Plug Goes "Boom"

[RetroHacker]

A quick way to test for shorts in the cord itself is to pull the game's main fuse, set your meter for continuity buzzer and put it beween the hot and neutral, and start flexing the cord around the damaged sections. If it beeps, you have a short. Repeat with hot and ground.

-Ian

 

[smalltownguy2]

That'll tell you if you have a short in the cord or not, but really, if it's nicked, just replace it anyway. $5-10 on a short 12 gauge extension cord will do the trick. Just cut off the female end.

 

[joeycuda]

The plug could be similar to some of the Lucas Electric components in British cars. They contain a smoke as part of the design, but when they fail, the smoke escapes and the part no longer works.

 

[RetroHacker]

That'll tell you if you have a short in the cord or not, but really, if it's nicked, just replace it anyway. $5-10 on a short 12 gauge extension cord will do the trick. Just cut off the female end.

But there is no sense replacing the cord unless it's a problem. A nick in the outer jacket means nothing. It's only a problem if the nick is through the actual wire's insulation. Also, I think you mean 16 or 18 gauge, not 12 gauge .

-Ian

 

[Phetishboy]

But there is no sense replacing the cord unless it's a problem. A nick in the outer jacket means nothing. It's only a problem if the nick is through the actual wire's insulation. Also, I think you mean 16 or 18 gauge, not 12 gauge .

-Ian

For an AC cord? I thought 14 G was the smallest you'd wanna go. Since you may have a 20 AMP breaker, 12 G sounds right.

 

[Mongo]

20 Amp breaker = 12 Gauge IN HOUSE wiring. 15 Amp breaker = 14 Gauge IN HOUSE wiring. These circuits can feed many outlets (and devices) up to the draw of the breaker rating. A game only draws about 3 - 5 Amps so the cord can be a MUCH smaller gauge.

 

[Phetishboy]

20 Amp breaker = 12 Gauge IN HOUSE wiring. 15 Amp breaker = 14 Gauge IN HOUSE wiring. These circuits feed many devices up to the draw of the breaker rating. A game only draws about 3 - 5 Amps so the cord can be a MUCH smaller gauge...

Huh, I always thought they were thicker gauge than 18 for sure. Oh well, I'll stick to 14.

 

[smalltownguy2]

Most heavy duty lawn and garden extension cords (the 'orange cords') are 12 and 14 gauge. That's why I suggested it. You could go 14, that would be acceptable. Stay away from anything lighter, it will just get chewed up/nicked/destroyed again in the future. The more robust cord is beneficial in more ways than just current load capacity. The heavier cords stand up better to abuse.

 

[RetroHacker]

Stay away from anything lighter, it will just get chewed up/nicked/destroyed again in the future. The more robust cord is beneficial in more ways than just current load capacity. The heavier cords stand up better to abuse.

Remind me not to let you move any of my games around. If you're wearing out power cords, you're doing something wrong.

And I don't know where you're finding a 12 gauge cord. The wiring in the wall is only 14 gauge, they do not make standard extension cords that thick. Even the short refrigerator/appliance cords are 14 gauge.

A game draws very little current. 18 gauge is fine, and it's pretty standard.

-Ian

 

[smalltownguy2]

Remind me not to let you move any of my games around. If you're wearing out power cords, you're doing something wrong.
-Ian

It's not me - it's for the home owners that I assist that like to drag their games around the garage/basement floor letting the cord get trapped under the leg levelers. And for the guys that like to lay their cabs on their backs in a pickup truck as the cord slides around under the weight of the cab and gets mangled in the process.

And I don't know where you're finding a 12 gauge cord.

Here's a 12/3 extension cord on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Cable-25-Feet-Outdoor-Extension/dp/B000BW3LNA

 

[RetroHacker]

Here's a 12/3 extension cord on Amazon:

Ah. Good to know. I was actually looking for one this last weekend, since I melted a 14 gauge appliance cord by using it to power my server. Lowes didn't carry anything 12 gauge aside from one air conditioner cord, and it had a funny non-standard plug on it. I really need an extension cord, about 6 feet long, that can handle 20A. That one is way longer than I need, I'll probably just make one.

-Ian

 

[FrizzleFried]

12 gauge power cords are pretty commonplace at Walmart, Home Depot, etc... They are usually advertised as Heavy Duty...

 

[smalltownguy2]

Ah. Good to know. I was actually looking for one this last weekend, since I melted a 14 gauge appliance cord by using it to power my server. Lowes didn't carry anything 12 gauge aside from one air conditioner cord, and it had a funny non-standard plug on it. I really need an extension cord, about 6 feet long, that can handle 20A. That one is way longer than I need, I'll probably just make one.

-Ian

If it's just six feet, you could just take a length of Romex and put plug ends on it. That's what I did to replace the cord on my 240v air compressor. But if you don't have a spare coil of 12 gauge home wiring laying around, then it would be cheaper to track down a heavy gauge cord.

 

[paulliadis]

Redid the plug

I redid the plug and the game came up fine without blowing up on me. Monitor, marquee, and pcb all seem unharmed.

I did find a small screw (the type that holds the coin mech faceplate in place - yay I found that, although no nut) touching the power transformer (the thing labeled PT821B).

On the list for next month is a new power cord.

 

[smalltownguy2]

Yay! Glad you got it working again.

Bob Roberts sells a very nice AC cord with an offset right angle plug end. Very heavy duty cord - it's holding up nicely on my Mortal Kombat cab.

http://www.therealbobroberts.net/10-16cord.jpg

 

[orion3311]

since I melted a 14 gauge appliance cord by using it to power my server. -Ian

WTF KINDA SERVER IS THAT!? I powered an RS/6000 that weighed more than my car using a standard cord and it seemed ok. (Server wasn't really that big but it did have a 20 amp end on it that I (swapped to a normal end, it was only a temp solution).

I'm with you though I think it sounds like a strand of wire came loose from a screw and shorted. It certainly wakes you up!

ALSO - just as an FYI, after checking over my electrical cord wiring system before the monitor gig...I noticed the end of one of the cords getting warm running about 12 amps. If anyone's running outlet strips or cords with multiple games hooked up, even if the breaker isn't blowing, it never hurts to just double-check the cords and plugs for warmth with everything on. Don't want a sorry holiday for anyone.

 

[TheShanMan]

Remind me not to let you move any of my games around. If you're wearing out power cords, you're doing something wrong.

+1. 12 gauge is way overkill in general. But since smalltown's games are in such an abusive environment there's nothing wrong with using 12 gauge. My games are just in my game room so it would just be a waste of money to use anything lower than about 16 gauge (which is what I think I usually buy).

 

[smalltownguy2]

+1. 12 gauge is way overkill in general. But since smalltown's games are in such an abusive environment there's nothing wrong with using 12 gauge. My games are just in my game room so it would just be a waste of money to use anything lower than about 16 gauge (which is what I think I usually buy).

Yeah, the link I shared to Bob Robert's cord is a 16 gauge cord too. Strong enough. I liked it.

But Shan's right - some of the owners that I assist have found ways to destroy those cords something FIERCE.

 

[paulliadis]

Thanks for all the help guys.

One more question. What do you guys do with all the extra cord? Mine sits right beside the plug, so there's a lot of extra there. I had been tucking it inside the cab, since I've yet to put that back door on. Don't think that was a good idea.

 

[RetroHacker]

WTF KINDA SERVER IS THAT!?

Sun E4500. Nearly maxed out, with three A5000 disk arrays. It runs fine on the 14 gauge cord, but after about a week the female socket on the cord got so hot it started to deform and melt around the hot pin. Apparently it can't handle the load continuously. The plug at the wall didn't get hot, nor did the rest of the cord. I attribute the failure more to the poorly made molded rubber plug than the gauge of the wire. I guess China hasn't quite gotten the hang of electrical connectors. Heh.

I powered an RS/6000 that weighed more than my car using a standard cord and it seemed ok. (Server wasn't really that big but it did have a 20 amp end on it that I (swapped to a normal end, it was only a temp solution).

Neat - what model is it?

-Ian