Where might I find cheater plugs?

Vivek.

I bought a couple from Canadian tire last year. I don't think they are actually illegal, but the ones I've seen for sale for the last few years all now have a little ground wire with a round terminal exiting the side or bottom of the adapter. This is meant to be attached to the center screw on the receptacle (the one that holds the cover plate on) on the assumption that it's commected to ground...

Better results may be obtained by lifting the ground from the male end of the power cord. This assumes you feel confident in tackling the job, and your cables are not the molded factory variety.

I have seen many pieces of electronics fitted with the familiar IEC chassis connector employing a three pin power cable. Upon opening the chassis, only to find that ground pin was never connected.

In other words, it only appears to be grounded, when the manufacturer never intended it to be. This is not all that unusual, as I have seen this at least a half dozen times.

Phydeaux - thanks for the reply. I was given one of the type you described and always wondered where it came from. I'll try Canadian Tire soon. I think that they are illegal though - I was told that by both Home Depot as well as Radio Shack.

Vivek

Vivek,

If Canadian Tire doesn't have them, I think your best bet may be a local neighbourhood hardware store. These are almost a thing of the past themselves, but it's amazing what you can somtimes find in these little independant places. Re: illegal - I don't know how your local chains are run, but neither Home Depot or the various Radio Shacks in my area are know for hiring the best and brightest...

Good luck,
RLW

I'm going to have to ask, why not replace the outlet with a grounded outlet? Minimal expense, you were at Home Depot already, and you could probably do it yourself. Other than that, pull the grounding pin as Albertporter suggested. If you have a friend in the U.S., contact him, I know there are plenty of the cheater plugs in hardware stores, it could be mailed to you. These are all $1 solutions to the same problem.