Deadly mains plug converter/adapter

[tom66]

A friend from Spain showed this to me.  The Australian/Japan pins are connected to the same LIVE as everything else...! That means, if you grab it from the back, you'll be shocked!

The pins can be retracted, at which point they are disconnected although the ends are slightly exposed, they are no longer live. However, the lock/unlock switch is very sensitive and it is very easy to accidentally unlock them, at which point the pins become live and exposed, regardless of whether it is plugged in or not. The output socket itself does, at least, use a shutter, but the safety of that system is completely negated by this design fail.

And yet it carries a CE mark, must be faked.

[amyk]

That means, if you grab it from the back, you'll be shocked!

...then don't do that. You should always use the sides anyway and keep any fingers behind the mating plane.

[tom66]

Right. And the five year old knows not to do that? Our sockets are shuttered in the UK. Unless the plug is damaged or the child is extremely dexterous, it is not possible to get shocked from them. Maybe other countries have a lower standard.

[Halcyon]

Right. And the five year old knows not to do that? Our sockets are shuttered in the UK. Unless the plug is damaged or the child is extremely dexterous, it is not possible to get shocked from them. Maybe other countries have a lower standard.

The shuttered plugs aren't a bad idea, but I think they could be improved. Over time, they can start to jam up or break. In Australia, the outlets are small and narrow enough that most household objects such as small fingers, knives and screwdrivers don't fit into the receptacle deep enough to make contact with the terminals (although they do come in shuttered variants but I've never seen one). There are also no moving parts (except for the switch itself) so that very little can go wrong unless abused or have suffered a very hard life.

[KJDS]

I like the shutters, stick a screwdriver into the earth hole to open them up, slide the live and neutral in, withdraw the screwdriver and the interesting wires are held in place. This saves buying and fitting a plug to quickly test something.

I also think that the item in the opening post is dangerous and shouldn't be on sale.

[Zero999]

I like the shutters, stick a screwdriver into the earth hole to open them up, slide the live and neutral in, withdraw the screwdriver and the interesting wires are held in place. This saves buying and fitting a plug to quickly test something.

As long as you're aware of the added danger of having no fuse.

[BradC]

And yet it carries a CE mark

China Engineered.

[Monkeh]

And yet it carries a CE mark

China Engineered.

Chinese Extrusion.

[Macbeth]

I like the shutters, stick a screwdriver into the earth hole to open them up, slide the live and neutral in, withdraw the screwdriver and the interesting wires are held in place. This saves buying and fitting a plug to quickly test something.

Guilty as charged! 

We used to have chock-blocks on our benches at work. They are an even easier way to jam in bare mains wires. The wires are held and power is applied using the cover as a knife switch.  Hmm... I really could do with one on the bench. Isolation transformer equipped of course! 

Mind you, everything comes with moulded plugs these days.

[electr_peter]

I have never liked mains adapters and converters - most of them are simply of too low quality and can be both annoying and very dangerous. Some adapters seems to have higher quality, but are very expensive for the task (for example, SKROSS adapters http://www.skross.com/catalog/category/id/9/sub_id/31).
Poor quality in such devices is not unexpected as it is inherently extremely difficult to make sturdy and save construction with moving parts for mains power.

Dangerous travel adaptor in the first post are very similar to those reviewed (and ridiculed) in this video:

[sunnyhighway]

That's why I like these.



 - No moving parts that can fail.
 - Won't go in where it's not supposed to go in.
 - Won't accept what it's not supposed to accept.
 - Bloody cheap.

[Bassman59]

And yet it carries a CE mark

China Engineered.

Chinese Extrusion.

Chinese Excrement.

[Melt-O-Tronic]

It seems the CE mark is a complete joke.  When it's legitimate, I'm sure it's a good thing, but it's so universally spoofed, the world would probably be better off without it entirely.

[tom66]

Needs better enforcement. The criminal charge for forging a CE mark where the equipment is non compliant should be along the lines of "reckless endangerment", if there is a safety risk.

Right now the worst that happens to dodgy corner shops and eBay sellers selling these dodgy adapters and other devices is they get a slap on the wrist and the stock is destroyed. Worth the risk to some.

[lincoln]

meh, this is my favorite travel adapter.

[KJDS]

meh, this is my favorite travel adapter.

That's terrible. Whoever put that together really should be ashamed, there's far too much corrosion on the nails for a reliable contact.

[Gribo]

Darwin ++

[justanothercanuck]

meh, this is my favorite travel adapter.

That's almost as bad as

I've been seeing circulating on imgur... 

[Ian.M]

Now try that with an *unswitched* socket ! 

[mcinque]

And yet it carries a CE mark, must be faked.

As stated by many, the CE symbol doesn't mean anything by itself.
It does not require any special instrument or auth to place that symbol on the case...

[justanothercanuck]

And yet it carries a CE mark, must be faked.

As stated by many, the CE symbol doesn't mean anything by itself.
It does not require any special instrument or auth to place that symbol on the case...

That's only because China took a huge dump all over the European safety standards and Europe is too lazy to come up with another one. 

[Mechanical Menace]

That's only because China took a huge dump all over the European safety standards and Europe is too lazy to come up with another one. 

I'd personally put all the blame on the lack of enforcement. If they we're stricter on none compliant goods and/or on compliant goods with non compliant markings things would be better. Also the misuse of regulatory marks is hardly just a problem with European ones or with Chinese goods. I've seen expensive things come out of French factories that are at least up there with the most dangerous cheap tat to come out of China, I'm sure there are British, German, American or whatever goods that are just as bad too.

[McBryce]

meh, this is my favorite travel adapter.

Is the longer nail live or neutral? I can never remember with LEDs either!

McBryce.

[electr_peter]

meh, this is my favorite travel adapter.

Is the longer nail live or neutral? I can never remember with LEDs either!

Does it matter? Simply adjust nail length till it holds mains plug well. Longer nails can hold more than one plug.

[lincoln]

All BS aside, this trigger a memory....

As a young collage dropout I started working doing sound and stage lighting. It is common to have some sort of temporary power system called a "distro". Systems ranged in quality and safety form commercial purpose built systems to shop build stuff made with load centers form the local hardware store.

Most bigger venues would have some sort of tie in. ether a big IEC pin and sleeve connector, [url = "http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v1/1986526331/camlock_power_panel_connector_400a.jpg"]"camlocks" for individual wires[/url] or a disconnect that cables would be hard wired into. 

One rat bag outfit had a pig tail that ends was attached to 5 vice grip pliers Their standard MO was to remove the closest electrical panel cover and clamp directly to the bus bars. No shits given about electrical hazards or safety.

Did not work for them again.