This picture shows what a normal Schuko-plug look like. Yes, I know you know what it looks like. But have you seen all the approvals? Most plugs look like this. A common market in Europe, eh? Manufacturers still get approvals from every country, despite the fact that they don't need to do so.



Starting from top left, going counter- clockwise:

GOST - Russia *
IMG - Italy
CEBEC - Belgium
ÖVE - Austria
Semko - Sweden
Nemko - Norway
Demko - Denmark (owned by UL!) **
Fimko - Finland
NF - France
VDE - Germany

Between the pins:
Kema-Keur - Holland

* There has been a myth around that plugs intended for Russia must have thinner pins than for other countries. Seems to be untrue, but several manufacturers make such plugs. It's likely that they are not safe if used in other countries.

** The Demko mark is possibly faked, since this plug presents a risk of both fire and electrocution if used in a Danish socket.

My personal guess would be that russian plugs indeed have thiner pins, but the receptacles also take standard pins (for example like our old ungrounded receptacles)
Guess they just continue producing that stuff like they used to. Really familiar view!

not really....

Not such a problem on plugs here of course, as we have our own peculiar type, but the large number of approval marks is a familiar sight nevertheless.

A typical component such as a trigger switch in a power tool these days has one whole side stamped (in very small print) with all these symbols. I thought the "CE" mark system was supposed to cover all of the EU? (And I'm sure all of us on this side of the Pond will be having a good laugh at the idea of the EU making something easier than it was before....)

I have no idea how the Danish approval process works, but I wouldn't have thought they'd like that plug either. Insert it into a Danish receptacle and there'll be no ground connection.

Sparky,
The plug in C-H's image is a dual-function type which is found throughout Continental Europe these days.

When mated with the German "Schuko" receptacle the grounding connection is made by the two strips along the sides (and the plug is non-polarized).

The extra connection "hole" on the face of the plug is to that it will also fit a French outlet. These have a male pin on the receptacle for the ground connection.

Well, considering the fact that it's reported (from several sources, including Russian) that 4.8 mm plugs don't fit most Russian sockets and also that grounded sockets are very rare, I would dare to guess that the ungrounded sockets are indeed made for 4 mm pins, but that the grounded sockets are made for 4.8 mm pins. That would make it stupid for a Russian manufacturer to make a plug with large pins unless required to, as it wouldn't fit very many sockets. This is not a problem for foreign suppliers.

Or somebody paid the Russian approval agency some $$$

I seem to recall once reading that Russian plugs had thinner pins as well. Wish I could remember where it was.....

Shouldn't be too hard to find. It's one single page that has been copied by numerous sources. The information looks to have been compiled about ten years ago. Only trouble is that whoever wrote it in the first place didn't check the facts very carefully.

Somewhere it also mentions that when reunited Germany adopted the West-German Shucko plug only. I'm sure they did, it was in use before WWII...

I definitely have a Schuko plug from GDR, and I think it was used in communist Hungaria as well. Czech republic and Poland use french plugs, don't know since when.

The perspective for me at least,is that our NEC needs to go a few more cycles to truley attain the 'international' statusit has recently promoted itself to.

I just got a reply from UL concerning the Demko mark on the plug. It's not fake!

My translation from Danish:
---------
I can inform [you] that it is possible to test according to IEC 60884-1+ SB 107-2-D1 for a Schuko-plug and apply the Demko mark. Appliances can be sold with the Schuko plug. It is however up to the individual user to replace it with a Danish plug if the location requires it with respect to Danish law.

UL International Demko A/S
----------

Your take on that?

[This message has been edited by C-H (edited 11-25-2002).]

I stumbled over following quote while searching for japanese color coding:
>Russia
>The Soviet Republics use a standard plug and >socket defined in Russian Standard Gost 7396, >which is similar to the CEE 7/7 ("Schuko") standard. Contacts are also on 19mm centers, but the
diameter of this contact is 4.0mm compared to 4.8mm which is standard in Continental Europe. Reliable information on Eastern European standards is still difficult to access. The standard used in
the former Yugoslavia is virtually identical to the Schuko standard. Furthermore, one of the protocols governing the reunification of Germany provided that the DIN and VDE standards would
prevail without exception. The former East Germany was required to conform to the Schuko standard.
obtained from www.panelcomponents.com

That's the one!

Anyone who happens to have Russian standard GOST 7396.1-89 laying around? No?

I found these Russian sockets. Have a look at the top socket in the surge strip. Anyone who can guess what "sovietskogo" means?
But the plug is to "evrostandarta"...



These look like they would accept just about any plug, don't they? And it's nice with plugs that fit any socket



[This message has been edited by C-H (edited 11-25-2002).]