Vintage rubust mobile radio connectors as extension cord for vintage TV

[wa2ise]

These connectors were designed for use in high current mobile tube radio installations. But work just fine for the powerline. Not UL, but better than some of the junk extension cords sold nowadays. The female end has wipers on both sides of each blade slot, making good contact with plug blades. Only drawback is that the female connectors are close together, but vintage TV set power plugs were very narrow, as you can see above.

[Electronic M]

Neat, but if you plug 6 roundys into it you will probably need something heavier duty than zip cord........

[MIPS]

Gee, why are my curtains on fire?

I would just go to the dollar store and get a proper power bar.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by MIPS

Gee, why are my curtains on fire?

I would just go to the dollar store and get a proper power bar.

Those plugs would survive the fire better than the power bar...

Home made extension cords can be awesome...I made tons of them as a kid, and have yet to have a fire (knock on wood).

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Those plugs would survive the fire better than the power bar...

That's what I think. That my plugs would do better than a "dollar store" setup.

I used 16 AWG zip cord, depending on what ampacity table you use, should handle 8 to 10 amps. Though I'd use something heavier if I had that much of a load. If I had 6 roundies, I'd probably need to use 2 separate 15 amp branch circuits.

[John Marinello]

Bad idea, as they are not polarized.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by John Marinello

Bad idea, as they are not polarized.

Neither are the original plastic power cords that most of us leave unmolested...

[old_coot88]

Originally Posted by John Marinello

Bad idea, as they are not polarized.

Why is non-polarized bad today, and 'not bad' originally?

[DavGoodlin]

Using that connector is a neat idea for sets with the super-skinny plugs of the 50s and 60s.

Most sets that were series-wired AND did not have polarized plugs, had some measures to prevent contact to chassis via metal control shafts, exposed fasthener heads, etc.
Metal-shaft pots were mounted on insulated pieces, nylon fastener inserts hold a hot chassis to metal cabinets without making contact, etc. Fishpaper-cardboard to prevent chassis contact via vent slots...

I hate the older molded, non-polarized extension cords, they never make proper and full contact with plug blades. I have a few that were overheated when space heaters were plugged into them, kept in my show-n-tell box of goodies.
Lots of bad wiring devices were made in the 1960's The polarized ends are not much better. Then there were the predecessors to these....http://crnchy.com/wp-content/uploads...er-outlet.jpeg

[old_coot88]

THESE were the worstest of the worst, as power strips go..
http://zibbet-production.s3.amazonaw...2-original.jpg

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by old_coot88

THESE were the worstest of the worst, as power strips go..
http://zibbet-production.s3.amazonaw...2-original.jpg

Don't knock the Tap-A-Line! An uncle of a good friend started the firm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They later relocated to Pompano Beach, Fl.
I don't know of any TV repair shop, that didn't have one or more. They were made in several different lengths from 6" to 3'.
They were made of an extruded plastic materal and had two copper strips to contact the plug prongs. See the illustration!
Naturally,they weren't U/L listed, as they could be easily overloaded and were not polarized.

[old_coot88]

Dunno if 'twas the same outfit or not, but this was back in the '60s. Our shop bought some of those and we used them. But they were sloppy and held the plugs so loosely they would fall out easily.
Good idea, just poorly implemented design. But maybe was improved upon since then.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by old_coot88

Dunno if 'twas the same outfit or not, but this was back in the '60s. Our shop bought some of those and we used them. But they were sloppy and held the plugs so loosely they would fall out easily.
Good idea, just poorly implemented design. But maybe was improved upon since then.

You might be thinking about the Fedtho, Japanese knock-off, power strip!
They were a lot larger and had the early type, Japanese plug with the thin prongs, that didn't make a good connection in even a new receptacle.
The Tap-A-line held the plugs really tight.

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

You might be thinking about the Fedtho, Japanese knock-off, power strip!
They were a lot larger and had the early type, Japanese plug with the thin prongs, that didn't make a good connection in even a new receptacle.
The Tap-A-line held the plugs really tight.

I have one on my attic bench, just forgot the name and confused it with the Academy "ad a tap". The Tap-a-line was a bench staple and as we say, "should be used only under technician or engineer supervision" As decent a product as it was, using them in the kitchen was just a bad idea.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin

I have one on my attic bench, just forgot the name and confused it with the Academy "ad a tap". The Tap-a-line was a bench staple and as we say, "should be used only under technician or engineer supervision" As decent a product as it was, using them in the kitchen was just a bad idea.

The package it came in, used to illustrate the applications in the kitchen, workshop ETC. I never showed more than three or four items plugged in.
Now, many of the products sold are not U/L approved. They're being approved by ETL. Their listing costs must be less expensive than U/L.