Small mains-rated plug/sockets - suggestions ?

HI Folks Any good suggestions for a smaller alternative to the standard 13A plug/socket.

Have just splashed out on some rather impressive LED-based GU10 mains spotbulbs to fit out 2 or 3 of the 3-spot fittings. Application is display stand lighting (leds putting out far less heat than quartz-halogen) - but it'd be very handy to have some sort of miniature mains-rated 3-way plug/socket arrangement to allow some flexibility in setting up the lighting.

I guess XLR's fitted in a custom box are an option - but a ready-made solution would be even better - so - anybody seen such a thing for sale?

Ratings would be 240V - tiny amperage - way less than 3A total for all 9 bulbs. The more 'protected' the hot end the better...

Thanks Adrian

Reply to
Adrian Brentnall
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2A and 5A round pin plugs/sockets.

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is approx half size of a 13A plug

2A is approx third size of a 13A plug

Should only be used on lighting circuits, not ringmains.

Fairly widely used to provide table lamps that are switched alongside conventional overhead lighting.

Note that the plugs are NOT fused.

Reply to
dom

I've got something that might suit; it uses miniature 3 pin plugs about the size of a small box of matches, which fit either 4-up into a large mains plug or 6-up into a miniature distribution strip. The mini-plugs aren't fused and have 3 round pins in a line, each about 1mm or so in diameter. Sadly, I have no idea what they're called or where I got them, or even if they are still available.

Reply to
Huge

Shame that panel outlets are for smaller IEC fittings are like hens' teeth, or you could use an C7 outlet with C8 plug if your light fittings are double insulated, or a C5 outlet with C6 plug if you need an earth.

Maybe the Neutrik XLR/LNE are not such a bad idea (unless you've got other XLRs for speakers around the place!)

Reply to
Andy Burns

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>
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> 5A is approx half size of a 13A plug

HI Dom

Thanks for the suggestion - trouble is the 'socket' is fairly bulky. Ideal would be for something much smaller, that could be concealed around the stall/display somewhere....

Adrian

Reply to
Adrian Brentnall

HI Huge

That's precisely what I was thinking of - had a 4-way set of those some time ago used on a component hi-fi system......

...and I guess they'll be in one of the many boxes of electronics 'rubbish' stored around the place......

Wonder what they're called ?

Thanks Adrian

Reply to
Adrian Brentnall

Hi Andy

Thanks for the suggestion... Maybe the most compact arrangement would be three female XLR's on flying leads, and male XLR's on the spotlight assemblies....

And, no, no danger of plugging a loudspeaker in!

Thanks Adrian

Reply to
Adrian Brentnall

Klik are neat for lighting, They come cheaply from

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cable emerges "vertically" from the plug though, so they need more headroom in a weatherproof box than a normal 13A plug.

You can also use "old school" 2A or 5A round pin plugs and sockets. However these can be ridiculously overpriced and also of poor quality (TLC's current supply won't even bolt into a flat box)

I like the XLR idea. I'm just about to go outside and swap some roundpins for XLRs, which will make a much neater job of things to my porch light.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

Suppose the problem with IEC and XLR is that they're non-shuttered, is this a house or a shop where you'd have to worry about little Johnny shoving paperclips into spare outlets?

Reply to
Andy Burns

The particular application is for Craft Fairs - where my usual slot-together Market stall gets slightly tarted up for indoor use and I add lighting to show off the stained glass & glass jewellery.

Up to now I've used the Mains GU10's - but I'm nervous of 6 or 9 x 50w lamps hanging inches below some artily-arranged organza - so the little led spots seems like a much safer option.

If little Johnny can shove a paperclip into a spare outlet that's 7ft above ground level then that's his problem! There might be an issue with stray strands of tinsel, though....

I guess if a spare 'plug' (with a blanked-off cable inlet) was inserted into any unused sockets, then they're fairly tamper-proof..??

Question is - how complicated do I need to make it all - I don't do that many indoor shows in a year.....

Thinking about it, it might be a plan to hang an earth on the metalwork somewhere..... just in case....? Probably overkill!

Decisions, decisions

Reply to
Adrian Brentnall

Sound like Speakon connectors. For that matter the XLR series plugs and sockets have been used for LOW voltage DC and AC connections for a very long time. They mains version I believe is still around 'tho its not to be used in domestic applications IIRC..

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Reply to
tony sayer

Does the socket need to be mounted, or would one on the end of a cable work for you?

If so, how about these?

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Reply to
Toby

How about using LED MR16 lamps - they are 12v and can be run from a battery too!

Reply to
Toby

In article , tony sayer scribeth thus

Might be of some use, the mains type is pictured in here..

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here..

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here does some special ones, seems he's a relation to Russ Andrews;!!!..

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Reply to
tony sayer

Naah. The pins on these are exposed and in a line. I just had a quick rummage in the junk box and couldn't find any to get a manufacturers name off.

Reply to
Huge

I'm sure the light would be much 'whiter' if I was to avail of his 'cable burn-in service' - probably even go round corners as well ! Do folks really go for all this ? I'm in the wrong business!

I think, on reflection (and seeing a bunch of 'pc / kettle' plugs / sockets in the 'come-in-useful-one-day' box) that a simple 'daisy-chain' arrangement using these connectors ('female - hot') would do the trick....

What I'm really after is having the flexibility to run 3 x 3 spots across the top of my standard 'stand' - and, if I end up with an unusual configuration of tables / stands, be able to get lighting suitable adapted - and daisy-chain with extension leads would do that...

Thanks

Reply to
Adrian Brentnall

Thanks for looking! I think the problem may be solved (see my other post)

Reply to
Adrian Brentnall

How about IEC?

You can get multiway sockets:

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a choice of plugs to suit the application.

Reply to
John Rumm

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>>

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>> Then a choice of plugs to suit the application.

Ah - that's neat,isn't it ? I think the 'IEC Daisy-chain' is probably going to work best for me - and I've got a box-full of the necessary cables that can be suitably butchered (even better!)

Thanks

Reply to
Adrian Brentnall

In article , Adrian Brentnall writes

IEC C13/14 plug/sockets? The ready-made moulded cables tend to be rather inflexible and are rated at 10A, too much for your needs. However, rewireable plugs and sockets are freely available, light, and you can choose 3A cable (0.75mm^2) which is light and flexible and easy to store. You also get to choose your own cable lengths, and can make up a couple of spares to use as extensions if you need them.

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Reply to
Mike Tomlinson

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