(power) Outlet Strips

Hi,

I need an (US) outlet strip that is capable of supporting a large number of wall warts. The cables from the wall warts should all exit in the same direction -- *normal* to the outlet strip. This also places a constraint on how closely spaced the outlets should be (I don't want a wall wart to interfere with an outlet on either side of the outlet that it occupies!)

The strip can't be longer than 3 ft (though I could purchase a couple to get the number of outlets I need). The power cord should exit to the side or out the end (NOT out the "face"!).

[I need these in multiples of 12 outlets -- but can do those as 6+6]

Ideally, fabricated out of metal so I can disassemble it and install individual power switches per outlet (expecting the outlet strip to have switches just sets the bar too high!).

This sort of thing *looked* appropriate: note the orientation of the outlets and their spacing.

OTOH, *this* sucks because of the orientation *and* spacing:

However, I've already disassembled a similar one (to the x1up) and discovered that the internal configuration is essentially a large, monolithic assembly (remove the metal skin and what you see is essentially the same)! Not feasible to modify in any way!

[The unit I disassembled was also too long -- but, I figured I could always trim it down *if* that had been the only thing wrong with it!]

On (under) my lab benches, I use outlet strips similar to:

The units that I have allow the individual outlets to be removed (press fit with latches) and reoriented (because the holes are square and not rectangular -- unlike wiremold strips!). But, the outlets are far too close together (every other one would be obscured)

In past searches, I'd found a 4 outlet device that was intended for this sort of application (it even had clamps that would hold the individual wall warts in place!) but it was pricey ($50) and *only* handled 4 outlets.

It is amazing that such a beast doesn't appear to exist! :< I've got a note in to a friend to see if he can fabricate some out of U-channel for me as that seems to be the only way to get something suitably robust (not this tin crap) with the desired spacing (hello Mr. Greenlee!) and orientation.

Has anyone seen anything similar?

Thx,

--don

Reply to
Don Y
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8 or 16 outlets...

Cheers

Reply to
Martin Riddle

--------------------------------------^^^^^^

No. The outlets need to be rotated 90 degrees...

Reply to
Don Y

Some alternatives come to mind:

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Reply to
mpm

Unacceptable. Where do I add the switches, etc.? I want an outlet strip into which the wall warts will plug directly. Widest wall wart is ~2.625"

Equally unacceptable would be an "octopus"/"medusa" gig.

Yes, this is the unit that I had previously encountered. I had misremembered it as *four* outlets (5 outlets for $50 isn't much better than 4... esp if you'd need three of them for each set of 12 :< )

Reply to
Don Y

I made my own: That's 9 wall warts in a single power strip. I removed the top 3 smaller wall wart so that the cube taps are visible.

--
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com 
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Not exactly what you want, but you can get a number of COTS switch/outlet combination units. Leviton 109-05225-WSP for instance. Then you can get electrical boxes that you can gang to hold all the outlets.

This will get you close to what you want, but the wall warts will be hanging over the bottom of the box. A commercial electrical supply house has suitable chassis punches and can make you a cover.

Before power strips were a common item, I built out of these. Probably in the 70s. However I used one switch to turn off all the sockets.

Reply to
miso

Not exactly what you want, but you can get a number of COTS switch/outlet combination units. Leviton 109-05225-WSP for instance. Then you can get electrical boxes that you can gang to hold all the outlets.

This will get you close to what you want, but the wall warts will be hanging over the bottom of the box. A commercial electrical supply house has suitable chassis punches and can make you a cover.

Before power strips were a common item, I built out of these. Probably in the 70s. However I used one switch to turn off all the sockets.

Reply to
miso

In defense of Furman, they do make nice stuff, but not cheap. They service the audio/home=theater crowd.

Reply to
miso

Martin gives a link for. Which one do you want?

Even if you want the wall warts to hang off the side, if the outlets are spaced widely enough who cares?

--

Rick
Reply to
rickman

Oh, I'm not saying it's "bad" -- just pricey for what you're getting (some outlets).

I am just amused that this is such a hard item to locate! I'm half tempted to just build a large power supply with multiple switched leads and replace *all* the wall warts!

Of course, having the outlets "inline" is much easier to mass produce: just run one conductor down each side of the strip and one down the center. The unit that I disassembled had actually not even bothered with wire but, instead, had fashioned a 12-plex "outlet" out of plastic and sheets of formed copper in much the same way that a duplex outlet is fabricated internally.

(I.e., any attempt by me to modify it would have compromised its mechanical integrity)

Reply to
Don Y

Won't fit in the space I have available.

I want to mount them across the back of a bench such that the power "cords" (from the wall warts) dangle "naturally". Yet, be able to keep the bench pushed up close to the wall (currently about 4 inches away). Add toggle/rocker switches across the top so I can reach back and just flick the switches for the wall warts that I am interested in.

Reply to
Don Y

Clever approach! I could use shallow "switch boxes" (barely enough volume units to satisfy Code) and edge-stack them. That would give me about

2" center-to-center spacing.

I was thinking of some heavy aluminum U-channel -- perhaps from a door frame (e.g., "brushed aluminum" finish) and chassis punch holes in it. You'd have to pick individual outlets that you could manually "wire" and not something intended for mass production (with crimped contacts, etc.)

The problem would be finding a bottom for such a thing -- another piece of smaller U-channel to slip inside it??

Reply to
Don Y

They make combination outlet/switch in a single size duplex outlet form factor. You could construct your own outlet strip rather easily with those. I have seen benches wired with such outlet strips under the shelf that is usually part of the bench. You can even get them with pilot lights in the switches.

I did a little searching on eBay and found this. No switches, but it looks like it would have room.

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--

Rick
Reply to
rickman

and in horizontal array, with room for switches I've used Plugmold strips for this kind of thing, but always vertically (they aren't your preferred orientation).

The same outfit, offers this:

Reply to
whit3rd

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I would just go with COTS. [Which is what I did back in the day. I still have the thing somewhere.]

Carlon has a plastic system that will do 10-gang.

AI-FEN 102 if that links doesn't make it.

Get a shop to punch the plate. You should have it built in an hour. You could drop the ganged box into some sexy box if you really want a project. At least the ganged box will make the basic assembly go quickly.

I can't find them on the net, but I used a metal outlet box that you could gang together forever. The sides come off. It is slightly difficult to remember something I built 3 to 4 decades ago. The only home wiring I ever do is with those blue plastic boxes.

When I got the house I'm in now, it had this weird 4 gang switch scheme with some fancy wooden plate. But the spacing just wasn't right. Fancy or not, it bugged me. Eventually I got in the mood to see what the previous owner did. He connected two 2-gang outlets, hence the funny spacing. I put in a 4 gang (easy part) and repaired the plaster board (hard part). [So much for those home inspectors.]

There are two people that are allowed to wire a house. One is a licensed electrician. The other is the idiot home owner.

Reply to
miso

That looks fine. Harbor Freight has those three way power plugs, but they go in the wrong direction.

Reply to
miso

Use the switched outlets like miso suggested, and just buy a length of metal Wiremold to put them in. That's pretty much what they make it for, running wires and outlets along the outside of walls when you can't hide them inside. Get it from an industrial electrical supply outlet, along with a snap on cover, end plates, and the outlet brackets and cover plates. They have brackets and covers for all the common things; I built a power strip for a piece of equipment that had circuit breakers, switches, 110 V 15 A outlets, 220 V 15 A outlets, and a power cord strain relief coming out one end. Looked nice.

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mcmaster.com, and/or alliedelec.com probably have them in the online catalogs if you want to browse. Won't be the cheapest solution but you should be able to make exactly what you want.

Clever approach! I could use shallow "switch boxes" (barely enough volume units to satisfy Code) and edge-stack them. That would give me about

2" center-to-center spacing.

I was thinking of some heavy aluminum U-channel -- perhaps from a door frame (e.g., "brushed aluminum" finish) and chassis punch holes in it. You'd have to pick individual outlets that you could manually "wire" and not something intended for mass production (with crimped contacts, etc.)

The problem would be finding a bottom for such a thing -- another piece of smaller U-channel to slip inside it??

Reply to
Carl Ijames

Way back in the day we had something like that on a 19" rack mount. Lot's of hits when I search for "19" rack mount power strips"... some even have switches. I'm guessing you won't like the price. But maybe you can find something.

George H.

Reply to
George Herold

Make your own with the outlets $0.75 each free shipping.

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This will work, if your space will allow. Has switches and outlets in the correct orientation. $69.00

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Mikek

Reply to
amdx

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