| General > General Technical Chat |
| Lighweight AC line cords? |
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| Nusa:
--- Quote from: IDEngineer on January 30, 2024, 11:01:11 pm ---Does anyone make really lightweight line cords? I have a fair bit of portable electronic equipment. Most of it uses the standard detachable three conductor line cords. But despite the units consuming maybe 1-2 amps maximum, they all ship with thick, heavy, stiff line cords typically rated for a full 15 amps. When I roll those up for transport they consume a lot more space than required. I'd like to replace those with short (one meter / 3 feet would be more than sufficient in most cases), small diameter, flexible, lightweight line cords. A 3A rating would be more than enough, since most of the time they're powering sub-50W puppy-in-the-python switchers consuming an amp at most. Anyone know of a source for these? Thanks! --- End quote --- Getting back to the original request. Shorter IEC cables are readily available: 1 foot, 2 foot, 3 foot. You should find them easily if you just ask your search engine or amazon type site. Also the default amperage for these cables is 10A. The 15A ones are called "heavy duty". If all your equipment is in one spot, get yourself a power strip for the longer run to the outlet and use a bunch of 1 or 2 foot cords. |
| IDEngineer:
--- Quote from: Nusa on January 31, 2024, 05:41:11 pm ---If all your equipment is in one spot, get yourself a power strip for the longer run to the outlet and use a bunch of 1 or 2 foot cords. --- End quote --- I essentially carry a development environment in my backpack when travelling. Laptop, debuggers, scope(s), specialized probes, soldering equipment, various meters, etc. Depending upon the environment I'm in (hotel room, boat on open water, flying aircraft, etc.) I may use one or several pieces of equipment. I try to use battery operated gear when possible but sometimes the sessions are long enough that batteries won't make it. The savings in volume and weight in having lightweight cords would be substantial when I'm carrying half a dozen or more, even if they're only 1-2 feet long each. I'm not sure swapping the saved line cord volume for a multi-outlet power strip is a net savings. There are always outlets available in these environments, but I'd love to shed the poundage and volume. I apologize that this thread devolved into arguments about safety. That wasn't my intent, I was hoping the responses would be more like "This website offers a variety of line cord options". |
| themadhippy:
Got to ask why the want for molded? ive had more failures with molded leads than ones ive knocked up myself,plus if a home made leads goes wrong it can easily be repaired instead of being chucked in the scrap bin |
| IDEngineer:
--- Quote from: themadhippy on January 31, 2024, 06:21:35 pm ---Got to ask why the want for molded? --- End quote --- Size. Molded plugs can generally be smaller than those that can be opened for DIY assembly. Size and weight are what I'm seeking to reduce. |
| BrokenYugo:
Not sure on the laws but I've never seen lighter than 16 on a production extension cord, 18 for a device cord. I do worry about the 18 gauge stuff, especially the cheapo PVC zip cord for lamps, you have to wonder if a 20 amp breaker would trip before the insulation melts if something shorts in a lamp switch/socket or whatever. Sucks that the good rubber HPN zip cord is only really available in #16 that won't fit in a table lamp center tube. I certainly wouldn't go lighter than 18 without fused plugs, and that's what most IEC cords are already. |
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