ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 260 guests, and 20 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#136121 03/14/03 12:15 AM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,691
S
SvenNYC Offline OP
Member
Spent about 15-20 minutes putting it all together.

Damned screws are so small you need a mini-screwdriver to tighten them....and I'm not very happy with the strain relief and how tight (not) it grips the cable jacket!!!! [Linked Image]

I was cobbling together another adapter extension cord for my 110-220 volt auto xformer.

Schukos may be bulky...but at least you can use normal screwdrivers on them and be sure you tighten the beast properly.

Here we go again...plug wars.... [Linked Image]

#136122 03/14/03 12:05 PM
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,498
Likes: 1
C
C-H Offline
Member
The function of the strain relief reasonably has little to do with the plug type. The design of the strain relief has more to do with it. Blame the manufacturer.

A set of mini-screwdrivers are a must in any case. I need mine everytime the radio/shaver/whatever needs repair.

Every project takes a lot longer than expected. Just accept it. I tried to repair my shaver (without the correct spare parts) the other night. This fifteen minute job started somewhere around midnight and was abandoned when the news anchor said "Good morning".

#136123 03/14/03 01:53 PM
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,498
T
Member
And there are lots of Schuko plugs with terrible strain reliefs. I had one with a plastic strain relief that broke into pieces when I tightened the screw. And one from an extension cord always lets the cord slip out.
I once had a swiss plug that had a real nice metal strain relief though.

#136124 03/14/03 02:00 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,691
S
SvenNYC Offline OP
Member
The Schuko CEE 7/7 (combination French and German) plugs I've bought in the past are ABL brand.

Plastic strain relief, but if you are careful and tighten the screws evenly, it doesn't crack and grips the flex jacket very tightly.

The Swiss plug I'm whining about has a plastic strain relief and the cavity is slightly larger than the flex I was using (SJT 18AWG x 3 cord) so while it does grip it, it doesn't grip it tight ENOUGH like I want. The working space is also kind of cramped.

Who remembers those cheap-ass British plugs that used to have a thick CARDBOARD cable clamp?? I'm not kidding!!

I have a couple of these - they've very old -from back when UK plugs didn't have sheathed pins.

#136125 03/15/03 06:16 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
Member
Quite a few of the old British 2A and 5A plugs had quite fiddly screws as well.

As for the cord grips, they were some sort of fiber strap, but of variable quality. The real el-cheapo versions were thin and often disintegrated if a plug had been used several times, or if someone was a bit heavy-handed tightening down the screws.

Even quality makes such as MK used these fiber cord grips, although theirs tended to be much stronger. Here's the arrangement (this one is an old MK BS1363 plug):
[Linked Image from members.aol.com]
[Linked Image from members.aol.com]



[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 03-15-2003).]

#136126 03/15/03 07:44 AM
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,498
T
Member
The Schuko combination plugs you got are heavy duty type, they're naturally better than most other stuff. Maybe they're even outdoor rated.
I've seen metal strain reliefs, fiber ones (not that bad, I never had one break), good plastic ones and bad plastic ones. The one I'm talking about was a plain thin strap of plastic. When I started tightening the 2 screws (2 turns on each screw, then change again) it first started to bend, then it suddenly cracked.
All the other ones I've seen grip cables down to 3x 0.75 mm2 perfectly. The only thing that doesn't really work is SPT2 zip cord. Most people wrap lots of electric tape around the cord (did that myself, what the heck can you fit to such a device, Euro and contour plugs are not available and I definitely don't like to get a whole new cord, there used to be crimp-on Euro plugs but they were banned since most people just stuffed the strands into the connectors and didn't crimp them, I've even seen very rare rewireable Euro plugs, but for some reason they're prohibited by the Austrian code).
Kopp plugs even have the cord grip flexibly attached to the case, so it can't get lost when the screws are out. Once the screw thread ripped out of the case on such a plug.
Can't remember when I last bought a new Schuko plug, I all take them from old appliances etc.

#136127 03/15/03 09:29 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,391
I
Moderator
SvenNYC, What's wrong with using NEMA devices you live in New York?

No disrespect intended, just wondering.


Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts
#136128 03/15/03 09:15 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,691
S
SvenNYC Offline OP
Member
IWire:

Excellent question. I use them for various home-made adapters on my workbench for fixing up old radios made for use outside NEMA-config countries and plugging them into a step-up 110-220 volt transformer.

I have radios from Germany, the Netherlands and a couple from Australia and Great Britain.

Sure I could always cut off or unscrew the weird plug and replace it with an American-style plug and use an adapter but then that would just add to confusion were I to give the radio to someone else.

And I'm not really happy with the quality of the plug adapters sold here. I prefer to make my own using 7"-10" lengths of three-conductor SVT cable and appropriate male and female connectors. More expensive, but worth it. [Linked Image]

[edited to correct some syntax, grammar and spelling mistakes]

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 03-16-2003).]

#136129 03/15/03 10:12 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
Member
Same with some of the adapters sold in England to enable appliances with BS1363 plugs to be used elsewhere.

The quality of some of them is nothing short of attrocious.

#136130 04/03/03 06:38 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Member
Paul,
I think that in some respects, those adapters, should be banned.
I recently saw an adapter, to convert a Schuko plug to an NZ plug and when the two were fitted together, there was no Earthing on the Metallic frame of the appliance (A German Commercial Pop-corn Maker).
Also, I remember a tourist from Canada, a few years ago, brought his wife's Hair- Dryer in to work to be repaired, it was extensively damaged, it was a 120V type, he told me that the guy in the shop in Canada, told him that the adapter would "work" in any country in the world!.
Where do these people come from?,eh?. [Linked Image]

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 04-03-2003).]

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5