storebought vs. homemade power distro?
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From: Slim on 1 Jan 2006 21:07 Anyone have any opinions about storebought vs. homemade power distros? I don't really need one now but may need one when and if I double up on my current big club rig. I don't look forward to opening breaker boxes and tapping into them but I might have to learn how one day. In the storebought department - anyone have any favorites? I won't need much power maybe 2 or 3 circuits at 20amps 110 volts. Of course if I wanna do lights that would open up another can of worms, so maybe I would need 2 more 20amp circuits. Anyone have any advice on making one? Anyone know of a website for electrical dummies that might have examples of various power distros and how to make them?
From: BillHart,KarenPierce on 2 Jan 2006 20:37 Slim(a)SarasotaSlim.com wrote: > I don't look forward to opening breaker boxes > and tapping into them but I might have to learn how one day. I've heard of taps being put into the breaker panel feed lugs, and that is absolutely beyond anything I'd try, or want to see done. The only safe way is to find space in the panel for a new breaker for your feeder cable to the distro. Since most panels won't have space, the best thing to do is get the owner to have a high current receptacle added for you, with the electrician taking care of redistributing loads to make room. There are two dangers while working in the breaker panel. The obvious one is electrical shock. The one not everybody is familiar with is that if you get a wire or a tool across the wrong points there is enough power available in that box to splatter molten metal in your face or severely burn your hand. Turning off the "main" breaker in a panel still leaves the input lugs energized and dangerous. BH ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----
From: Joe Kesselman on 3 Jan 2006 00:01 Slim(a)SarasotaSlim.com wrote: > Anyone have any opinions about storebought vs. homemade power distros? "If you have to ask..."
From: Greg Cameron on 3 Jan 2006 00:06 BillHart,KarenPierce wrote: > Slim(a)SarasotaSlim.com wrote: > > I don't look forward to opening breaker boxes > > and tapping into them but I might have to learn how one day. > > I've heard of taps being put into the breaker panel feed lugs, and that > is absolutely beyond anything I'd try, or want to see done. I have seen this type of tap go awry. Back in the 80's on a club tour, the tap was done hot into the lugs (not by me, I was the guy behind the "tapper" to knock him down if he got juiced). The feeder into one of the hot lugs had some tension on it. When the lug was loosened, it popped out and hit the box metal. There was a lovely shower of hot metal. No injuries, but it could have been bad. After that, the meter had to be pulled out of the wall so the feeder could be re-seated. Not a fun day all around. The other downside besides hot metal and death, is loosening the neutral lug could throw the voltage to the house into an imbalance which could blow stuff up, should said neutral loose contact with the lug. Greg
From: Ray Abbitt on 3 Jan 2006 01:38
In article <1136167655.296304.172610(a)g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, <Slim(a)SarasotaSlim.com> wrote: >Anyone have any opinions about storebought vs. homemade power distros? >I don't really need one now but may need one when and if I double up on >my current big club rig. I don't look forward to opening breaker boxes >and tapping into them but I might have to learn how one day. In the >storebought department - anyone have any favorites? I won't need much >power maybe 2 or 3 circuits at 20amps 110 volts. Of course if I wanna >do lights that would open up another can of worms, so maybe I would >need 2 more 20amp circuits. > >Anyone have any advice on making one? Anyone know of a website for >electrical dummies that might have examples of various power distros >and how to make them? Take a look at <http://www.ampshop.com/distro.htm> before you even think about building your own. I priced the parts myself, and then ordered one of these. (The $169 version--mine has 6 20 amp duplex outlets and one Nema 14-50). -ray |