Replacing Power cords recommendations

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. Read 1138 times.

gkargreen

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 6
Replacing Power cords recommendations
« on: 7 Feb 2005, 08:34 pm »
Hi all, looking to replace some wired-in power cords on both my Mac 30's and Fairchild 255 amps.  Both have deteriorated power cords, and am looking to replace with a wired-in power cord, No cutting in IEC sockets or that jazz...  So does anyone have a recommendation for what kind of power wire to use?  And two or three-prong sockets?  (originals are two prong, but I can use the ground to the chassis...)  Thanks, Randy

Occam

Replacing Power cords recommendations
« Reply #1 on: 8 Feb 2005, 11:18 pm »
Please don't ground the chassis of your Mac30 via a powercord. I found the original cord from my 240 and remembered why I ended up doing what I did. The Mac240 like the 30 has a non-polarized plug, and its 'ground' is tied to the chassis. A secondary groundpath along with 'non star ground' (a given for its age) virtually gurantees a ground loop and hum. If you use a shielded  cable, do not connect either the ground wire or shield wire at the component end, and simply conncct them at the plug end yeiding whatever benefits there are from a Faraday shield around the cord.
If you're going for max sound and not looks or convenience,  twist insulated 12ga solid core copper wire about 6 twists per foot, and hardwire to the component and terminate in a 2 prong plug.  This construction yeilds an ugly unweildy cord. You could sheath it for cosmetic appeal, but its still an SOB to route. Good luck finding a heavy duty unpolarized 2 prong plug. I found a generic heavy duty 2 prong polarized plug at a hardware store, and filed the wider blade so I could endlessly obscess over which orientation sounds better  :o

Alternatively, use the Canare starquad loudspeaker cable that will fit (or you're willing to fit) in the existing opening.
http://www.canare.com/index.cfm?objectid=ED0E00B5-3048-7098-AFCCB3149AB7ABB6
The pages reference to 'twinned' wires refers to connecting the opposite wires together to yeild a pair from a starquad. This starquad configuration  has increased noise rejection over a single twisted pair.

Ulas

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 116
Replacing Power cords recommendations
« Reply #2 on: 9 Feb 2005, 01:34 am »
Another possibility for a starquad cord is Belden 83754 or 83704. Each has four conductors with Teflon insulation and a double shield. It is very compact. The OD of the 83754 is less than ¼”.