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Shortening rack power cables?

R

rjc309

May 14, 2008
30
0
#1
Alright, say what you will about power conditioners but I "accidentally" won a reasonably priced one on eBay and thus it's going in my rack.

Other than concern about resale, is there any reason I wouldn't want to tidy things up in the back by making the power cables from my other components shorter?

I'm sure you electronic guru's can shed some light on this....

Thanks!
 
#2
No problem at all, as long as you're good with a soldering iron and plenty of shrink tubing. Also you can buy short IEC cords from Link Removed and they even have a nifty Y-split short cord, just right for tidying up the back of a rack.
 
#3
Butch made my custom Speakon cable. I'd be happy to use his services again but it seems he's a little backed up at the moment.

I'm plenty comfortable wiring and soldering my own audio cables, but I haven't tackled power cables since electronics class in high school. That teacher must have skipped the part about shrink tubing. Care to elaborate?
 
#7
rjc309 said:
That's what I was thinking, but I don't mind doing the soldering if necessary...
Click to expand...

Shouldn't have to solder anything. I just pulled apart the aftermarket plug on a Gomco suction and the terminal connections were all screw-type. This is handy information if you ever inadvertantly saw thru your hedge trimmer's power cord....like my neighbor did.

Riis
 
#8
Zooberwerx said:
Why couldn't the OP just cut the power cords to the desired length and connect new plugs (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.)? I believe most have screw-clamp connectors, strain relief, and require no soldering.

Riis
Click to expand...
i would consider spending the dough on good grade plug ends.........the hospital grade stuff requires no soldering and since you only need the plug end should be about 25 bucks us.......if you have occasion to sell the component you can include an original length cable and those can be found at the goodwill for about a buck,and keep the custom stuff for your rack
 
#9
Jim Campbell said:
i would consider spending the dough on good grade plug ends.........the hospital grade stuff requires no soldering and since you only need the plug end should be about 25 bucks us.......if you have occasion to sell the component you can include an original length cable and those can be found at the goodwill for about a buck,and keep the custom stuff for your rack
Click to expand...


I'm an electrician. There's no need to buy $25 Hospital Grade stuff. Any decent plug will do. Tighten the screws really good. Open them up every few months and make sure they are still tight (I would do this with ANY after-market plug). This takes about a minute. As stated somewhere ^^^^^up there^^^^^^ get the ones with the strain relief. All that means is there is a little "clamp" on the plug that holds it in place so that you can't yank the wires out. Again, they should cost a few buck ($6 or $7 at most). No problem with doing this whatsoever. I don't know how handy you are, so if you need a hand, shoot me a PM and I'll walk you through it. If you are already really handy, and don't need my help, then tell me to shut up and mind my own beeswax! :cool:
 
#10
two fingers said:
I'm an electrician. There's no need to buy $25 Hospital Grade stuff. Any decent plug will do. Tighten the screws really good. Open them up every few months and make sure they are still tight (I would do this with ANY after-market plug). This takes about a minute. As stated somewhere ^^^^^up there^^^^^^ get the ones with the strain relief. All that means is there is a little "clamp" on the plug that holds it in place so that you can't yank the wires out. Again, they should cost a few buck ($6 or $7 at most). No problem with doing this whatsoever. I don't know how handy you are, so if you need a hand, shoot me a PM and I'll walk you through it. If you are already really handy, and don't need my help, then tell me to shut up and mind my own beeswax! :cool:
Click to expand...
every piece of ac that we used at work was hospital grade and failure was extremely rare,given the all weather constant use and abuse.....25 bucks is not a lot for reliability.....
 
#12
Jim Campbell said:
every piece of ac that we used at work was hospital grade and failure was extremely rare,given the all weather constant use and abuse.....25 bucks is not a lot for reliability.....
Click to expand...

Sorry if I have offended. I'm a commercial/industrial electrician. It's just that I have wired up several hospitals (new construction). And to me, the term "hospital grade" is all hype. I'm happy for you if you have had good experiences with high-end plugs. I have never had a plug mess up on me over 20 years of traveling playing music. At 2a.m. four hours from home, I'm a chord yanker. I don't treat my equipment very well when it's time to go home. I've never spent more than a few bucks on a plug. Just sayin.
 
#13
Probably want to avoid the big mambo assemblies as they may not fit side-by-side in the outlets. Actually, that pertains more to some power strips I've encountered. YMMV.

How 'bout some clarification?:

Black - hot / narrow blade

White - neutral / wide blade

Green - ground / the other thingy

Have your wife plug it in the first time to make sure the polarity and ground are correct.

Riis
 
#16
two fingers said:
Sorry if I have offended. I'm a commercial/industrial electrician. It's just that I have wired up several hospitals (new construction). And to me, the term "hospital grade" is all hype. I'm happy for you if you have had good experiences with high-end plugs. I have never had a plug mess up on me over 20 years of traveling playing music. At 2a.m. four hours from home, I'm a chord yanker. I don't treat my equipment very well when it's time to go home. I've never spent more than a few bucks on a plug. Just sayin.
Click to expand...
none taken and i meant none my own self......i was a lighting guy,and the gear was constantly plugged/unplugged.....i guess when its on the company dime though......
 
#17
I would not worry about the shielded cables.

Retrofittable IEC connectors?

For small wire: http://www.welbornelabs.com/powerconn.htm Invalid Link Removed Invalid Link Removed


For large wire: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

25' IEC cable: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I would not use a long IEC cable to feed a rack. Put a panel on the back and use a PowerCon. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#19
southernrocker said:
I just wrap excess cable, zip tie it, and attach it to the sides of the rack case.
Click to expand...

Where's the fun in that?

I do the same thing with those square adhesive mounts (Radio Shack, Lowe's, etc.). I read somewhere that, when dealing with these gazillion watt sound systems, you should not pile, coil, or bunch power cables in such a way that the heat can't dissipate.

Riis
 

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