ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Jul 5, 2022 14:12:19 GMT -6
So since I did a gig over the weekend I brought one of my 10 gauge short extension cords home. We make our own dog food and the kid runs the food processor, normally we use a household 16 gauge extension cord. Well since it was handy grabbed to 10 gauge with 20 amp connectors plugged it in and man it ran so smooth. Kid even noticed. For the fun of it went back to the 16ga., man that thing felt like we had down graded to a toy. Now add in that it’s in the 90’s and every AC in the building is running full tilt.
I think I have to make a new cable for home use.
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Post by EmRR on Jul 5, 2022 15:12:21 GMT -6
I'm working on a tube console restore, remote power supply sends 13A of 6VDC over 4 feet of wire to the console, doubled up 10A connectors, another 3 feet of wire in the console. Someone cut the PSU wire....gauge somewhat uncertain, looks #16 but might be #14. Definitely looking at the wire gauge voltage drop calcs! Manual says if you go to a 10 foot extension you should use #10, 20 feet, #6. Power bus wire in the console has also been dicked with, can't find any good pics of a good one for reference, connector size makes going obviously oversize dicey....do dat math.....
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,919
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Post by ericn on Jul 5, 2022 15:49:59 GMT -6
I'm working on a tube console restore, remote power supply sends 13A of 6VDC over 4 feet of wire to the console, doubled up 10A connectors, another 3 feet of wire in the console. Someone cut the PSU wire....gauge somewhat uncertain, looks #16 but might be #14. Definitely looking at the wire gauge voltage drop calcs! Manual says if you go to a 10 foot extension you should use #10, 20 feet, #6. Power bus wire in the console has also been dicked with, can't find any good pics of a good one for reference, connector size makes going obviously oversize dicey....do dat math..... On a far more modern path, just had a pair of RAMSA wsa200 opened here to replace the 1/4 with Speakons. Wasn’t expecting 12ga in these but 22ga from jacks to crossover? Come on man ! Re wiring with some very flexible 14ga that’s on the shelf. |
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Post by EmRR on Jul 5, 2022 17:22:29 GMT -6
I'm working on a tube console restore, remote power supply sends 13A of 6VDC over 4 feet of wire to the console, doubled up 10A connectors, another 3 feet of wire in the console. Someone cut the PSU wire....gauge somewhat uncertain, looks #16 but might be #14. Definitely looking at the wire gauge voltage drop calcs! Manual says if you go to a 10 foot extension you should use #10, 20 feet, #6. Power bus wire in the console has also been dicked with, can't find any good pics of a good one for reference, connector size makes going obviously oversize dicey....do dat math..... On a far more modern path, just had a pair of RAMSA wsa200 opened here to replace the 1/4 with Speakons. Wasn’t expecting 12ga in these but 22ga from jacks to crossover? Come on man ! Re wiring with some very flexible 14ga that’s on the shelf. Oh that’s BS |
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,919
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Post by ericn on Jul 5, 2022 17:31:47 GMT -6
On a far more modern path, just had a pair of RAMSA wsa200 opened here to replace the 1/4 with Speakons. Wasn’t expecting 12ga in these but 22ga from jacks to crossover? Come on man ! Re wiring with some very flexible 14ga that’s on the shelf. Oh that’s BS Unfortunately not I know it’s only a foot of wire but still. I was so shocked I contacted my old RAMSA rep and was told “yeah we had rental houses in the day who re wired them after they opened up the first one”. |
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Post by cyrano on Jul 5, 2022 23:24:26 GMT -6
Thanks for the tip, Eric. Another thing for the "to do" list, as I have four of those Ramsas.
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,919
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Post by ericn on Jul 6, 2022 6:59:08 GMT -6
Thanks for the tip, Eric. Another thing for the "to do" list, as I have four of those Ramsas. I am always suprised how they still hold there own, for such an inexpensive speaker that is light enough that any idiot could fly. |
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Post by johneppstein on Jul 6, 2022 10:01:22 GMT -6
So since I did a gig over the weekend I brought one of my 10 gauge short extension cords home. We make our own dog food and the kid runs the food processor, normally we use a household 16 gauge extension cord. Well since it was handy grabbed to 10 gauge with 20 amp connectors plugged it in and man it ran so smooth. Kid even noticed. For the fun of it went back to the 16ga., man that thing felt like we had down graded to a toy. Now add in that it’s in the 90’s and every AC in the building is running full tilt. I think I have to make a new cable for home use. Yep! I don't like 16 ga AC cables much in general. |
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Post by svart on Jul 11, 2022 7:41:28 GMT -6
I once told a guy to double check that he disconnected the auxiliary battery in the truck he was working on before removing some wire. The wire was 10 or 12 gauge I think.
Anyway, he gave me an eyeroll and a "yeah yeah I know what I'm doing" as he squeezed those cutters.
A blinding light and an ear-piercing ZZZZZZTTTT later, those wires (despite being 10-12 gauge) had turned to plasma and then dust and the cutters were reduced to just the handles.
It's amazing that a lead-calcium 8-D gel cell can dump about 800A so quickly and still remain usable. You can't do that with lithium-Ion because they'll pop and catch fire.
Anyway, dude was fine because the cutters took all the current but I'm pretty sure he shit himself because he voluntarily left for the day before the bosses could send him home. Amazingly he kept his job, but he was responsible for rewiring the whole harness that had been destroyed along with the main wires.
Even if he had just cut one at a time he would have been fine (still dangerous to cut live wires like this but it wouldn't have done this..).
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Post by EmRR on Jul 11, 2022 7:57:13 GMT -6
Wowee. You hear stories of things vaporizing around high power transmitters, stir up enough dust in the air and you’ll make an arc path.
I found an old 120AC run through the roof to where there’d been a lit sign, just hanging out in an uncovered box with wire nuts. Killed every breaker I could get away with (most unmarked). Much of the insulation was cracked and gone in spots. Couldn’t measure voltage outside, cut it at the roofline so I could pull it through from the attic. I stayed paranoid and cut the outside edge wires one at a time, twisted it 90, cut the middle. Sure enough, live wire! Either had a full break (doubtful) or corrosion/dirt was so high it wouldn’t read.
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Post by svart on Jul 11, 2022 8:06:20 GMT -6
Wowee. You hear stories of things vaporizing around high power transmitters, stir up enough dust in the air and you’ll make an arc path. I found an old 120AC run through the roof to where there’d been a lit sign, just hanging out in an uncovered box with wire nuts. Killed every breaker I could get away with (most unmarked). Much of the insulation was cracked and gone in spots. Couldn’t measure voltage outside, cut it at the roofline so I could pull it through from the attic. I stayed paranoid and cut the outside edge wires one at a time, twisted it 90, cut the middle. Sure enough, live wire! Either had a full break (doubtful) or corrosion/dirt was so high it wouldn’t read. A few years ago during the last depression when copper was at an all-time high, we had tons of local reports of people trying to cut through various cables to steal the copper. Lots of vacant houses got looted and a few of the geniuses tried to cut through the 220 mains at the meters (which is funny because those are mostly aluminum conductors) and either killing themselves or catching the houses on fire. A few geniuses tried to break into a substation and cut something and they turned to plasma and then to dust. Honestly I'm scared to death of HV and HC circuits. I used to be a member of boy scouts where the leaders were all linemen. A lot of them had missing fingers and/or severe scarring or knew folks who had been "bitten" by the lines. Seems that back in the 70s and 80s it was a right of passage in the industry to be "bitten" at some point. Geeze. |
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Post by Martin John Butler on Jul 13, 2022 15:30:02 GMT -6
Eric, I wish you were around for the decades I had to endure the hate speak and admonitions of the "cable doesn't matter crowd." I was actually threatened physically once for insisting a power cord can change the sound in a positive way sometimes.
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Post by winetree on Jul 13, 2022 15:56:41 GMT -6
Eric, I wish you were around for the decades I had to endure the hate speak and admonitions of the "cable doesn't matter crowd." I was actually threatened physically once for insisting a power cord can change the sound in a positive way sometimes. Well I wouldn't go as far as $500 power cords, but reading this thread, prompted me to upgrade 30 of the 18 guage power cords to 14 gauge. A little upgrade for little money.  |
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Post by Martin John Butler on Jul 13, 2022 19:59:12 GMT -6
I understand, but then it depends on the system you have. Someone with a $45,000 stereo system wouldn't balk at a $500 power cord. I was as skeptical as anyone, but fortunately I happen to be not very biased when listening to things. If anything, I expected zero difference when changing to a different power cord.
Around 10 years ago, an audiophile friend owed me a favor and sent me two power cords. I had no idea what they cost. I figured around $250-$500.
I tested them both, and one was seriously better, even though I'd been told it can't be. Only later did I find out the one I didn't choose was a $250 power cord, the other was a $2,000 power cord !
Now I would never spend that kind of money, my experience was that around $150-$300 got me all I needed from a power cord, including peace of mind that my system was operating at its best.
I'd sell it now and buy some gear, but it's only worth around $400 now.
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,919
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Post by ericn on Jul 17, 2022 18:39:24 GMT -6
I once told a guy to double check that he disconnected the auxiliary battery in the truck he was working on before removing some wire. The wire was 10 or 12 gauge I think. Anyway, he gave me an eyeroll and a "yeah yeah I know what I'm doing" as he squeezed those cutters. A blinding light and an ear-piercing ZZZZZZTTTT later, those wires (despite being 10-12 gauge) had turned to plasma and then dust and the cutters were reduced to just the handles. It's amazing that a lead-calcium 8-D gel cell can dump about 800A so quickly and still remain usable. You can't do that with lithium-Ion because they'll pop and catch fire. Anyway, dude was fine because the cutters took all the current but I'm pretty sure he shit himself because he voluntarily left for the day before the bosses could send him home. Amazingly he kept his job, but he was responsible for rewiring the whole harness that had been destroyed along with the main wires. Even if he had just cut one at a time he would have been fine (still dangerous to cut live wires like this but it wouldn't have done this..). When they were remodeling a couple of floors of our building some idiot was working around the Buss fuse box with a metallic screw driver and dropped it in taking out all 3 phases. A couple of guys said he was touching it but no way there was no ambulance or body, well maybe he was veperized! Of course these were the same idiots who would load the dry wall in the freight elevator leaning against the back wall load it till it was full and were suprised when it would shift once in motion and knock the door out of the track, not once, not twice , not three times but at least 2 times a week for a month! |
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