Author Topic: "Upgrading" your power cord  (Read 9976 times)

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Offline BrumbyTopic starter

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"Upgrading" your power cord
« on: March 21, 2018, 02:04:48 am »
In another thread on the forum, a member was having difficulties efficiently fitting a mains socket to a number of project boxes - so I thought I'd see if there were any Youtube videos that might offer some ideas.

I came across this one and couldn't stop watching to see what he would do next...

 

Offline ataradov

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2018, 02:49:57 am »
I feel a sudden need to attach something silver to my AM/FM radio. Just imagine all the benefits.

Here is a video proof that there is no limit to stupidity.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2018, 03:51:13 am by ataradov »
Alex
 
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Online BrianHG

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2018, 03:49:27 am »
Please kill me now!
Why is he doing this if the old plug is fine?
« Last Edit: March 21, 2018, 03:51:14 am by BrianHG »
 

Offline BrumbyTopic starter

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2018, 04:08:33 am »
What did you think of his home-made 4-wire plait mains hook-up cables using "10% silver plated copper" ... to "reject radio frequency information"?
 

Online Mechatrommer

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2018, 04:17:33 am »
Why is he doing this if the old plug is fine?
because he doesn't like to carry that thing around with dangling wire sweeping about. + unearthed plug is pretty much by now... illegal (in civilized countries at least)
Nature: Evolution and the Illusion of Randomness (Stephen L. Talbott): Its now indisputable that... organisms “expertise” contextualizes its genome, and its nonsense to say that these powers are under the control of the genome being contextualized - Barbara McClintock
 

Offline ataradov

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2018, 04:20:49 am »
because he doesn't like to carry that thing around with dangling wire sweeping about. + unearthed plug is pretty much by now... illegal (in civilized countries at least)
He is doing this because he is an idiot that believes that silver plated mains wires will improve the sound of his crappy cassette deck.

It is a double insulated device, it is still very legal to make them and plenty are getting made.
Alex
 

Online Ian.M

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2018, 04:28:20 am »
What a moron.  Leaving aside the AudioPhool aspects of it, wouldn't any sane person turn the unit upside down and maybe even tape a bag over the inside of the area of the panel to be worked on to minimise the risk of swarf getting to the circuit boards and mechanism?   

On the AudioPhool side of things, where do you stop?   There are copper tracks on the board you could peel off and replace with silver foil, but what about the copper wire in the transformer primary winding?  Then there is all that nasty copper wire in the wall running back to a breaker panel that may well have brass contacts, and maybe transitioning to aluminum meter tails and feed from the pole transformer, then befire that, the probability of overhead HV wires, made of aluminum strands over a high tensile steel core, certainly *not* nicely woven together to reject EMI.

It really is a case of gilding (or in this case silver-plating) a turd.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2018, 04:29:52 am by Ian.M »
 

Online Mechatrommer

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2018, 04:37:32 am »
because he doesn't like to carry that thing around with dangling wire sweeping about. + unearthed plug is pretty much by now... illegal (in civilized countries at least)
He is doing this because he is an idiot that believes that silver plated mains wires will improve the sound of his crappy cassette deck.
well at least he knows how to solder. let the phoolery aside (that can trigger infinite stupidity discussion) one new thing i learn (i didnt watch entirely not worth my time) is we have to get live and neutral wire correctly placed in the plug otherwise :-//
Nature: Evolution and the Illusion of Randomness (Stephen L. Talbott): Its now indisputable that... organisms “expertise” contextualizes its genome, and its nonsense to say that these powers are under the control of the genome being contextualized - Barbara McClintock
 

Offline BravoV

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #8 on: March 21, 2018, 05:33:44 am »
50 pounds for that one socket ?  :palm:

Online Mechatrommer

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2018, 05:40:29 am »
he deserved that...
Nature: Evolution and the Illusion of Randomness (Stephen L. Talbott): Its now indisputable that... organisms “expertise” contextualizes its genome, and its nonsense to say that these powers are under the control of the genome being contextualized - Barbara McClintock
 

Offline BrumbyTopic starter

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2018, 05:55:19 am »
50 pounds for that one socket ?  :palm:

That's if you were to have bought it locally.

He got his from China for about 9  £8-80.  You, know ... the good stuff with four 9's copper and rhodium plated.   ;)
« Last Edit: March 21, 2018, 06:05:52 am by Brumby »
 

Online BrianHG

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2018, 06:46:29 am »
What a moron.  Leaving aside the AudioPhool aspects of it, wouldn't any sane person turn the unit upside down and maybe even tape a bag over the inside of the area of the panel to be worked on to minimise the risk of swarf getting to the circuit boards and mechanism?   

On the AudioPhool side of things, where do you stop?   There are copper tracks on the board you could peel off and replace with silver foil, but what about the copper wire in the transformer primary winding?  Then there is all that nasty copper wire in the wall running back to a breaker panel that may well have brass contacts, and maybe transitioning to aluminum meter tails and feed from the pole transformer, then befire that, the probability of overhead HV wires, made of aluminum strands over a high tensile steel core, certainly *not* nicely woven together to reject EMI.

It really is a case of gilding (or in this case silver-plating) a turd.
If your going for that audiophool aspect, what about the additional contacts made by using such an additional plug, with terminal screwed on wires, instead of the original directly soldered wire where you had at least 3x2, 6 total change in conductors/metal types mechanically bonded together by mechanical spring force and screw terminals.

Something somewhere in there has got to introduce more problems over time compared to the simple original all insulated copper wire soldered at the tabs of the AC transformer.
 
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Online Ian.M

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2018, 07:13:01 am »
Yep, he's only making it worse.  Anyone rational would realise that replacing the last two yards of ordinary copper wire with hand-braided silver plated OFC wire, isn't going to produce a measurable or even noticeable improvement, even if it was lovingly massaged with the secretions of rare pixies, cryogenically treated and blessed by the Pope.  Its the other tens or hundreds of miles back to the power plant that is impossible to 'upgrade' to AudioPhool standards that matters the most, unless the device's existing power lead is so crappy it is a fire hazard.

However, the whole AudioPhool industry is built on the premise that the punters are *totally* incapable of critical thinking . . . .
« Last Edit: March 21, 2018, 07:15:12 am by Ian.M »
 

Offline DimitriP

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #13 on: March 21, 2018, 07:46:44 am »
Quote
but what about the copper wire in the transformer primary winding?  Then there is all that nasty copper wire in the wall running back to a breaker panel that may well have brass contacts, and maybe transitioning to aluminum meter tails and feed from the pole transformer, then befire that, the probability of overhead HV wires, made of aluminum strands over a high tensile steel core, certainly *not* nicely woven together to reject EMI.

The plasic wallplate keeps all this stuff inside the wall silly !! :)
   If three 100  Ohm resistors are connected in parallel, and in series with a 200 Ohm resistor, how many resistors do you have? 
 

Offline newbrain

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #14 on: March 21, 2018, 05:15:37 pm »
Not to pile up on the poor guy, but...

Before:


And after the "professional job"  :palm::
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Offline BrumbyTopic starter

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #15 on: March 22, 2018, 01:35:42 am »
Considering what else he did to the back panel, I could almost forgive him for that.

However, forgiving him for any part of what he did (and publishing a video about it) just doesn't have a comfortable feel about it.
 

Offline jasonbrent

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #16 on: March 22, 2018, 05:47:11 am »
I regret seeing this post. Now i have to watch more of his videos.
 

Offline BrumbyTopic starter

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #17 on: March 22, 2018, 06:39:10 am »
I resisted .... but if you find some more gems, we have the place for them...   :D
 

Online Gregg

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #18 on: March 23, 2018, 03:06:07 am »
His Youtube moniker is Tweakerman :-DD
What is he smoking?  :wtf:
 

Offline BrumbyTopic starter

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #19 on: March 23, 2018, 07:02:08 am »
His Youtube moniker is Tweakerman :-DD

I was wondering how long it would take before someone commented on that.

I cracked up the first time I heard him say it.
 

Offline MarkF

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #20 on: March 23, 2018, 03:03:08 pm »
Did I see that right?
While tinning the first end of the red wire, he put the solder in his mouth to unroll more.
Can we say?  Too much lead in his diet!
 

Offline Cyberdragon

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #21 on: March 23, 2018, 07:05:21 pm »
Did I see that right?
While tinning the first end of the red wire, he put the solder in his mouth to unroll more.
Can we say?  Too much lead in his diet!

You won't get lead poisoning unless you actually eat it. Minor contact is insignificant.

Of course...for all we know...he could eat solder! :-DD
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Offline rsjsouza

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #22 on: March 23, 2018, 08:27:41 pm »
...as if an AIWA equipment was anywhere near any degree of refinement to need silver-whatever-type-of-audio-phool-crap in its design...  :palm:

Did I see that right?
While tinning the first end of the red wire, he put the solder in his mouth to unroll more.
Can we say?  Too much lead in his diet!
If that is a problem, I am a walking lead soldier... I lost count of how many times my "third hand" was my mouth holding the solder...  :-DD
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Offline newbrain

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #23 on: March 23, 2018, 09:29:26 pm »
I made a quick tour of his videos.
It is amusing the first few minutes, but it quickly gets painful and repetitive.

His fixation with Teflon tape, silver clad wire and unshielded interconnects is saddening.

If that is a problem, I am a walking lead soldier...
Great! Maybe, being more conductive, you can now directly receive Radio Frequency Information!

And, no: it's not a slip of the tongue, as it's repeated in other videos.
As is the interesting explanation about relative permittivity*:

https://youtu.be/vLTpJL2_qPM?t=88

https://youtu.be/9cliT6P-xUc?t=40

Having no EE or even high school physics knowledge is of course not a fault.
Spouting this kind of nonsense is, when Wikipedia and many online course are one click away.

*As a silver lining (10%), I did learn one thing: "dielectric constant" is now deprecated by the IEEE, at least according to WP.
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Online wraper

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #24 on: March 23, 2018, 09:49:27 pm »
Why is he doing this if the old plug is fine?
because he doesn't like to carry that thing around with dangling wire sweeping about. + unearthed plug is pretty much by now... illegal (in civilized countries at least)
:palm:
Why denon receiver I bought last year is not grounded then? Actually it intentionally uses C18 socket (C14 without ground pin).

Quote
The C17/C18 coupler is often used in audio applications where a floating ground is maintained to eliminate hum caused by ground loops.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2018, 09:58:07 pm by wraper »
 
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Offline DimitriP

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #25 on: March 23, 2018, 10:09:29 pm »
"I would allow around about 500 hours of running time on these cables to reach optimum performance"

 |O
   If three 100  Ohm resistors are connected in parallel, and in series with a 200 Ohm resistor, how many resistors do you have? 
 

Offline CJay

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #26 on: March 23, 2018, 10:38:49 pm »
I hope everyone spotted the obvious mistake?

He didn't open the case inside a Faraday caged clean room so all the radio frequency information leaked inside.
 
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Online BrianHG

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #27 on: March 23, 2018, 11:16:16 pm »
I hope everyone spotted the obvious mistake?

He didn't open the case inside a Faraday caged clean room so all the radio frequency information leaked inside.
:-DD
 

Offline Halcyon

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #28 on: March 25, 2018, 08:45:30 am »
Did anyone else notice that when he was drilling the screw holes for the IEC socket, he initially had the drill in reverse for quite some time before he realised he wasn't actually making a hole. Then off-camera he "adjusted" his drill to make it work after he realised his error, obviously hoping that viewers wouldn't notice.

If the bloke can't even drill a hole, how can anyone be expected to take his technical "expertise" seriously?
 
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Offline BravoV

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #29 on: March 25, 2018, 08:53:23 am »
If the bloke can't even drill a hole, how can anyone be expected to take his technical "expertise" seriously?

Golden platinum ears ?

Offline Halcyon

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #30 on: March 25, 2018, 08:59:41 am »
If the bloke can't even drill a hole, how can anyone be expected to take his technical "expertise" seriously?

Golden platinum ears ?

Then I must have Rhodium ears if I can filter out the bullshit. ;-)
 

Offline gildasd

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #31 on: March 25, 2018, 10:33:24 am »
I must “upgrade” the power cord on some of my power tools, there’s only so many times it can be shortened to remove the damaged section inside the relief.

I wonder if this will make the SDS drill sound better?
I'm electronically illiterate
 

Offline ManCave

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #32 on: March 25, 2018, 12:24:40 pm »
"The reason we do a 4-way plait is to reject radio frequency information"  :-DD  :palm:
 

Offline electrolust

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #33 on: April 10, 2018, 08:53:31 am »
he's modding a cassette deck. this must be a put-on. but i'll be damned if i can find any hint of sarcasm. he can't be that good ... but he also can't be that daft ...  :-//
 

Offline BrumbyTopic starter

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #34 on: April 10, 2018, 10:16:23 am »
... but he also can't be that daft ...  :-//
Such a delightfully naive outlook.
 

Offline CJay

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #35 on: April 10, 2018, 12:03:39 pm »
he's modding a cassette deck. this must be a put-on. but i'll be damned if i can find any hint of sarcasm. he can't be that good ... but he also can't be that daft ...  :-//

He's an audiophool, he's that daft and more.
 

Offline GK

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #36 on: April 10, 2018, 12:35:31 pm »
Having my perception molded by all of the Poms I've known throughout my life, I'd say he very much comes across as your average English lad. I know it's not nice, but I can't help but snigger being cognizant of the fact that I can actually say that with at least 90% honesty. I bet he's twice as bright as his missus.
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Offline CJay

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #37 on: April 10, 2018, 01:40:51 pm »
Having my perception molded by all of the Poms I've known throughout my life, I'd say he very much comes across as your average English lad. I know it's not nice, but I can't help but snigger being cognizant of the fact that I can actually say that with at least 90% honesty. I bet he's twice as bright as his missus.

Hahaha, yeah, there is a certain pride in some Englishmen in being thick as pigshit and twice as ignorant.

Fortunately we aren't all like that and we did manage to send an awful lot of that type over to you lot >:D
 

Offline Electro Detective

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #38 on: May 10, 2018, 09:00:49 am »
Having my perception molded by all of the Poms I've known throughout my life, I'd say he very much comes across as your average English lad. I know it's not nice, but I can't help but snigger being cognizant of the fact that I can actually say that with at least 90% honesty. I bet he's twice as bright as his missus.

Hahaha, yeah, there is a certain pride in some Englishmen in being thick as pigshit and twice as ignorant.

Fortunately we aren't all like that and we did manage to send an awful lot of that type over to you lot >:D

Thanks mate, and thanks for correcting that err by sending many of your type over here in the last few years

Great blokes but won't tell me why they did a runner from the UK   :-//

...no matter how many aussie (real) beers pumped into them  >:D

 

Offline JohnnyMalaria

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #39 on: May 10, 2018, 03:48:28 pm »
I look forward to his next series of videos:

Replacing on the copper tracks on the circuit board
Rewinding his speaker coils (I assume the output of the deck ultimately goes to something)
Rewinding the deck's magnetic heads

I wonder what music he likes.
 

Offline CJay

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #40 on: May 10, 2018, 05:58:12 pm »
Thanks mate, and thanks for correcting that err by sending many of your type over here in the last few years

Great blokes but won't tell me why they did a runner from the UK   :-//

...no matter how many aussie (real) beers pumped into them  >:D

Way things are going over here I'd be considering a move if I could work out a way of seeing my kids.

I'm probably too old and not skilled enough to get a visa though.
 

Offline piguy101

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #41 on: June 24, 2018, 04:46:13 pm »
In another video, he replaces a fuse with an "audiophile" grade fuse. And then he even said that the direction you put the fuse in will influence the sound quality.  :palm: He recommended trying putting the fuse in each way and seeing what sounds best.
 
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Online BrianHG

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #42 on: June 24, 2018, 06:52:17 pm »
In another video, he replaces a fuse with an "audiophile" grade fuse. And then he even said that the direction you put the fuse in will influence the sound quality.  :palm: He recommended trying putting the fuse in each way and seeing what sounds best.
You made my day.
 

Offline chris_leyson

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #43 on: June 24, 2018, 07:42:09 pm »
That was painful to watch, must have cost a fortune in PTFE tape  :palm:
 

Offline GreyWoolfe

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Re: "Upgrading" your power cord
« Reply #44 on: June 27, 2018, 10:03:43 pm »
That was painful to watch, must have cost a fortune in PTFE tape  :palm:

Yes, it was painful.  It's like looking at a fatal accident on the other side of the highway.  You don't want to look but you can help yourself. |O  Tweakerman?  Wankerman is more like it and a 'professional' without a doubt.
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