Does anyone know of a source of mains leads with an IEC C14 *male* connector
on one end and a UK mains socket (or distribution block with several UK
sockets) on the other end?

This is to allow equipment with a UK mains plug (eg wall-wart power supply)
to be connected to a UPS which only has IEC C13 outputs.

On Mon, 5 May 2008 16:31:54 +0100, Mortimer 
wrote the following to uk.comp.misc:

> Does anyone know of a source of mains leads with an IEC C14 *male* connector
> on one end and a UK mains socket (or distribution block with several UK
> sockets) on the other end?
>
> This is to allow equipment with a UK mains plug (eg wall-wart power supply)
> to be connected to a UPS which only has IEC C13 outputs.

Get yourself one of these from Maplin and add the cables you need:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1360&criteria=iec&doy=6m5


mh.
-- 
http://www.nukesoft.co.uk
http://personal.nukesoft.co.uk

From address is a blackhole. Reply-to address is valid.

Mortimer wrote:

> Does anyone know of a source of mains leads with an IEC C14 *male*
> connector on one end and a UK mains socket (or distribution block with
> several UK sockets) on the other end?
> 
> This is to allow equipment with a UK mains plug (eg wall-wart power
> supply) to be connected to a UPS which only has IEC C13 outputs.

Well, there's this:

http://tinyurl.com/5wwu3a

but you might not like the price!

This might suit you better:

http://tinyurl.com/6kytea

(Both found in the first five hits of Googling IEC C14 BTW).

Chris

-- 
Remove prejudice to reply.

"Mortimer"  wrote in message 
news:J9OdneMJbOWMEoLVnZ2dnUVZ8qClnZ2d@plusnet...
> Does anyone know of a source of mains leads with an IEC C14 *male* 
> connector
> on one end and a UK mains socket (or distribution block with several UK
> sockets) on the other end?
>
> This is to allow equipment with a UK mains plug (eg wall-wart power 
> supply)
> to be connected to a UPS which only has IEC C13 outputs.
>

I just managed to get hold of a UPS that has a 13A socket on the back (well, 
it's actually a design that accepts UK 13A plugs as well as continental 2 
pin and US 2 and 3 pin).  It's a 500VA unit with buck and boost when on 
mains power.

And I got change out of £15 to boot.

"M.I.5¾"  wrote in message 
news:4822e059$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...
>
> "Mortimer"  wrote in message 
> news:J9OdneMJbOWMEoLVnZ2dnUVZ8qClnZ2d@plusnet...
>> Does anyone know of a source of mains leads with an IEC C14 *male* 
>> connector
>> on one end and a UK mains socket (or distribution block with several UK
>> sockets) on the other end?
>>
>> This is to allow equipment with a UK mains plug (eg wall-wart power 
>> supply)
>> to be connected to a UPS which only has IEC C13 outputs.
>>
>
> I just managed to get hold of a UPS that has a 13A socket on the back 
> (well, it's actually a design that accepts UK 13A plugs as well as 
> continental 2 pin and US 2 and 3 pin).  It's a 500VA unit with buck and 
> boost when on mains power.
>
> And I got change out of £15 to boot.

A 500 VA UPS for under £15? Second hand?

I went to Maplin to buy a C14 connector and a four-way mains distribution 
block. Having taken the plug off the distribution block cable, I spent the 
best part of an hour fitting the C14 because its terminals were the sort 
where you wrap the wire round the screw and use the screw head to sandwich 
the wire against the terminal - which is iffy at the best of times and is 
prone to the wire coming out as you tighten the screw if there's no washer 
fitted, which there wasn't. If only they'd used the more conventional 
teminal with a hole into which you put the wire, and a screw through the 
hole to hold the wire in.

Still, I think I've done a good professional job, after a lot of swearing 
and sweating!

Mortimer wrote:

> "M.I.5¾"  wrote in message
> news:4822e059$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...
>>
>> "Mortimer"  wrote in message
>> news:J9OdneMJbOWMEoLVnZ2dnUVZ8qClnZ2d@plusnet...
>>> Does anyone know of a source of mains leads with an IEC C14 *male*
>>> connector
>>> on one end and a UK mains socket (or distribution block with several UK
>>> sockets) on the other end?
>>>
>>> This is to allow equipment with a UK mains plug (eg wall-wart power
>>> supply)
>>> to be connected to a UPS which only has IEC C13 outputs.
>>>
>>
>> I just managed to get hold of a UPS that has a 13A socket on the back
>> (well, it's actually a design that accepts UK 13A plugs as well as
>> continental 2 pin and US 2 and 3 pin).  It's a 500VA unit with buck and
>> boost when on mains power.
>>
>> And I got change out of £15 to boot.
> 
> A 500 VA UPS for under £15? Second hand?
> 
> I went to Maplin to buy a C14 connector and a four-way mains distribution
> block. Having taken the plug off the distribution block cable, I spent the
> best part of an hour fitting the C14 because its terminals were the sort
> where you wrap the wire round the screw and use the screw head to sandwich
> the wire against the terminal - which is iffy at the best of times and is
> prone to the wire coming out as you tighten the screw if there's no washer
> fitted, which there wasn't. If only they'd used the more conventional
> teminal with a hole into which you put the wire, and a screw through the
> hole to hold the wire in.
> 
> Still, I think I've done a good professional job, after a lot of swearing
> and sweating!

If you had done the job professionally, you would have used an uninsulated
crimp terminal on the end of the flex ;-)

An alternative is to wind a loop around a screwdriver about the same size as
the screw, then fold the end of the wire back on itself. Known in the trade
as a figure four, for obvious reasons!

Chris

-- 
Remove prejudice to reply.

"Chris Whelan"  wrote in message 
news:sdDUj.27665$_k2.11196@newsfe11.ams2...
> Mortimer wrote:
>> I went to Maplin to buy a C14 connector and a four-way mains distribution
>> block. Having taken the plug off the distribution block cable, I spent 
>> the
>> best part of an hour fitting the C14 because its terminals were the sort
>> where you wrap the wire round the screw and use the screw head to 
>> sandwich
>> the wire against the terminal - which is iffy at the best of times and is
>> prone to the wire coming out as you tighten the screw if there's no 
>> washer
>> fitted, which there wasn't. If only they'd used the more conventional
>> teminal with a hole into which you put the wire, and a screw through the
>> hole to hold the wire in.
>>
>> Still, I think I've done a good professional job, after a lot of swearing
>> and sweating!
>
> If you had done the job professionally, you would have used an uninsulated
> crimp terminal on the end of the flex ;-)

There isn't space to fit a crimp terminal (if it's what I think it is) 
because the space between the earth terminal (which was the real bugger to 
fit) and the outer sheath of the cable (which must continue as far as the 
strain relief strip on the plug) is only about 3 mm - very very short; crap 
design of plug! I presume a crimp terminal is a flat disc with a hole it and 
a side tab which is crimped onto the wire.

> An alternative is to wind a loop around a screwdriver about the same size 
> as
> the screw, then fold the end of the wire back on itself. Known in the 
> trade
> as a figure four, for obvious reasons!

Can you draw a diagram of that. I'm trying to visualise it. I wound a loop 
round the screw itself, making it long enough that the wire went all the way 
round the screw and came back to touch the end closest to the insulation. 
But I'm trying to imagine what you're describing with the end of the wire, 
and to see how it prevents the screw from squeezing the wire out from 
between the screw and the terminal.

The live and neutral terminals were easier because the screw part of the 
terminal was surrounded by a plastic wall which prevented the wire being 
squeezed sideways as the screw was tightened.

Mortimer wrote:


> Can you draw a diagram of that. 

Not with ASCII art!

> I'm trying to visualise it. I wound a loop 
> round the screw itself, making it long enough that the wire went all the
> way round the screw and came back to touch the end closest to the
> insulation. But I'm trying to imagine what you're describing with the end
> of the wire, and to see how it prevents the screw from squeezing the wire
> out from between the screw and the terminal.

Wind the wire around the screwdriver until it crosses itself, then bend it
sharply back. It it then firm enough to not open up the loop when you
tighten the screw. A perfectionist would then tin the completed loop. (With
a soldering iron and multicore solder.)

In fact, that method of terminating a flex to a screw terminal was the only
way of doing things before crimps where invented! Oh, apart from
Ross-Courtney terminals, but they date from when Adam was a lad.

Always put the screw through the loop so that tightening will tend to close
the loop rather than open it.

> The live and neutral terminals were easier because the screw part of the
> terminal was surrounded by a plastic wall which prevented the wire being
> squeezed sideways as the screw was tightened.

Another option for a pro would have been a bootlace ferrule then.

Chris

-- 
Remove prejudice to reply.

"Chris Whelan"  wrote in message 
news:BwFUj.91586$SY5.74748@newsfe13.ams2...
> Mortimer wrote:
>
>
>> Can you draw a diagram of that.
>
> Not with ASCII art!
>
>> I'm trying to visualise it. I wound a loop
>> round the screw itself, making it long enough that the wire went all the
>> way round the screw and came back to touch the end closest to the
>> insulation. But I'm trying to imagine what you're describing with the end
>> of the wire, and to see how it prevents the screw from squeezing the wire
>> out from between the screw and the terminal.
>
> Wind the wire around the screwdriver until it crosses itself, then bend it
> sharply back. It it then firm enough to not open up the loop when you
> tighten the screw. A perfectionist would then tin the completed loop. 
> (With
> a soldering iron and multicore solder.)

Bend it away from the centre of the circle? I'm not sure how that prevents 
the loop from opening up as the pressure from being sandwiched between the 
screw and the terminal forces it outwards?

Like this? http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5131/screwandterminaloh1.jpg

I did wonder about tinning the wire to force it to keep the same radius.

> In fact, that method of terminating a flex to a screw terminal was the 
> only
> way of doing things before crimps where invented! Oh, apart from
> Ross-Courtney terminals, but they date from when Adam was a lad.
>
> Always put the screw through the loop so that tightening will tend to 
> close
> the loop rather than open it.

Yes, I'm wise to that one! That's why I was surprised that tightening the 
screw didn't force the loop to tighten (smaller radius) instead of getting 
wider (larger radius).

Crimped terminals would have been a bonus - if I'd thought to buy any and if 
there had been space to fit one with the very close spacing between the 
earth terminal and the cable clamp and hence the outer sheath of the cable.

What should have been a simple five minute job (if the C14 had had terminal 
blocks with holes into which the wires are inserted) turned into a major 
exercise involving ingenuity. The breakthrough came when I found a washer of 
a suitable size that had a dished underside that retained the wire and 
preventing the loop being forced outwards.

Mortimer wrote:


> 
> Like this? http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5131/screwandterminaloh1.jpg

No; the end bent back on itself first needs to go past the wire coming out
of the insulation IYSWIM.

Chris

-- 
Remove prejudice to reply.

"Chris Whelan"  wrote in message 
news:1GGUj.136$Nk5.44@newsfe15.ams2...
> Mortimer wrote:
>
>
>>
>> Like this? http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5131/screwandterminaloh1.jpg
>
> No; the end bent back on itself first needs to go past the wire coming out
> of the insulation IYSWIM.

Oh, like this...

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/2365/image1jy3.jpg

where the blue dashed lines denote one wire underneath another.

So the hooked wire prevents the loop expanding? I'll have to try it. How 
easy is it to achieve a good sharp "hook" with fat 13A-rated multistrand 
wire?

Mortimer wrote:

> 
> "Chris Whelan"  wrote in message
> news:1GGUj.136$Nk5.44@newsfe15.ams2...
>> Mortimer wrote:
>>
>>
>>>
>>> Like this? http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5131/screwandterminaloh1.jpg
>>
>> No; the end bent back on itself first needs to go past the wire coming
>> out of the insulation IYSWIM.
> 
> Oh, like this...
> 
> http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/2365/image1jy3.jpg
> 
> where the blue dashed lines denote one wire underneath another.
>

Yep, that's the way!

> So the hooked wire prevents the loop expanding? I'll have to try it. How
> easy is it to achieve a good sharp "hook" with fat 13A-rated multistrand
> wire?

Actually, you didn't need "13A-rated" cable, which would have needed a csa
of 1.5mm. (The theoretical csa for 13A is 1.25mm, but this is not easily
available.) The plug end of your adaptor is only rated for 10A max, so you
could (and should) have used a flexible cord with a csa of 1mm. This can
easily be terminated with a figure-four loop that would fit on a 3mm screw.

Chris

-- 
Remove prejudice to reply.

"Mortimer"  wrote in message 
news:PrydnURGGb4tar_VRVnytAA@plusnet...
> "M.I.5¾"  wrote in message 
> news:4822e059$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...
>>
>> "Mortimer"  wrote in message 
>> news:J9OdneMJbOWMEoLVnZ2dnUVZ8qClnZ2d@plusnet...
>>> Does anyone know of a source of mains leads with an IEC C14 *male* 
>>> connector
>>> on one end and a UK mains socket (or distribution block with several UK
>>> sockets) on the other end?
>>>
>>> This is to allow equipment with a UK mains plug (eg wall-wart power 
>>> supply)
>>> to be connected to a UPS which only has IEC C13 outputs.
>>>
>>
>> I just managed to get hold of a UPS that has a 13A socket on the back 
>> (well, it's actually a design that accepts UK 13A plugs as well as 
>> continental 2 pin and US 2 and 3 pin).  It's a 500VA unit with buck and 
>> boost when on mains power.
>>
>> And I got change out of £15 to boot.
>
> A 500 VA UPS for under £15? Second hand?
>

New.

> I went to Maplin to buy a C14 connector and a four-way mains distribution 
> block. Having taken the plug off the distribution block cable, I spent the 
> best part of an hour fitting the C14 because its terminals were the sort 
> where you wrap the wire round the screw and use the screw head to sandwich 
> the wire against the terminal - which is iffy at the best of times and is 
> prone to the wire coming out as you tighten the screw if there's no washer 
> fitted, which there wasn't. If only they'd used the more conventional 
> teminal with a hole into which you put the wire, and a screw through the 
> hole to hold the wire in.
>
> Still, I think I've done a good professional job, after a lot of swearing 
> and sweating!

Where these give problems, I prefer to put a crimp ring tag on the wire and 
screw the terminal through the ring.  This only works if there is room for a 
ring tag (which I think the IEC connector does have).

"M.I.5¾"  wrote in message 
news:482827a4$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...
>
>>> I just managed to get hold of a UPS that has a 13A socket on the back 
>>> (well, it's actually a design that accepts UK 13A plugs as well as 
>>> continental 2 pin and US 2 and 3 pin).  It's a 500VA unit with buck and 
>>> boost when on mains power.
>>>
>>> And I got change out of £15 to boot.
>>
>> A 500 VA UPS for under £15? Second hand?
>>
>
> New.

Blimey. What make/model? At under £15 I think I'll get one myself. How long 
does it keep a typical PC running before the battery goes flat? When the 
battery does go flat, does the UPS shut the PC down tidily?

"Mortimer"  wrote in message 
news:B96dnUT3iPLtsLXVnZ2dnUVZ8u2dnZ2d@posted.plusnet...
> "M.I.5¾"  wrote in message 
> news:482827a4$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...
>>
>>>> I just managed to get hold of a UPS that has a 13A socket on the back 
>>>> (well, it's actually a design that accepts UK 13A plugs as well as 
>>>> continental 2 pin and US 2 and 3 pin).  It's a 500VA unit with buck and 
>>>> boost when on mains power.
>>>>
>>>> And I got change out of £15 to boot.
>>>
>>> A 500 VA UPS for under £15? Second hand?
>>>
>>
>> New.
>
> Blimey. What make/model? At under £15 I think I'll get one myself. How 
> long does it keep a typical PC running before the battery goes flat? When 
> the battery does go flat, does the UPS shut the PC down tidily?

From e-buyer.  Special offer 500VA.  It would keep my PC and monitor going 
for around 12 minutes.  It does not have a USB port so does not shut the PC 
down (well it was only 15 quid!).  I did not buy it for that specifically so 
I am not bovered.

The model that does shut the PC down is 30 quid.  You should be aware that 
the models that are supposed to shut the PC down gracefully, do have their 
problems.  Usually when closing down some application produces a dialog box 
asking you to confirm something and it just sits there - waiting.