Any other plug collectors out there?

[Lancs Lad]

Hi, Jolly7.

I'm intrigued by that Thai Panasonic picture.

Is it a three gang extension lead, with one socket in the end, and two on top? What if you needed to plug something into it that required an earth connection?

Perhaps (very likely!) I am being really thick, and not seeing something obvious! Apologies, if so

[usradcoll1]

Originally Posted by Lancs Lad

Is it a three gang extension lead, with one socket in the end, and two on top? What if you needed to plug something into it that required an earth connection?

While the Japanese follow the US NEMA wiring scheme, there is no earthing available in their residences.
IIRC, they're starting to provide earthing in all new construction using NEMA 5-15, 125 volt devices.

[Lancs Lad]

I'm still a bit baffled. How do Thai/Japanese people not get electrocuted when a fault occurs?

I know it's 'only' 125 volts, but surely it's still dangerous.

[Richard_FM]

In Japan some high power devices have an earth cable that screws onto an earthing post.

[Lancs Lad]

That seems - and looks- a bit hit and miss.

Very untidy, too.

[Jolly 7]

@Lancs Lad : You are correct. The Panasonic extension lead has two flat pin sockets on the top and one on the side. I have the original packing for the lead and it comes with extensive instructions but unfortunately in Japanese, which I cannot read. It does come with some pictures and other information. I will post these here later for those who might be interested.
The lead is very well built with safety markings on the cable, perhaps similar to BSI standards. I was able to open it and take a look inside. There is no provision for earthing and no fuse but the wire is high quality copper. So it would not pass UK safety standards but maybe acceptable in Japan for use with limited devices.
I don't exactly remember whether they had an earth pin in the hotels but they must have had because there were hairdryers in the room

[AC/HL]

Originally Posted by rambo1152

Has anyone still got a Fitall plug?

Somewhere. Not thought well of around here, but handy if assembled properly. Better than the bare wire trick!

[rambo1152]

Originally Posted by Jolly 7

I don't exactly remember whether they had an earth pin in the hotels but they must have had because there were hairdryers in the room

I think you will find that hairdryers are class II appliances these days.

[Richard_FM]

Here's my collection with some new additions.

I was pleased to get an Ashley plug on my Binatone TV, my Gran used to have a lot of these around her house on various appliances.

I once asked why she had so many, & she said she bought a box of them from Curry's years before.

[Alistair D]

Originally Posted by Lancs Lad

I'm still a bit baffled. How do Thai/Japanese people not get electrocuted when a fault occurs?

I know it's 'only' 125 volts, but surely it's still dangerous.

As far as I remember the Japanese supply system uses a centre tapped earth at the point of distribution so that either terminal of a socket is only 62.5 volts above earth. Still not ideal but safer than 125 volts.

Al

[Refugee]

I just keep plugs in a galvanized bucket and for most things that need a plug vintage is good enough these days.
When I need one it is "lucky dip" time.
One day when I was sorting out a powerful 12 volt emergency light that makes a great wireless leadless lamp I got a Legrand one with insulated pins so a really late example as most of those are solid pins.

[Lancs Lad]

Originally Posted by rambo1152

I have got my very own Big Clive Chinese Deathdapter!

Oooh yes, Granada Graham! I have one of those aswell.

It looks, and is, absolutely lethal - everything about it is just so wrong. I was given mine by a well-meaning (I hope...) friend, but how on earth are these things allowed to be sold in this country?

There must be thousands of people using them who have no idea how electrically unsafe they are. It's frightening.

[Lucien Nunes]

Originally Posted by Lancs Lad

What if you needed to plug something into it that required an earth connection?

Use a 3-pin extension lead! In the UK with all BS1363 plugs being fitted with an earth pin or ISOD, we don't have an established habit of selecting 2-pin or 3-pin accessories according to application. But in much of the world there are 2-pin variants that fit 3-pin sockets, e.g. NEMA types in the US and derivative systems and Europlug in most of mainland Europe, for which there are also 2-pin sockets that won't take a 3-pin plug. Sometimes you get a mix, e.g. in a trailing socket that has both earthed Schuko sockets and non-earthed sockets for 2-pin Europlugs only to save space. The UK didn't even have an equivalent situation with BS 372 round pin plugs, as a 2-pin (BS372-1) plug such as the ubiquitous 5A 2-pin would not fit a 3-pin (BS372-2) socket of the same rating due to the different pin centres.

USA installations sometimes provided 2-prong receptacles on installations where the ground was inherently available due to the wiring system (equivalent to UK 2-pin sockets in BESA boxes on a metal conduit system). However, due to the almost universally compatible NEMA dimensions, it is possible to use a grounding adaptor with two prongs to fit the socket, a screw tab that fits under the adjacent cover screw to pick up the ground, and a 3-prong 5-15 receptacle. People with audio ground loop problems have been known to use them as handy ground-lift adaptors by not connecting the tab. It is also often possible to snap the ground prong off a 5-15 U-ground plug to make it fit a 2-prong outlet. And other dodges that are unfamiliar to us in BS1363 land.

how on earth are these things allowed to be sold in this country?

They aren't!

[Rubberfingers]

A variant on the plug theme - Loblite Test Adaptors, halfway between a plug and a Safebloc, press the buttons to connect.

[Alistair D]

Those Loblite adaptors look interesting.

I am not a general plug collector but I look out for these in as many colours as I can find. I believe they were also available in brown and black but they seem to be as scarce as hen's teeth. Before being sold as Legrand they bore he name BICC.

https://www.flameport.com/electric_m...tique_plug.cs4

Al

[TonyDuell]

I've certainly seen (and may still have) those Legrand 'slim' plugs in bright red plastic.

I had one of those Loblite adapters, but the bakelite-type plastic broke up in the end. I think I got if from Tandy, so it wasn't _that_ old by the standards of this group.

[G6Tanuki]

The Legrand plugs also come with a range of different branding: back in the late-70s my parents bought an 'Electra' fridge-freezer from the MEB (Midlands Electricity Board) showroom and it came with a white Legrand plug whose cover was marked Electra. 'Electra' was the in-house brand-name for appliances supplied by the old Electricity Boards.

Its slimline-ness was a benefit because it let the appliance be pushed that extra half an inch back into its recess before hitting the plug.

As well as Electra-branded Legrands, I've seen MANWEB (Mersey And North Wales Electricity Board) and SEEBOARD (South Eastern Electricity Board) ones, and one with the MoD 'broad arrow'.

[Alistair D]

I have seen other less known names embossed on the lids. I suspect this was a service the manufacturer offered at extra cost. The BICC logo I was referring to was actually moulded into the base. I will have a look to see if I can find one.

Al

[Rubberfingers]

Originally Posted by TonyDuell

I've certainly seen (and may still have) those Legrand 'slim' plugs in bright red plastic.

I had one of those Loblite adapters, but the bakelite-type plastic broke up in the end. I think I got if from Tandy, so it wasn't _that_ old by the standards of this group.

I've got Legrand plugs in Green (with sleeved pins), Yellow (unsleeved pins, came fitted to a Lava Lamp), and a scruffy Grey example (again with sleeved pins, on a welder. The trend for coloured plugs is briefly mentioned in this article on the Woolworths Electrical Counter. http://www.woolworthsmuseum.co.uk/hg-leadinglights.htm. Woolworths Electrical accesories would be worth a thread on their own, since I'm sure many of us over a certain age remember childhood visits to Woolies and having to be dragged away from the Electrical Counter by parents, or being bought plugs etc, by Grandparents.

[Alistair D]

Alas I don't think it will photograph well but I have just found a BICC plug. The logo is in a rectangular box in the same place as Legrand is in the newer ones. I say newer as the plug in question is a non sleeved version.

Grey is a new one on me. Now I am searching for black brown and grey. Unless you know different. Currently in my collection I have white, red, green, blue and yellow.

Al