General > General Technical Chat
Lighweight AC line cords?
soldar:
Over the years I have built myself different types of power cords which do not comply with any standards and which possibly violate the Hague and the Prague conventions but they are for use by me and nobody else. I know what I am doing and I know how to use them safely. I have sometimes spliced several C13 cables to a single Schucko cable. This saves space and outlets in the workbench.
I have also modified/rebuilt some connectors to suit my needs. You can heat plastic and mold it and , though it might not look as nice as a commercially built unit, it will work just fine. You can do it with higher point plastic or even with so-called hot glue.
Maybe sometimes what I need could be found commercially but it is just quicker and cheaper for me to make it myself. I think the OP's situation is one of these where the easiest solution is to build your own.
David Hess:
--- Quote from: jonpaul on February 01, 2024, 11:11:33 am ---The BEST thin and flexibvle IECcables are vintage from HP, GenRad, Belden and other USA firms.
Some are right angel IEC.
Often can recognize as they are gray not black.
--- End quote ---
I made considerable effort to find IEC cables equivalent to the old Tektronix right angle grey ones and never found anything. They have a little clip molded into the plug which allows the cable to be secured to itself.
Stray Electron:
--- Quote from: jonpaul on February 01, 2024, 11:11:33 am ---The ChiComs vendors VERY stiff thick IEC mains cables with poorly made connectors and thin copper or copper plated steel wires .
The BEST thin and flexibvle IECcables are vintage from HP, GenRad, Belden and other USA firms.
Some are right angel IEC.
Often can recognize as they are gray not black.
We have 100s
j
--- End quote ---
X2. One of the thinnest IEC cords that I have is one that came with an original Apple I-Mac. The jacket is barber pole like pattern of red, green and yellow stripes in a twisted design. But Jon is correct, for a thinner cord look for cords from 1970s and 80s vintage HP and other US TE manufacturers. My advice is to go to a large surplus or scrap electronics place and look through their wire scrap. That's one of the first things that I look at when I go to scrap or surplus place and I've found some very nice power cords and also a lot of scope probes, LA probes and the like.
rcjoy:
--- Quote from: IDEngineer on February 01, 2024, 12:07:16 pm ---
--- Quote from: rcjoy on January 31, 2024, 08:13:52 pm ---The flat cable style can be more flexible.
--- End quote ---
Agreed, but I haven't found any C13's like the one in your photo.
--- End quote ---
At least one place has them. I agree they are not common.
https://www.elliottelectronicsupply.com/iec-power-cord-flat-black-6-ft-18-3-ac-cord-plug-to-iec-female-spt-2-spt2-18awg.html
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