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Old 8th Jul 2018, 9:31 pm   #1
Electricawe
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Default MK Plugs and their various designs.

Hi all,

I was just thinking about MK plugs, and their different designs, I have one with the Granada logo on the back, and the new horeshoe type, but are there many more variations or different company logos on them, if there are, some pics would be nice.

Regards
Leo
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Old 8th Jul 2018, 11:18 pm   #2
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

I know of ones with the logos of the GPO/BT, BBC, Morphy Richards, MOD, & possibly an electrical company or two.

My Dad took the Granada plug off our rented TV (I think he replaced it trying to sort out a problem) and it was reused on the WHS Data Recorder we had for our Acorn Electron. Sadly this was disposed of by my parents without consulting me!
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Old 9th Jul 2018, 3:48 am   #3
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

I wonder how much discount MK gave Granada for all the hundreds of thousands of plugs they must have bought. These were arguably the best made BS1362 plugs ever made, and GTVR did not shirk from economising.
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Old 9th Jul 2018, 12:00 pm   #4
emeritus
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

I have a "Marconi" one, but it looks as if the name was engraved, possibly in-house, as the letters of the name are picked out in black paint.
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Old 9th Jul 2018, 9:11 pm   #5
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

Very interesting, thank you guys, so I see that there were many designs, surely MK let Granada have some sort of discount, for buying in bulk?
If anyone knows of any more designs/types please do let us all know
Regards
Leo
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Old 10th Jul 2018, 9:06 pm   #6
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

I've got this plug. Its on an extension lead that I think was ex Home-Office. I must have had it twenty years and use it regularly. I think I have a Granada one as well but not sure where it is.
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Old 10th Jul 2018, 9:14 pm   #7
Electricawe
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

Wow, nice one, I've never seen the broad arrow on a plug before, that's really cool, it's good that you've kept it and using it, not just throwing it in a dark cornerl

Regards
Leo
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Old 10th Jul 2018, 10:40 pm   #8
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

I assumed the Arrow plugs were for the MOD, for use on equipment on bases & easy to see of there had been any pilfering in the stores.
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Old 10th Jul 2018, 11:13 pm   #9
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

I have a Hotpoint one
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Old 10th Jul 2018, 11:40 pm   #10
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Electricawe View Post
Wow, nice one, I've never seen the broad arrow on a plug before, that's really cool, it's good that you've kept it and using it, not just throwing it in a dark corner
I have got a plug with the arrow on it but sadly no photo in this thread as it is not an MK branded one.
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 6:35 am   #11
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard_FM View Post
I assumed the Arrow plugs were for the MOD, for use on equipment on bases & easy to see of there had been any pilfering in the stores.
Yes, I think that they were used to deter theft and then they would stand out

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Originally Posted by Nanozeugma View Post
I have a Hotpoint one
Nice, I've never seen one of those before, could we possibly have a photo please?

Regards

Leo
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 9:37 am   #12
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

Hi.

I have a Morphy Richards one. As well as a Granada one (attached to my ferguson TX9)

Jan
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 9:48 am   #13
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

I used to have some with GEC on them [not the classic 'swirly letters' GEC but the more modern angular GEC used by GEC Computers]. They came from within a GEC4160 which saw quite a few years service as an X.25 packet-switch.
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 5:52 pm   #14
Electricawe
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by yampy187 View Post
I have a Morphy Richards one. As well as a Granada one (attached to my Ferguson TX9)
Wow, nice, never knew Morphy Richards had branded MK plugs, Also, that's very nice to see that the Granada plug is being used for it's original purpose, on a TV

Quote:
Originally Posted by G6Tanuki View Post
I used to have some with GEC on them [not the classic 'swirly letters' GEC but the more modern angular GEC used by GEC Computers]. They came from within a GEC4160 which saw quite a few years service as an X.25 packet-switch.
Wow, they must be rare I've never seen or heard of them before!, you say you used to have them, did you throw them away or are they hidden away somewhere, because they would be cool to see?

Regards

Leo
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 6:46 pm   #15
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

It's interesting that GEC used MK plugs rather than their own ones, which were square in shape with 2 largish grooves on the sides for grips IIRC.
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 7:09 pm   #16
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard_FM View Post
I assumed the Arrow plugs were for the MOD, for use on equipment on bases & easy to see of there had been any pilfering in the stores.
The Broad Arrow, also known as a "Pheon" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_arrow

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Old 11th Jul 2018, 7:53 pm   #17
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard_FM View Post
It's interesting that GEC used MK plugs rather than their own ones, which were square in shape with 2 largish grooves on the sides for grips IIRC.
Yes, very interesting, prehaps that MK were better quality than GEC and they knew that, but didn't want to openly admit it?

Regards

Leo

Last edited by Electricawe; 11th Jul 2018 at 7:55 pm. Reason: Adding more info
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 8:10 pm   #18
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

I have both the plugs in the picture.
The one on the right looks as it could be the old Granada logo as in my avatar, but of course it's not.
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 8:19 pm   #19
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

I have always been a big fan of the MK plugs I bought many of them and fitted them to most appliances in the 80s when my daughter was a toddler to protect little fingers. After the introduction of moulded plugs they were reserved for higher power items needing a plug and the odd moulded plug that overheated. I also rescued them from scrapped appliances and among those I have them with MK, Hotpoint and SWEB (Local Electric CO) logos.
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 8:31 pm   #20
Electricawe
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Default Re: MK Plugs and their various designs.

Nice, could you show us some photos of those Hotopint and SWEB plugs please, I have seen a SWEB plug before, but not MK ,I think it was a legrand. I have always been a fan of MK too, always been quality, that little more expensive, but still

Regards

Leo
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