Terry Casey wrote:

Andy Burns says...

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/retrak...83932-pdt.html

A bit late in the day, perhaps, with so many laptops now using earthed
'clover leaf' connectors?

I must admit I much prefer the figure-of-eight connector.

The mains charger that was supplied with my Dell laptop had a
cloverleaf, but I purchased the Dell travel charger which is 1) much
smaller and lighter, 2) can run from 12V or 110-240V and 3) uses a
figure-of-8 connector.

£15 quid is a bit steep, but I picked up one anyway, works nicely, I
think I will end up discarding the retracting reel, it adds too much bulk.

On Tue, 3 Jan 2012 18:42:22 +0000, J. P. Gilliver (John)
wrote:

I agree, the BS1363 plug is not my favourite design. Some years ago there

It is far too big for most of the devices currently on it, yes - and
also, the three ratings for the matching fuse (BS1362) widely available
are far too high: 3, 5, and 13A. (Even 1A - which you _can_ get in
BS1362, but you don't half have to hunt for it

Huh? RS have 1,2,3,5,7,10,13 readily available. This is not what
I'd call "half having to hunt for".

- is too high for most
electronic appliances.) IMO, the fact that the plugs are fused actually
gives a _false_ sense of security, _because_ the fuse ratings are so
high; all that fuse can effectively protect is the mains lead (or power
cord, as it's called in US) itself.

The fuse is only *designed* to protect the mains lead, not the device to
which the lead is connected. That's what the device's internal fuse is for.

In article ,
Jerry wrote:
Because it can get accidentally switched off due to stuff being
moved or pushed to the back of the cupboard!

You keep your fridge in a cupboard?

Stick some gaffer tape over the switch.

--
*Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article , Terry Casey
wrote:
On the other hand, why have laptop manufacturers started supplying their
fully isolated PSUs with 3-pin connectors?

Because if they supplied them with anything else in the UK, you'd need to
buy an adaptor as well.


I'm not sure what you mean by that. Are you implying that it is no
longer legal in the UK to supply equipment with twin flex (and matching
2-pole connector)?

I wasn't implying anything at all about what's legal, because I don't know, but
I do know that if you want to plug an electrical appliance into a wall socket
in the UK, it needs to have a 3 pin UK plug on it. Therefore if they put any
other kind of plug on it, you'd have to use an adaptor.

Rod.
--
Virtual Access V6.3 free usenet/email software from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/virtual-access/

On Wed, 4 Jan 2012 19:51:51 -0000, Terry Casey
wrote:

In article en.co.uk,
says...

In article , Terry
Casey wrote:
On the other hand, why have laptop manufacturers started supplying their
fully isolated PSUs with 3-pin connectors?

Because if they supplied them with anything else in the UK, you'd need to
buy an adaptor as well.


I'm not sure what you mean by that. Are you implying that it is no
longer legal in the UK to supply equipment with twin flex (and matching
2-pole connector)?

Nothing to do with legality, just practicability. If you want to sell
goods in the UK market, it is a pretty good idea to supply them with a
UK mains plug. Adaptors are for when you travel, not at home. One
current exception is mains-powered shavers (only a few left now), that
use a two-pin plug specifically designed for an isolated bathroom
connector.

A friend of mine has recently built a new house and her wiring has in
one room - quite legally - an old-fashioned 5-amp round pin socket.

d

Don Pearce wrote:

A friend of mine has recently built a new house and her wiring has in
one room - quite legally - an old-fashioned 5-amp round pin socket.

The Landmark Trust still use these extensively, including in newly restored
properties. They're on the lighting circuit, I was told.

André Coutanche

"Roderick Stewart"
wrote in message
.myzen.co.uk...
: In article
, Terry
Casey
: wrote:
: On the other hand, why have laptop manufacturers started
supplying their
: fully isolated PSUs with 3-pin connectors?
:
: Because if they supplied them with anything else in the UK,
you'd need to
: buy an adaptor as well.
:
:
: I'm not sure what you mean by that. Are you implying that it
is no
: longer legal in the UK to supply equipment with twin flex
(and matching
: 2-pole connector)?
:
: I wasn't implying anything at all about what's legal, because I
don't know, but
: I do know that if you want to plug an electrical appliance into
a wall socket
: in the UK, it needs to have a 3 pin UK plug on it. Therefore if
they put any
: other kind of plug on it, you'd have to use an adaptor.
:

Except Terry was talking about the *female* plug on the end of
the power lead that is inserted into the PSU... The plug that is
inserted into the wall socket, AIUI, those have and will always
be local to the official area of sale - otherwise, in your own
words, an adapter would be required. Duh! :~)
--
Regards, Jerry.

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
: On Wed, 4 Jan 2012 19:51:51 -0000, Terry Casey
: wrote:
:
snip
:
: Nothing to do with legality, just practicability. If you want
to sell
: goods in the UK market, it is a pretty good idea to supply them
with a
: UK mains plug. Adaptors are for when you travel, not at home.
One
: current exception is mains-powered shavers (only a few left
now), that
: use a two-pin plug specifically designed for an isolated
bathroom
: connector.

Not sure what Terry means by "Mains Powered" (only 240v ?), there
seems to be quite a few "mains powered" razors still being sold,
many do have rechargeable batteries but still come with a two pin
power lead for use in UK isolated shaver outlets to allow for
recharging. In fact IIRC MK actually make, for the *UK market*
two pin shaver outlets /without/ a isolating transformer for
fitting into non-hazardous areas such as bedrooms and dressing
rooms.

:
: A friend of mine has recently built a new house and her wiring
has in
: one room - quite legally - an old-fashioned 5-amp round pin
socket.
:

....and very useful they are too, allowing for remote operation of
non fixed lighting.
Their 15A round pin cousins are still legal too, of course they
have to be installed on radial circuits, one such use is on
emersion heaters were the control switch is remote from the water
tanks location, thus enabling a definite DP isolation to be
achieved when servicing/repair is required.
--
Regards, Jerry.

"Paul Ratcliffe" wrote in
message ...
: On Tue, 3 Jan 2012 18:42:22 +0000, J. P. Gilliver (John)
: wrote:
:
: I agree, the BS1363 plug is not my favourite design. Some
years ago there
:
: It is far too big for most of the devices currently on it,
yes - and
: also, the three ratings for the matching fuse (BS1362) widely
available
: are far too high: 3, 5, and 13A. (Even 1A - which you _can_
get in
: BS1362, but you don't half have to hunt for it
:
: Huh? RS have 1,2,3,5,7,10,13 readily available. This is not
what
: I'd call "half having to hunt for".

Except that if you said "RS" to most of the UK's population they
would either look back blankly or think of a Ford motor car that
was popular in the 1970s and '80s. Again Mr Ratcliffe shows that
he lives only in a bubble of techo-babble speak...

:
: - is too high for most
: electronic appliances.) IMO, the fact that the plugs are
fused actually
: gives a _false_ sense of security, _because_ the fuse ratings
are so
: high; all that fuse can effectively protect is the mains lead
(or power
: cord, as it's called in US) itself.
:
: The fuse is only *designed* to protect the mains lead, not the
device to
: which the lead is connected. That's what the device's internal
fuse is for.

Assuming it has one, most domestic appliances don't. Again Mr
Ratcliffe shows that he lives only in a bubble of techo-babble
speak...
--
Regards, Jerry.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
: In article ,
: Jerry wrote:
: Because it can get accidentally switched off due to stuff
being
: moved or pushed to the back of the cupboard!
:
: You keep your fridge in a cupboard?

Err, news:alt.troll is that away Mr Plowman ===

But heck, you have kitchen cupboards that you don't put anything
in?!

:
: Stick some gaffer tape over the switch.
:

Oh right, so your solution is a bodge on a bodge, rather than
doing the job right first time?