David Looser wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote

From what I've
seen of European connectors, I wouldn't use one anywhere. We had to use
them in the Earth Stations we built for the European Space Agency. We
had them ship us what they wanted used, then had to fight with it to
find enough usable hardware. The outlets we used on US turnkey were
steel Wiremold outlet strips. They sent us pairs of sockets that had to
be wired and mounted inside the racks. It looked like the crap imported
from China for flea markets. No inspect for US use, and the connectors
are incompatible with the US market. Some had a tiny expanded scale 250
voltmeter that displayed 200 to 250 volts. They wondered why only
foreign tourist were buying the crap.


This all seems as pointless as Dave's slagging-off of US sockets. But some
of what you've written makes little sense. Why should items intended for ESA
earth stations need to be inspected for US use?


Where did I say that they were? All the hardware met US standards
before it was installed in racks for shipment. One system was installed
into a European miltary style trailer, and had to have the wiring
complete and ready to plug into the mobile generator that was to be
hauled behind the communications system. Both were to be hauled by a
classic Duce& a half, or similar sized vehicle when a launch was
scheduled. The other system was pre cabled so their techs uncrated the
full racks on site, plugged the labed harneses to the racks, and had
their electricain connect it to the facility's power system. that's the
entire concept of a 'Turnkey Installation' A couple hours after it was
delivered, it was fully operational, instead of them spend six months or
more wireing and testing, then calibrating the system.


And of course they are incompatible with the US market, they are meant
meant to be compatible with a European standard, wasn't that why the
ESA specified them?


Isn't that obvious? They wanted what they are used to using.
Wouldn't you? Just like the Ku band system we built for the ISS. Based
on a Microdyne 700 series Telemetry system, but shipped with 48 VDC
power supplies instead of the standard 120/240 volt AC supplies. A
stanard AC plug for any country would be useless.


I'm also confused by your reference to "foreign tourists", since when have
tourists bought earth stations?


When have you ever seen brand new, custom built US $8,000,000 earth
stations for sale at a flea market? You are in such a hurry to find
fault that you don't bother to consider the meanuing of the text.
'Foreign tourists' here on vacation were buying them in Florida and
taking them to Europe becasue they were a lot cheaper than similar items
in the UK.


And finally since when have socket outlets included voltmeters?


Since China sold them. I could probably go to a flea market annd
take a picture of one, if you need convinced that they exist. Even
then, you would probably claim they were fakes.

--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.