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Re: Positive Earth vs Negative Earth??

To: "MG List" <mgs@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Positive Earth vs Negative Earth??
From: Max Heim <mvheim@studiolimage.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 12:41:13 -0700
It's really an arbitrary convention. Works equally well either way. 
Basically, the difference is just which battery post is connected to the 
frame, and which to the starter. It's just that American cars, and 
British cars since the late 60s, happen to use negative earth, and 
therefore electrical accessories such as alternators, stereos, radar 
detectors, and electronic ignition units are designed that way. This 
wouldn't make any difference, either, except that many of these devices 
ground through the case, so would short out in a positive earth 
environment, unless carefully insulated.

In other words, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with positive earth, 
it is just incompatible with many newer accessories which one might be 
tempted to install. Which is why one would convert to negative earth.

Dan DiBiase had this to say:

>A lister recently posted on switching his car from
>positive to negative earth... Can someone give me an
>explanation of the differences between the two, and
>what this means? Not real good on electrics...... TIA.
>
>=====
>Dan D
>Dayton, NJ
>76 MGB Tourer - Brooklands Green
>Looking for a 67-70 MGB Tourer Project Car!
>
>__________________________________________________
>Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere!
>http://mail.yahoo.com/
>


--

Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the red one with the silver bootlid.


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