Euro Grounding Plug Question

This has the country lists for either. It's in German but just scroll down:

So countries where your kludge most likely will not work would be the UK and Ireland (they got some really weird monster plugs), Denmark, Italy and Switzerland.

As for polarity I don't know, I lived mostly in countries with the external contacts so no polarity there.

And don't forget to turn stuff to 230V. I once did with a razor. Phssst ... BANG.

I just picked up a Euro style plug (continental) at the local parts shoppe. Its a two round prong plus side grounding contacts at top and bottom. Upon closer inspection, it also appears to have a socket at the

I've seen two hole receptacles. I've also seen the ones with the recess and the side ground contact. Where to they hace a recepacle with two holes (at 3 and 9 o'clock) for hot and neutral and a pin at 12 for ground? Since there is only one pin, this could suggest that the plug/receptacle may be polarized. If so, which side of the receptacle (looking into the receptacle) would be neutral and which hot? In countries that use the side grounding contacts, I understand that there is no defined polarization. Correct?

The brand name on the plug is Legrand.

I may burn in hell for this, but I'm goint over to that side of the pond and I'm making my own adapter from a USA 3-way extension cord head and this plug.

You'll find the English language version here:

It's Schuko, short form for Schutzkontakt (protection contact).

In Germany and other countries there isn't much of a convention which side is hot because you can plug them in either way.

Am I missing something - aren't both sides hot? In the US, the only way you can tell the diffference in a 240V plug between the red and black wires would require a clock that is accurate to better than 4 milliseconds absolute.

Tam

Yes.

Germany must use the recessed socket with a side ground contact, so the plug (with top and bottom side contacts) can be flipped and hot and neutral are reversible. Wherever they use the 'Schuko' (as described above), I don't think the plug could be reversed. If the neutral is at 9 o'clock, hot is at 3 o'clock and ground is a pin at 12, the plug would not be capable of reversal.

From this description, the Schuko is the reversible plug/socket with side ground contacts and must be non-polarized. What I have is a hybrid Schuko/French plug (bottom photo).

I have a multi-way (British, Continental, US, Australian) input/output plug adapter. But it only handles one plug, so I'm making a short extension cord with a triple receptacle head to accomodate my entire menagerie of gizmos.

Everything I have has a SMPS with a 100-240V range, no switching required.

This is the Schuko (Schutzkontakt, = protection (ground) contact).

Of course it can. It can't be reversed with the outlets that have the ground sticking out at 12 o'clock (possibly French), but those aren't called Schuko. Virtually all modern Schuko plugs have that extra receptacle, though, because it's compatible with the Schuko geometry.

robert

Hint: Legrand is (or used to be) a French company.

In France, the wall mounted plugs have two holes for live and neutral and a prong for earth. As to which side is neutral and which is hot, well, there must be a "standard" somewhere but NEVER trust it. All devices here are designed to cope with wichever way the wall mounted plug is wired.

I see from the link above that the plug is rated at 16A. I don't think I would stand too close when it is carrying that much current. Give me a CeeForm 16A plug any day.

LOL! We live a dangerous live here, ain't we?

In most places it can because the wall outlets have the side contacts.

Also, even if there was a polarity plus a standard I would never ever rely on it. Even in the US it's done wrong at times. When we bought our house we sent an inspector through and, whoopdidou, sure enough he found one that had been wrong polarity sind 25 years, hot on the wide contact.

Yep, it's to reduce parts variety in the stock room because this plug fits in countries with the single prongs as well as those with side contacts.

Be careful in the UK and Ireland. In some places there it can peak a lot higher than that.

Those have become more popular in Europe because they work in more countries and thus reduce inventory.

Try a 1900VA PSU from a logic analyser :-))