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Author Topic: My build of a "poormans" PowerCON Distro  (Read 46959 times)

TJ (Tom) Cornish

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Re: My build of a "poormans" PowerCON Distro
« Reply #50 on: January 08, 2014, 05:07:27 PM »

I was curious about this as I'm looking to make some extension cords and debating #10 or #12 SOOW. Using the calculator at http://www.gorhamschaffler.com/wire_size_calculator.html I came up with these for the max lengths with the 3% drop.

20 amps - #12 - ~45 feet
15 amps - #12 - ~60 feet

20 amps - #10 - ~72 feet
15 amps - #10 - ~96 feet

Does it look like I figured these correctly?
You're probably in the range.  Most receptacles have more than 45' of cabling between the box and the receptacle, not to mention feeder length, and whatever you plug into the wall - you can be done before you start.  Most pro gear will operate down below 110v - which is why things work at all, but this should be a good indication that stringing together a bunch of orange 18-ga cables for 200' isn't a good idea.

I'll go about 150' total from building power using conventional cabling, and will put heavy-current stuff as close to the source as possible.  Farther than that, it's generator time.
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Chad V. Holtkamp

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Re: My build of a "poormans" PowerCON Distro
« Reply #51 on: January 08, 2014, 05:32:56 PM »

Sounds good. I'm lucky if I get one decent circuit so I'll go with #10 just to be safe.
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Samuel Rees

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Re: My build of a "poormans" PowerCON Distro
« Reply #52 on: January 08, 2014, 06:12:51 PM »

I don't think any 10/3 SOOW will fit in a PowerCon connector (15mm). Most 12/3 SOOW squeezes in at +1mm over spec.
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Samuel Rees

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Re: My build of a "poormans" PowerCON Distro
« Reply #53 on: January 14, 2014, 02:18:23 PM »

My PMD arrived today! Looks great. Super solid construction. I didn't realize that the ground bussing would occur with jumpers on the back of the box, although I get that now with a re-read. Works great though - sturdy cable and sturdy jump terminals. Professional fit and finish. So far I would definitely recommend this - it doesn't seem like I could have build a product this robust myself.

PowerCon plugs arrived from parts express as well, so I started building.

The SJOOW I bought fits perfectly in the chuck, not to big and not to small, while the 12/3 barely squeezes into the conductor terminal.  Pretty difficult to get it all in there without loosing a thread of the 12g. Zero chance anything with bigger conductors would fit in without cutting the tip down. Excellent behavior from the jacket, coils extremely well right off the roll. Will pick up some Southwire SOOW very soon to make my feeders.

Unrelated, my first two  NX-12s came in also!
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George Dougherty

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Re: My build of a "poormans" PowerCON Distro
« Reply #54 on: January 15, 2014, 10:35:04 PM »

My PMD arrived today! Looks great. Super solid construction. I didn't realize that the ground bussing would occur with jumpers on the back of the box, although I get that now with a re-read. Works great though - sturdy cable and sturdy jump terminals. Professional fit and finish. So far I would definitely recommend this - it doesn't seem like I could have build a product this robust myself.

PowerCon plugs arrived from parts express as well, so I started building.

The SJOOW I bought fits perfectly in the chuck, not to big and not to small, while the 12/3 barely squeezes into the conductor terminal.  Pretty difficult to get it all in there without loosing a thread of the 12g. Zero chance anything with bigger conductors would fit in without cutting the tip down. Excellent behavior from the jacket, coils extremely well right off the roll. Will pick up some Southwire SOOW very soon to make my feeders.

Unrelated, my first two  NX-12s came in also!
I run a light amount of solder into the leads on my AC and speaker cable so I can easily unscrew them and replace the connector in the field if need be.  Just enough to bind things together and keep it from becoming a frayed mess.
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TJ (Tom) Cornish

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Re: My build of a "poormans" PowerCON Distro
« Reply #55 on: January 15, 2014, 11:03:47 PM »

I run a light amount of solder into the leads on my AC and speaker cable so I can easily unscrew them and replace the connector in the field if need be.  Just enough to bind things together and keep it from becoming a frayed mess.
This isn't a good idea, as it prevents the stranded end from conforming to the wire clamp.  You end up with a low-surface area connection that is going to be iffy after a little movement.
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George Dougherty

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Re: My build of a "poormans" PowerCON Distro
« Reply #56 on: January 16, 2014, 01:45:23 AM »

This isn't a good idea, as it prevents the stranded end from conforming to the wire clamp.  You end up with a low-surface area connection that is going to be iffy after a little movement.

With a light amount it seems to deform quite easily in the cup though it still holds together.  It seems no worse than using a solid core conductor.  Am I wrong?
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Nathan Vanderslice

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Re: My build of a "poormans" PowerCON Distro
« Reply #57 on: January 16, 2014, 01:50:53 AM »

This isn't a good idea, as it prevents the stranded end from conforming to the wire clamp.  You end up with a low-surface area connection that is going to be iffy after a little movement.
I have to agree with that! It's worse than using aluminum wire, and I believe (not sure) it would not be code. I'm no electrician, but the other part to this is that clamping it into connector could lead to bad connection, heat, worse connection when the solder melts, and possibly fire. I had a situation a few decades ago where I built a power distribution setup for the lights in an orchestra pit. I had done it as I had always been taught (using stranded wire) to wrap the wires around the screws and tighten them down. Then some "yahoo" foreign exchange student tried to fix a problem and ended up redoing I think the whole set up by cutting the bare wires to about the same length as the diameter of the screw head and tinning the bare wire so that it was like unstranded wire.  :( The teacher that I was working with at the time tried to tell me that I had done it wrong, and I told him that what the other person did was not to code in the US.

I have one question about all of this. In tying together the grounds from multiple outlets, doesn't it require that the all of the ground wires have to be rated for the sum total current capacity of the unit? That is to say that if you have 4 20 amp circuits, don't all of the ground wires have to be rated for a 80 amp circuit?
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TJ (Tom) Cornish

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Re: My build of a "poormans" PowerCON Distro
« Reply #58 on: January 16, 2014, 07:12:34 AM »

With a light amount it seems to deform quite easily in the cup though it still holds together.  It seems no worse than using a solid core conductor.  Am I wrong?
The clamps in Powercons, cord plugs, etc. are not intended for solid wire.

The trick to Powercon/Speakon connectors is to back the screw out a little before inserting the wire. They come with the clamp partly closed, which doesn't help for getting the wire in. With a little practice it isn't that hard. Once in a while a strand gets away, but that is easily trimmed off with a diagonal cutter or bent around so it can't short to another terminal.
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TJ (Tom) Cornish

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Re: My build of a "poormans" PowerCON Distro
« Reply #59 on: January 16, 2014, 07:35:12 AM »

I have one question about all of this. In tying together the grounds from multiple outlets, doesn't it require that the all of the ground wires have to be rated for the sum total current capacity of the unit? That is to say that if you have 4 20 amp circuits, don't all of the ground wires have to be rated for a 80 amp circuit?
The ground wire needs to be capable of handling enough current to trip the breaker, which is 20A, not 80A. As each pair of current-conducting wires stays separate, There is no situation (other than if the receptacles you are using are fed by an illegally-large breaker) for there to be 80A on the ground wire.

There are a number of potential scenarios, but unless you are using cheaters, you actually have 80A worth of ground wires - one for each circuit. About the worst circumstance I can think of is if all your supply circuits are H-G reversed, but your receptacle testing procedure ensures you'll never plug into a H-G reversed receptacle. Right?  :)
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Re: My build of a "poormans" PowerCON Distro
« Reply #59 on: January 16, 2014, 07:35:12 AM »


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