An IEC with grip


I am sure this has been discussed ad nauseum, but I have not found what I am looking for yet. I have built several power cables and bought a bunch, but I am consistently disappointed by the IEC plugs and their weak grip. I have spent some bucks on Neotech and Wireworld plugs and cords, and they frequently have to be pushed back in place. One of the cords that does have grip is the Classic+ that I received with my Puritan PSM156, that holds quite well. 

Any suggestions? I know that I can improve things by wrapping the plug in tape to make it stay put, but my interest here is finding something with grip that will improve the connection.

 

zlone

Showing 6 responses by ctromeo87

The grippiest C13/15A IEC I’ve experienced is from IEGo. Comes in a bunch of different flavors ranging from bare copper to gold-plated copper to rhodium-plated silver. They also happen to be a pretty good product for the money, so perhaps that’s your ticket.

@jonwolfpell I hear you there on the jokes! Your wondering also might find an answer in the form of a joke by Randall Monroe:

https://xkcd.com/927/
Universal standards are tricky beasts, to be sure.

If you’re looking for a mechanical solution that doesn’t require replacing plugs or inlets, Furutech makes a “bracer boost” which is essentially a chunk of their NCF material with some adhesive. Comes in singles and doubles.

@zlone glad they’re working out (mostly)!

Fun fact: you can remove the rubber grommet in the shell; it buys you a surprising amount of diameter for the larger cords. If you’re worried about dust/debris, add some 1.5” 3:1 heatshrink after the fact.

@zlone  Furutech makes some narrow spades primarily for power cables (though they’re also great for barrier strips). They’re the FP-209. They take 10 gauge wire no problem, and you can get them in gold-plated or rhodium-plated versions. They’re a staple in my little cable workshop.

@zlone  For 10 gauge I’d crimp. Put some contact enhancer in there if I’m feeling fancy 🧐

I use this one: Haisstronica, aka Amazon Special. It takes a bit of elbow grease, but it does the job:

https://a.co/d/jb7doeo

Really the important part for me is the ratcheting action.


I haven’t had too much trouble with crimping these, though I do recommend setting the spade in the crimper before putting the spade on the wire.