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#140877 05/17/04 05:56 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 25
R
ryanjuk Offline OP
Member
A few pictures from Iraq, kindly emailed to me from a Facilities Supervisor.

These are from an old airport (occupied by the US Army), where the locals and soldiers did lots of the wiring.
http://www.jcra.net/stuff/iraqairport/

#140878 05/17/04 06:13 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
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Member
Some of the workmanship speaks for itself. I guess they couldn't put a cover on that box on the tree if they wanted to, what with the cable not even entering through a hole!

I assume this was meant to be wired to British standards from the red/yellow/blue/black wires, but it seems they've used black as a phase. I wonder if the blue or the yellow is the neutral?

Last pic looks as if the dreaded plasterer has struck again!

#140879 05/17/04 06:34 PM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 50
F
Member
Paul, looking at that picture, then at the meter above I have a feeling the black is the neutral and the meter has recorded the peak voltage.

I remember a couple of years back, in Jordan, coming across a similar setup, for some odd reason they seem to have the neutral in the middle of the phases in that part of the world..christ knows why!

Although it is possible you are correct.

#140880 05/18/04 10:48 AM
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,498
T
Member
Quote
where the locals and soldiers did lots of the wiring.

That's what it looks like...

Looking at the cable that enters from the left I'd guess they used blue as their neutral.
Oh well, the panel with plaster doesn't look much worse than most panels here do after 2 or 3 different persons have worked on them. Those single-row din-rail panels have extremely little wiring space, so even most new installations don't look much better than that, apart from the flying "TNT" splices. Mine certainly doesn't. You'd have to put _really_ much effort into wiring such a panel neat and nicely.

#140881 05/18/04 11:20 AM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,691
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Member
In the newspapers I've seen the insides of some Iraqui houses (normally when photographing groups of insurgents or remainders of shelled houses).

The common way of lighting up a room seems to be by using a bare fluorescent strip light fixture. The kind you would normally see in a shop, bolted to the wall or ceiling.

#140882 05/18/04 02:45 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 152
M
Member
Is that Fluke meter in the second picture reading 388.8 or 3888 ??

What a mess indeed.

#140883 05/18/04 02:53 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,691
S
Member
I believe it's 388.8 across the red and black cables (that go to the lower and middle straps in the box)

Can such a meter withstand 4,000 volts across it? I don't think I want to find out. [Linked Image]

I wonder what the average domestic Iraqui wall socket looks like.

#140884 05/18/04 04:27 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
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It's 388.8 volts, which is about right for the phase-to-phase voltage on a 220/380 or 230/400 system.

#140885 05/19/04 07:42 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 289
:
Member
interesting, iraq uses outlets similar to the US ones (if i am right), but DIN rail installation. gotta love the phase bar feeding the white/blue breakers...

perfect example for a "light's on, so what?" install...

[This message has been edited by :andy: (edited 05-19-2004).]

#140886 05/20/04 07:44 AM
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,498
Likes: 1
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C-H Offline
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The British 13A socket is listed as the standard socket in Iraq. (Iraq used to be under British control.)

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