Awwww, c'mon... a power cord? YES.

Very interesting story on the birth of the BH power cord! I am a firm believer in the DIY cable/cord concept. I just havent bit on it - yet. I have used my same cables for years. Possibly when I get "done" tweaking other stuff. Great food for thought though! I'm sure that when I'm breathing my last breath I will be thinking "wait there is just this one last tweak"!
 
Just a head's up here...  I bought 6 of these and they just arrived:

I did a search at Mouser.  I found three right angle, male IEC plugs.  The prices
are $4.20 to $8.36 rated eitehr 10A or 16A.  They all have the cord exiting to the
right if the ground is at the top and viewed as looking into the female on the amp.


Unfortunately, either they screwed up my order or these are not the correct part -- these are meant for the other kind of chassis mount IEC socket, not the ones BH uses -- these connectors have male pins and a boot that covers them when inserted in the chassis receptacle.

Can anybody confirm this and/or tell me a part number for what I want -- what is the same kind that BH uses for their cable kit?  I can't see the pics in the catalog and most of these online electronic parts places don't have very detailed descriptions of what the parts actually are unless they refer you to a drawing or picture.

I've got a couple of cables I want to reterminate with right anbgles for convenience and to save space and stress on the cable and inlet.

Thanks,

Jim
 
jrebman said:
Can anybody confirm this and/or tell me a part number for what I want -- what is the same kind that BH uses for their cable kit?  I can't see the pics in the catalog and most of these online electronic parts places don't have very detailed descriptions of what the parts actually are unless they refer you to a drawing or picture.
Click to expand...

i just built up some cables using some Schurter 4784 right angle female IEC 15A.

I believe these are the same ones used for the bottlehead kit, if not, they are very close to the same and fit the receptacles in my crack and seduction. I found the plastic fit slightly loose in the receptacle that ships with the kits, a bit of single wall heatshrink around the end makes it fit a bit tighter.

I got mine from Take Five Audio for $5.29 but im sure you can find them elsewhere.

http://www.takefiveaudio.com/mall/shopexd.asp?id=269

I just built up 2 cables using these with some belden 19364. I have to say i was amazed at the difference it made... i wasn't expecting it to change the sound that much but it was definitely noticeable. I made them for the right angle plugs but am going to make these cables mandatory for future builds.
 
Jim,

I too am on the list of those that bought before the price increase.  I ordered 3, nice even number.

MCM sells two kinds of right angled IEC cord connectors, one like you got by mistake and one like what you needed.  I'll dig up a link and post/email it to you.  

I think I was looking at the wrong one for a while and finally saw it was a right angled male not a female.  I find that one odd, that leaves voltage on the prongs that you could touch.  It isn't safe if it is used as I think it would be used.

I don't see a problem for me using the right angled IEC as I will also need to put in a chassis IEC connector/fuse in the back of my Paramour bases.  I can put it in whatever orientation I need.  Now where did I leave that square hole saw?
 
Andrew,

thanks, I'll pick some of those up and return these other ones.

Grainger, no worries, I'll just get the ones Andrew pointed to.  No biggie.

BTW, I didn't order any cables -- the one I have is the one that came with my Stereomour -- IIRC.

-- Jim
 
Ok, looks like there are two flavors of this connector -- the 4784.000 which is rated for 10 amps an 18 gauge wire -- I believe this is the one BH is using.  Then there is the 4874.010 which is the 15 amp version and which takes up to 14 gauge wire.

Nobody seems to stock the .010 version but lots of places have the .000 version.  Guess I should look for a different manufacturer as the cables I want to reterminate are 14 gauge.

Just thought I'd report back with what I found.

-- Jim
 
Funny thing about power cord connectors, i.e. the male plug. The hole in each prong came from long ago when the receptacle had a 'tit' to capture the hole and hold it in place. But of course things are different now, with a firm grip given by the receptacle. The hole remains however. So, when looking for a male end, I try to get one without the hole. Only PS Audio uses this design in commercial cords as far as I know. The connection is just as important as the carrier(wire) in my opinion.
 
Greg,

I agree, and I often even polish the prongs for a better connection -- and this is also one important reason why I like the Jena Labs 20 amp hubbel outlets -- they have greater surface area on the contacts, and have a dethgrip on the male blades.

-- Jim
 
jrebman said:
I often even polish the prongs for a better connection -- and this is also one important reason why I like the Jena Labs 20 amp hubbel outlets -- they have greater surface area on the contacts, and have a dethgrip on the male blades.
Click to expand...

I was having some strange problems a couple of months ago with one of my components. After a few days of trouble shooting, I ended up taking a very fine file to the IEC prongs of the component and all worked well from then on. You would think with this unusually dry climate that that would be the last problem...maybe it's the dust!
 
When I lived in AZ, I thought that I was off the hook concerning metal problems like rust. I soon found that my steel tools were pitting from the pollution in the air. My lungs as well, reacteed. Now I live in WY, and my lungs and tools like it better. Even rubber bands have a life here. My point is that I feel that once polished a contact may benefit from a contact enhancer/protector.
 
I just found a page from an MCM catalog I tore out.  They have two styles of 90 degree IEC females for the ends of power cords.  One has the cable come out 90 degrees to the short side of the plug, the other comes out 90 degrees from the wide side of the plug.  The part numbers are 28-11500 and 28-11510 respectively.

Both are 10A rated, have screw terminals and a strain relief.
 
My Power Cord kits came yesterday.  If things quiet down I will get the assembled and into the system.  I'm awfully eager!
 
I received mine yesterday also and finished them with Carlene's braiding help.  I look forward to trying them out.  I shortened mine by a couple of feet.  Be careful when you shrink the tubing. I came close to melting the wire casing!
 
Yes, Tech-Flex doesn't like the heat, keep it out of the Kitchen too!

Ok, made my first power cord yesterday got to listen this morning with fresh ears.

I, too, have a problem with melting the Tech-Flex, and with the heat shrink too.  The heat shrink curled back on itself, glue side up, as I tried to apply just a little heat to the edge innermost, on top of the Tech-Flex.  It finally laid back down but I Boogered the Tech-Flex.  I'm going to try something different on the next one.  

I twisted the first red/white pair and started on the second pair.  The first one unraveled some so I left the second pair to "set" for half an hour.  All was well with that one and I went back and fixed the first one, set it, and moved on to the black pair.  I think keeping the wires under tension between the clamp and drill sets the windings.  At least it seem to for me.

I put the new cord on my Eros and fired it up.  Played the same three songs from FM/FM several times making notes.  Then went back to the stock cord and back to the new power cord.  I figured that while everything was just warming up it would sound worse, then the stock cord wouldn't get the short end of the stick, so to speak.

Conclusions:

I'm going to get more.  I will build another for the FP 2 after yard work this afternoon.

Say You Love Me has a banjo on the left channel.  It is just a very subtle accent.  I also hear a guitar lick that I don't remember.  The banjo is not even there with the stock cord and the new guitar line is buried in the mix.

The guitars in Landslide are distinct images.  The low lines are on the right the high line on the left.  It could be a classical guitar for the low parts but is definitely a 6 string acoustic on the left.

The stock cord doesn't localize images nearly as well.  The bass is muddy in comparison, not as easy to follow John McVee's lines.

All in all this is worth the price!  I have an experiment for the next cord.  Pictures to follow.
 
I enjoy building power cords as well Grainger, but my problem is usually finding a female end that has the best grip/construction. One thing I used to do was buy both ends that were 20 amp. types. The difference is in the 'bite'. Of course, that means you get to change out any recepticle on the equipment you are using to 20 amp. as well. I think that it is worth it. On the other hand, if you have found the cord you will live with forever, why not just hardwire it in?
 
I built a shielded Power Cord for my Foreplay.  I had some braided shield so why not?  Here is the link:

http://www.bottlehead.com/smf/index.php/topic,2890.new.html#new
 
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