conclusion...
If I have a furman or monster power strip/conditioner...I plug my 2 amps, AND plugs from 2-4 pedalpower 2's into the strip...here is the question...as long as the power strip has a grounded plug (3 prong), can I lift the ground on the amps and pedalpowers and still be safe??

Basically the powerstrip is grounded into the wall outlet, but EVERYTHING plugged into the strip has the ground lifted (3-prong to 2-prong adapter)
Is this as safe as NOT lifting the grounds??

No, it's as unsafe as plugging an ungrounded amp directly into the wall.

Your equipment is only grounded if there is an unbroken pathway between the chassis of each piece of equipment, and the earth. Anything with the ground lifted, is ungrounded, it is irrelevant that you are plugging it into a power conditional that is grounded because the ground lifted gear cannot "see" the grounding of the power conditioner through it's adapter.

It is a particularly bad idea to lift ground on any piece of tube equipment because they run at high voltage (starved plate, battery or wall wart powered designs excepted). They dissipate some voltage to ground as part of normal operation, and in the event of a serious problem they can send high voltage into the ground path. If you have lifted the ground, that means you are liable to receive that high voltage.

[semi-hollowbody]

Originally Posted by teleharmonium

No, it's as unsafe as plugging an ungrounded amp directly into the wall.

Your equipment is only grounded if there is an unbroken pathway between the chassis of each piece of equipment, and the earth. Anything with the ground lifted, is ungrounded, it is irrelevant that you are plugging it into a power conditional that is grounded because the ground lifted gear cannot "see" the grounding of the power conditioner through it's adapter.

It is a particularly bad idea to lift ground on any piece of tube equipment because they run at high voltage (starved plate, battery or wall wart powered designs excepted). They dissipate some voltage to ground as part of normal operation, and in the event of a serious problem they can send high voltage into the ground path. If you have lifted the ground, that means you are liable to receive that high voltage.

If lifting the ground on my pedal power supply is unsafe, then why do wallwarts come with the ground lifted??

[teleharmonium]

Originally Posted by semi-hollowbody

If lifting the ground on my pedal power supply is unsafe, then why do wallwarts come with the ground lifted??

I didn't say lifting ground on a pedal power supply is unsafe. Lifting ground on a tube amp is unsafe. Lifting ground on other stuff is merely a potential noise issue due to ground loops. It's not likely a problem on a DC power supply with a transformer inside like a wall wart.

[semi-hollowbody]

Originally Posted by teleharmonium

I didn't say lifting ground on a pedal power supply is unsafe. Lifting ground on a tube amp is unsafe. Lifting ground on other stuff is merely a potential noise issue due to ground loops. It's not likely a problem on a DC power supply with a transformer inside like a wall wart.

oh, gotcha!
Yeah I wont be lifting grounds on my tube amps...electrocution will make my bad playing even worse

[KGWagner]

Originally Posted by semi-hollowbody

If lifting the ground on my pedal power supply is unsafe, then why do wallwarts come with the ground lifted??

He said "starved plate, battery or wall wart powered designs excepted". That means it doesn't matter with those designs, although I'd argue that including starved plate designs in that group is like saying 20ga shotguns are safer than 12ga shotguns.

Anyway, wall warts don't bring the line voltage along with them into the equipment they power up. Generally, all that comes out of them is low-voltage DC.