power strip project completed

Looks pretty good. But the ground pins should be UP and not DOWN, = according=20 to some advice.

I thought this was a new requirement of the code, but perhaps not.

It makes some sense to have the ground pin UP, in case the plug is not = fully=20 engaged and a piece of metal such as a coat hanger or knife happens to = fall=20 onto the pins. If it strikes the ground pin only, it will be safe to = touch,=20 and if it also contacts the live pin, it will cause a short which should =

trip the breaker. However, some (most?) angle cords are made so that = they=20 work best with outlets having the ground pin DOWN.

Not a big issue, and your project appears to have solved your problem=20 admirably.

And here's a cool gizmo:=20

and:=20 e/B0009HKEXM

(I think) some wall-warts now have an outlet built in so you don't lose = a=20 receptacle. But you can't stack very many wall-warts on top of each = other.

Paul=20

Last time I checked, it wasn't. But, if you look in places like hospitals, you will note the ground is UP. In residences, people seem to like the "smiley face"version with it DOWN.

(When I replaced ours, I made them all UP)

Exactly.

Yes. Though even this isn't universally true. I made a point of replacing cords on dishwasher, disposal, refrigerator, etc. to select cords with ground UP so the cord's natural repose would be downward.

The power strip I mounted in this "email" workstation has outlets positioned so that (straight) cords can trail downwards as well as (typical) wall warts plugged into the side to similarly trail downwards. (I couldn't mount a power strip to the underside of the worksurface as I typically do)

My understanding is that the receptacle should be mounted so that the ground pin which is longer, would be the last to disconnect, This depends on how high the receptacle is mounted . Ordinarily this would be with the ground pin down,

M

That was the rationale I used in my initial assessment. But, even that doesn't give you a reliable way of resolving the issue: is a (typically) low-mounted outlet more likely to encounter stress on a plugged cord from *below* or above? If you trip over a cord, then the force might be (slightly) downward -- depending on the cord's length and the point ast which you snagged it. OTOH, if you had tugged on it with hands (even stooped over), then the force would tend to be upward. And how do you resolve countertop outlets? Outlets mounted below the counter?

Then, I considered the "what if something drops onto partially exposed pins?" rationale...

At about the same time, I had the (ahem) "privilege" of being a guest in a local E.R. and used the (copious!) idle time to survey how *they* did things...

I never heard of the ground pin up, but it makes perfect sense. I wonder why nobody thought of that sooner?

FWIW, you can get DeOxit at Fry's as an aerosol.

Cause it's would be hard to read my Kill-A-Wait upside down? I also have a radio shack programmable timer that is three prong that would be difficult to use.

Cheers

I have those two items as well. I use the killawatt in a power strip. For the timers, I pull them from the wall to set them, but the timers would probably tip outwards if upside down.

I was going to mention some devices are set up that way.

I had seen the reversed outlet for years working in a medical research/ hospital environment. That's the way i install any new outlets in the house.

Greg

snip

How sad. The image is copyrighted? As if someone would want to copy your image OR your power strip. (neither of which are "copyright-able", btw.

Oh, and it is TWO, 10 outlet strips, NOT one, 20 outlet strip.

Intrepid indeed. For the rest of the world. You cannot even perform simple math.

Where are the guts pictures so we can see what your wiring prowess is?

You think there are "top secrets" in there too? Jeez.

Ooops!I forgot the link!

Spoken like one who has been married as long as I have ;-) ...Jim Thompson

-- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at

| 1962 | I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

BubbleSorter expounded in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Perhaps this has already been discussed but the spacing of the outlets is too close together. These things need more space between them for all the stupid wallwarts that you have to use these days.

For this very reason I have a 2x4 with nothing but single inline power strips on it in my basement work area/library. The outlets all face out (as the above does) so that the wallwarts can hang off of it. It sits on the floor between the desk and the wall.

But as usual, several outlets are wasted due to the wallwart size in width. Some strips are better than others in this regard but it remains an optimization problem every time I have to add one more.

Did I mention I hate wallwarts?

Warren.

I've found it prudent to arrange outlets so that cables plug in from BELOW. When the outlet faces up, you run the risk of things -- CONDUCTIVE things -- falling into them. Since I have lots of kit under my worksurfaces, it's usually a bit of an adventure navigating around under there. And, not well lit! I.e., too easy to stumble across/onto something sticking out of a live outlet (e.g., a discrete component, a pin, a nail, etc.)

Most of the wallwarts (here) are for PC peripherals. Since each PC has a UPS, the wallwarts end up being distributed among UPS's and not cluttering up the other outlets.

I've also found several different length power cables (1', 3', etc.) that help manage the tangle, there.

And, I've found keeping a long-ish (12') power cable plugged into a spare outlet is handy for the occasional item that you need to plug in -- without having to *find* the power strip, etc. (they make a short "adapter cord" that converts a power cable into a single *outlet* -- for those devices that don't accept a regular power cable)

And "bricks" aren't that far behind on my sh*tlist!!

Here is a nice idea:

They now sell duplex receptacles with that "pivot" feature. (though it won't help the *spacing* issue!)

I've never been comfortable with power connections that aren't "fixed" -- especially when they are the sort of mass produced crap that you *know* skims on SOMETHING (everything?).

I inherited a "cord reel" some years ago. 100' of #12-3 on a large, metal reel (so you can wind it up like a garden hose). I dismantled it (to see how it was built) *before* I ever trusted it in use! :> (sizable brushes and slip rings as its heavy metal fabrication would have suggested to a more "trusting" me! :> )

[It has since proven invaluable when I need a large tool (e.g., jackhammer/breaker) somewhere in the yard/street. But, a real chore to *lug* around -- I need to put some large wheels on it so it can be pushed instead of carried!]

Yep... Been through it more than once

--
Dave M
A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after
that is the beginning of a new argument.

and you needed to include 130+ lines of other posts just to ask that of the O/P?

There WAS a time when it mattered.

There was even a time when idiots who remained on slow connections were given the benefit of the doubt.

That time has passed. Nobody gives a fat flying f*ck how much of what anyone quoted when.

You should concern yourself with more important endeavors.