WARNING! AUDIO-GD POWER CORDS IMPROPERLY WIRED!  

It has been discovered that Audio-gd mains power cords, both "stock" and custom, are improperly wired.

The cords are wired such that they tie AC mains HOT to IEC neutral. This is a violation against code and presents an increased risk of shock, fire and/or equipment damage.

As an example, for safety purposes, the power switches and mains fuses in electrical equipment are required to be on the hot lead. Using these cords places such switches and fuses on the neutral lead, leaving the hot lead un-switched and un-fused.

Bottom line: These cords should not be used for powering equipment. Please replace them with properly wired power cords.

se

A friend who was making some power cords. He'd used a stock Audio-gd power cord to check out the wiring. Then he contacted me to confirm it. I told him it was incorrect. That's when it was discovered that both a stock and custom Audio-gd power cord he had were improperly wired. This was further confirmed by a third party who also had some Audio-gd power cords.

se

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teejaay 

pictures !

Of...?

se

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwkarth 

Thanks for the heads up Steve.

No problem, Kevin.

se

Ok, pictures.

Since you can't tell simply by looking at the cable, this is the best that can be done.

Here is an Audio-gd custom power cord. With the meter connected to the hot blade on the AC plug and the hot socket on the IEC, it shows an open circuit.

With the meter connected between the hot blade on the AC plug and the neutral socket on the IEC, it shows continuity (a resistance of 0.3 ohms):

The "stock" Audio-gd power cord was wired the same way.

se

Not quite sure what it is you want me to translate.

Your wall outlet has hot and neutral assigned to specific contacts. If you look at a Type 3 wall outlet (the typical 3 conductor type), the longer slot is neutral and the shorter one is hot.

IEC connectors also have hot and neutral assigned to specific contacts.

Any cord made to go from a Type 3 wall outlet to an IEC connector needs to connect the outlet's hot to the IEC's hot and the outlet's neutral to the IEC's neutral.

The cords in question do not. Hot and neutral are reversed so that the plug's hot goes to the IEC's neutral and the plug's neutral goes to the IEC hot.

se