It's not easy to compare labor and material costs on a different continent, but in North America the cost of an IEC-309 outdoor 5-pin 30- or 60-amp receptacle and plug {much less a pair of them} would probably be more expensive than a meter socket and empty panelboard.

Here, IEC-309 devices they are usually reserved for industrial duty. [Although they show up near the ceilings at McDonald's burger kitchens.]

The cable tray looks cool, but I’ll bet inspectors here would frown on it, and the cable—if it’s 5-conductor flexible cord—may get a low score. If it’s less-expensive/less-flexible tray cable, they’d probably be crying that it is not intended to be terminated in a plug. {Electure—didn’t you have a special term for tray cable… “Industrial Romex”?}

I’d love to put some of those connectors around my house, but 400V 3ø might be a little hard to come by on this side of things.

[Linked Image]

—another Scott (of many) at E-C.net




[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 09-11-2004).]