Warning about buying from ebay/car-bootie - Page 2

john1979 · 12 July 2012, 13:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by orange

but, its not unfused according to photo.

I think he means in a wrongly wired plug the neutral is now fused but not the live. So in the situation described above you would have an unfused live to earth fault, because the fuse is on the neutral instead.

orange · 12 July 2012, 13:59

in the photo above, the fuse is still on live. the only 'problem' is that PSU has mixed live and neutral. edit: is there some 'secondary' fuse inside PSU?

roy bates · 12 July 2012, 15:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by orange

in the photo above, the fuse is still on live. the only 'problem' is that PSU has mixed live and neutral. edit: is there some 'secondary' fuse inside PSU?

yeah there should be.

jimbob · 12 July 2012, 16:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by orange

but, its not unfused according to photo.

If that fuse blows, the live(brown) is still connected to the appliance via what is supposed to be its neutral input.

orange · 12 July 2012, 16:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbob

If that fuse blows, the live(brown) is still connected to the appliance via what is supposed to be its neutral input.

brown wire is neutral on photo. it si connected to what is supposed to be 'live input'

jimbob · 12 July 2012, 17:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by orange

brown wire is neutral on photo. it si connected to what is supposed to be 'live input'

Ah, I see what you mean, I was a bit confused in my last post with a similar situation where the socket instead of the plug is wired backwards.

Here, the trouble is the appliance is getting live on what it thinks is neutral. As you say, some secondary fuse inside is now in the wrong place to its job properly. Furthermore, the supposed live input will often be given more safety design considerations against shorts or potential user contact. Think of a two wire light fitting, the live prongs are deliberately less accessible to fingers.

The point is, don't do it, and if you find it, fix it. Everything may work equally well but it is not equally safe.

Big-Byte · 12 July 2012, 18:16

I remember when I got Mort a Spectrum from the bootfair. I was there when he plugged it in and within seconds flames were coming out of it!

keitha1200 · 12 July 2012, 18:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbob

The point is, don't do it, and if you find it, fix it. Everything may work equally well but it is not equally safe.

I couldn't agree more

Safety first! Academic debates are not really relevant on an open forum.

PS: i believe there is a small glass fuse inside the Commodore PS

[Picture] Totally different power supply

ElectroBlaster · 15 July 2012, 00:40

Had my fair share of tidying up but ive never seen a mains plug wired wrong. I have always found them to be the right way but really shoddly done. Screws not tight, wrong or missing fuse, exposed copper wires, cable grip not screwed down etc or just the plug is so old its not even compliant with regs anymore.

Back in the day I was anal about this stuff! I would measure and cut, solder the bare wire ends, fit a brand new plug with correct fuse etc.

I only bother if the item in question deserves it now.

hooverphonique · 15 July 2012, 22:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zetr0

Well thats an interesting way of wiring up a plug in the UK.

for most applications this is epically wrong, the Live (brown) and Neutral (Blue) are wired incorrectly - However in the case of this particular plug-pack (the Amiga Power Supply) it wont matter as its expecting AC voltage.

this has nothing to do with the psu expecting AC, everything you connect to the mains must accept AC..

the point here is that neutral is connected to ground at the transformer station, thus making the potential (close to) zero between ground and neutral and therefore if the fuse (wired correctly) burns due to a short, there will be no risk of electric shock because any potential in the psu will be (close to) ground. Hope that makes sense

lesta_smsc · 16 July 2012, 22:35

Great picture! Now you're getting me worried about ANY second hand electrical item! :P

keitha1200 · 17 July 2012, 11:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by lesta_smsc

Great picture! Now you're getting me worried about ANY second hand electrical item! :P

He He

It's just so bewildering why someone would wire a plug like that!

Maybe he doesn't like Amigas and wanted to make mines go 'Bang'

I was far to cunning for him tho

Thorham · 17 July 2012, 15:15

Funny how safety feature aren't all that safe

What where they thinking when they designed this connector?

Jope · 19 July 2012, 09:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thorham

Funny how safety feature aren't all that safe

What where they thinking when they designed this connector?

They wanted something that can be plugged in only one way and has a fuse.

I think it serves that purpose pretty well.

It isn't inherently unsafe unless someone wires it wrong, but it's quite difficult to design against that.

Naturally a central fuse box + schuko sockets are superior. Just saying. ;-)

keitha1200 · 21 July 2012, 21:43

What a laugh? friend of mines had an Atari (sat in the loft for years) and told me 'it doesn't work!' anyhow; thought i'd have a wee look at it. Yip 'nothing' dead as a door nail

Then, I thought to myself: "I'll check the plug" And guess what? No fuse!!!

A new fuse and a perfectly working Atari

12 July 2012, 13:59	#22
orange Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Belgrade Posts: 567	in the photo above, the fuse is still on live. the only 'problem' is that PSU has mixed live and neutral. edit: is there some 'secondary' fuse inside PSU? Last edited by orange; 12 July 2012 at 14:10.

21 July 2012, 21:43	#35
keitha1200 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Tayside Posts: 181	What a laugh? friend of mines had an Atari (sat in the loft for years) and told me 'it doesn't work!' anyhow; thought i'd have a wee look at it. Yip 'nothing' dead as a door nail Then, I thought to myself: "I'll check the plug" And guess what? No fuse!!! A new fuse and a perfectly working Atari Last edited by keitha1200; 21 July 2012 at 21:55.

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12 July 2012, 18:16	#27
Big-Byte Long time member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: UK Posts: 754	I remember when I got Mort a Spectrum from the bootfair. I was there when he plugged it in and within seconds flames were coming out of it!

15 July 2012, 00:40	#29
ElectroBlaster Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Exeter, Devon, UK Age: 49 Posts: 1,705	Had my fair share of tidying up but ive never seen a mains plug wired wrong. I have always found them to be the right way but really shoddly done. Screws not tight, wrong or missing fuse, exposed copper wires, cable grip not screwed down etc or just the plug is so old its not even compliant with regs anymore. Back in the day I was anal about this stuff! I would measure and cut, solder the bare wire ends, fit a brand new plug with correct fuse etc. I only bother if the item in question deserves it now.

16 July 2012, 22:35	#31
lesta_smsc Registered User Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 3,173	Great picture! Now you're getting me worried about ANY second hand electrical item! :P

17 July 2012, 15:15	#33
Thorham Computer Nerd Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Rotterdam/Netherlands Age: 47 Posts: 3,750	Funny how safety feature aren't all that safe What where they thinking when they designed this connector?

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