HPM inline power socket

Looks crap to me - maybe you need to put crimp "eye" terminals on the cable :)

I have seen 3 pin plugs that have similar problems too.

I thought about that. But how hard does this need to be?

You mean like the HPM plug I bought at the same time? :(

Sylvia.

"kreed"

I have seen 3 pin plugs that have similar problems too.

** The Clipsal series 418 ( side entry ) 10amp plug is a good one in all major respects.

Pretty much a closed back version of the now very hard to get 463 series "piggy back" plugs.

Who remembers the disastrous clear ( acrylic?) version of the 463 that fractured and exposed live bits so easily ??

.... Phil

Any recommendation as to an in-line socket I can get instead?

Arlec make one, but there's no indication on their web site as to how the wires are attached.

Sylvia.

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That was a design failure - one of its features was that the back would break straight off if anyone pulled on or tripped over the cord.

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l s

Considering the high typical cost of these sockets, and depending on what you are using it for, I would buy a cheap extension cord from the supermarket, and cut the end off, along with the required amount of cord, which you then attach to whatever you want it to connect to.

The plug (male) end, you can always use as a plug and cord for your next project.

Unfortunately, that's the process I'm pretty much in the middle of. I'd bought a long extension cable to use with my generator, but having decided to run the latter in a different place, find that the cable is unmanageably long. So I thought I'd turn it into two extension cables.

I bought a plug and socket, but before I realise the problem I'd have with the socket, I'd cut the cable such that I need to attach the socket to get the length I want - the other piece is shorter.

Sylvia.

That was a design failure - one of its features was that the back would break straight off if anyone pulled on or tripped over the cord.

** Huh ??

The plug would pull right out of the socket first.

.... Phil

all

The only good thing about these plugs (IMHO) was that you could see at a glance that the plug was wired correctly.

Sometimes they didn't pull out because the cord came out the side, this could tilt the plug, sometimes causing the pins to "jam" in the socket and not come out easily, under the right circumstances, like a very sharp, sudden pull of the cord. From what I saw, the clear plastic back cracked either in half or totally, this would put the wires coming directly out back and the plug would then come out. The clear plastic didn't seem to have the strength (and would crack rather than flex) of the usual black/grey/white ones in use. These seemed more flexible and wouldn't crack easily.

It may have taken many times this happening for it to finally break for all I know.

After seeing plugs damaged like this on 2 occasions, one with a live terminal exposed, and several others with cracks in the clear covers that I suspected were caused by pulling out the plug by using the cord, we never used them since and went to the Clipsal 439. These always come out of the socket when the cord is pulled, as the cord entry is in the centre of the back.

9S&ref=3D

"kreed" "Phil Allison"

The only good thing about these plugs (IMHO) was that you could see at a glance that the plug was wired correctly.

** They are made from white or grey plastic and very tough.

There is no clear version.

.... Phil

After a lot of fiddling, I've managed to achieve a workable attachment, which will be OK given my intended use. However, there's no way I'd want to give the resulting cable to someone else, because I'd have no confidence that it will remain secure in the long term.

Sylvia.

Sylvia. Why don't you contact HPM and inform of your problem? Unless of course you are too embarrassed. I and my colleagues have wired hundreds of the bloody things. Agreed they could be a tad better, but really they are not that much of a hassle. Each to his own. Tell you what though. The screw looks that is upside down!!!

I have. I've also contacted the department of fair trading on the question of whether the product should be withdrawn from sale as being unsafe.

The screw is definitely in the correct orientation. Perhaps the ones you've been wiring are different.

Sylvia.

Stupider than Anyone Else

** Waste of time with those pricks.

The product has been safety approved by a government sanctioned testing and approvals lab - probably in China.

Only thing an ordinary citizen could do is have a lab here in Australia look at it and get their opinion on whether it passes the Australian standards - then ( assuming it is negative) show that info to Fair Trading and the minister too.

.... Phil

n

I just looked and the plug I referred to is indeed a 418 with a white body and a clear plastic back. These would have been bought in the

1990s though and may have been discontinued since then.

I tried it in a socket, pulled firmly on the cord and it didn't come out, it jammed the plastic back began to crack.

I think I still have several new ones in the shed and am happy to send you one if you want to test it.

I have also seen the grey body & back version, and agree that they are fine.

Could be. They got back to me, and asked for a bit more information, but I'm not holding my breath.

Oh well, I've done as much as I can reasonably be expected to do on seeing a safety issue.

Sylvia.

tion

If you were the average consumer, they would probably ignore, on the basis that you weren't qualified to wire it. ?

"kreed" "Phil Allison"

I just looked and the plug I referred to is indeed a 418 with a white body and a clear plastic back. These would have been bought in the

1990s though and may have been discontinued since then.

** Must be rare birds.

I tried it in a socket, pulled firmly on the cord and it didn't come out, it jammed the plastic back began to crack.

** Bad design.

I think I still have several new ones in the shed and am happy to send you one if you want to test it.

** OK - I believe you, if it has a clear acrylic back it's a POS.

I have also seen the grey body & back version, and agree that they are fine.

** The old piggy back 463s that were clear acrylic were very vulnerable to someone yanking a plug in the back out sideways - that tended to rip the back cover open around one or more or the pin holes.

Whatever approvals lab passed the horrible things needed a boot up the backside.

..... Phil

How do you know?

I hate to say but I think you are wrong. The head of the screw always screws down on to the clamp. Gives more surface area on the clamp for a start. And for the life of me how do you get a driver into the head when it's underneath the clamp without taking it all apart. Did you show HPM your little piccy? What was their comment? DFT won't be much help as all HPM stuff is submitted for test by the ASA. If they say OK then my friend it's OK. Have you thought that the little chinaman on assembly got it wrong. I believe if you really had shown HPM that plug top in that state they would be on to it like a rocket.